Life, 1912-04-04 · page 69 of 80
Life — April 4, 1912 — page 69: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement** for B.F. Goodrich Tires, not a political cartoon. The ad claims Goodrich's accomplishment in developing their "Tough White Tread" tire through perseverance and superior facilities. It then pivots to a secondary claim: that Goodrich has undertaken **road-marking of American highways** as a public service benefit to all motorists, regardless of whether they buy Goodrich tires. The company offers free Route Books covering the marked highways and promises that more routes will be completed. The illustration shows a scenic mountain road with a Goodrich service sign marking routes to various destinations (San Diego, Los Angeles, etc.). **The pitch**: Goodrich presents itself as a civic-minded corporation investing in national infrastructure. This was likely an early example of corporate highway marking—before standardized federal road signs existed—positioning the tire company as a trusted guide for American motorists.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pt. t succums, REAT tasks present oreat obstacles. Only Goodrich per- severance coupled with Goodrich facilities could hew the long, rough path which led to the perfection of the Goodrich ‘“*Tough White Tread’’,—and all that name now stands for in assurance of tire quality and stamina. But the goal was reached,—to the tire user’s gain. Our success in this then led us to our latest task:—the road-marking of the tourable highways of America. This project is for the benefit of every motorist; be he user of GOODRICH TIRES or not, and enough of the work has been done to measure its great valué. Hundreds of miles—east and west—have been marked and charted. Accurate and convenient Route Books, cevering them, are offered gratis. As fast as Goodrich crews can work, other routes will be reached. Meanwhile information on highways can be obtained from the Goodrich office. Your inquiry about touring routes in any section will be welcomed. We want every motorist to {cel entitled to every branch of Goodrich Service. The B. F. Goodrich Co., Akron, O. Branches in all : Wholesale Tire Principal Cities Largest in the World ,_ wt Everywhere comicbooks.com