Life — November 14, 1912 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising, not satire**. It's a Peerless Motor Car Company advertisement from *Life* magazine promoting their "38-Six" automobile model. The ad targets women drivers specifically, highlighting "Electric Starting and Easy Steering" as features that make the car particularly suitable for female operators. The photograph shows a woman in winter clothing seated at the steering wheel. The marketing approach reflects early 20th-century gender assumptions—automobiles were still relatively new, and manufacturers marketed specific models to women by emphasizing ease of use and convenience. The "38-Six" is positioned as "the most satisfactory car for women to drive," suggesting the company believed women needed simpler, less demanding vehicles than men. This represents genuine historical marketing that reveals period attitudes toward women and technology.