Life, 1912-06-13 · page 27 of 44
Life — June 13, 1912 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward automobile advertisement from Life magazine's 1913 issue. The page features an elegant illustration of a Peerless motor car at the top, with decorative Art Nouveau border framing. The text is a luxury car advertisement emphasizing aesthetic and mechanical qualities: harmonious proportions, clean lines, simplicity (hidden spare tires and folding chairs), and modern conveniences like electric lighting and power-driven tire pumps. The writing employs poetic language comparing the car's beauty to "a living being." Life magazine, though satirical in other content, regularly published advertisements. This represents the aspirational consumer culture of the 1910s, targeting wealthy motorists. The Peerless Motor Car Company of Cleveland was a legitimate manufacturer of high-end automobiles during this era. There is no political commentary or joke visible on this page—it functions purely as period advertising rhetoric.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE BEAUTY OF THE [915 PEERLESS It is individual, distinctive; it is apparent at a glance; it grows with familiarity; it lingers with you like the beauty of a living being; there is somethin: personal i in it. This beauty—inevitably associated with a Peerless car—is no thing of chance. It is the beauty of studied harmony—for every part and piece is perfectly proportioned to every other. It is the beauty of long, clean lines and graceful curves—in the sweep of the fenders, in the Qf unbroken line of the parapet, in the gradual taper of the bonnet, in the of top and body-back. It is the beauty of simplicity—the extra tires are castle’ below the parapet, the chairs in the tonneau fold away out of sight, there is no break or jarring contrast to the long lines and the broad expanse of body-surface. It is, too, the beauty of utility ae strength—of power in reserve. The three six-cylinder chassis, equipped with various Sd ak of open and closed bodies, meet the requirements of experienced motorists. All have the flexibility of a motor unusually long of stroke, with the convenience of an automatic dynamo electric-lighting system and a power-driven tire-pump. One can not view this car as it flashes over the road, the sunlight glancing from wheels or polished body-surface, without a deep and lasting impression of beauty. Its beauty and comfort can be yours for the full season, as the 1913 Peerless is ready for immediate delivery. THE PEERLESS MOTOR CAR COMPANY a 4@ CLEVELAND a wz wz comicbooks.com ‘oad, continuous curve