Life, 1913-02-20 · page 33 of 48
Life — February 20, 1913 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising, not satire or political cartooning**. The page features an illustration of a Garford Six automobile with well-dressed passengers and onlookers, accompanied by promotional text claiming exceptional market success. The "Public Approval" headline and testimonial-style copy emphasize rapid sales: 1,400 contracts in seven days, strong showroom performance, and dealer enthusiasm. For a modern reader: this represents early 1910s automotive marketing. The car cost $2,750 (roughly $80,000 today), positioning it as a luxury good for affluent buyers. The detailed specifications and claims of popularity are typical period advertising tactics. The illustration's formal style and the emphasis on electric lights and "left-hand drive" reflect contemporary technological selling points. **Life magazine** hosted such paid advertisements alongside its satirical content—this page simply demonstrates how magazines subsidized journalism through commercial sponsorship. There is no cartoon or joke intended here; it's straightforward product promotion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Public Approval of This New Six We announced this new Six last month. On the day of its announcement we had tele- graphic requests, for information on deliveries, from practically every important city in America. It attracted more attention at the National Automobile Show than any other Six on exhibition. The first car sold on the opening night of the Show was a new Garford Six. This sale took place just five minutes after the Garden had opened. In seven days we had bonafide contracts for over fourteen hundred cars—which is more cars than most six cylinder producers make in a year. There were more of the new Garford Sixes sold at the New York show than any other high grade Six represented there. One of our dealers alone made twenty- six retail sales the first week this car was put on the market. $2750—Completely Equipped The new Garford Six 4: fir otttes 3 Six 1s a five passenger touring car. It is electricall, tiated, all lights are electric; the horn is clectric; It has’a slsty horsepower, I bal ftreke motor—the measurements of which are 35{1n, by 61n.—the wheel- nay 128 inches, the tires are 36 in, by 434 In.; It has demountable rims; it has the very practical and popula: left-hand drive and center control. It ts, of course, completely equipped with the very best and very finest accessories, The price, complete, is $2750. Full information from us or our nearest dealer. ere Catalogue on request. Please address Dept. 3. 7 The Garford Company, Elyria, Ohio > 385 cents for ointed. n'l Distrs. comicbooks.com