Life, 1913-03-27 · page 35 of 60
Life — March 27, 1913 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not satire. It promotes the Stearns-Knight automobile manufactured by The F.B. Stearns Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The ad uses a marketing strategy common to the era: associating the product with success and authority. The illustration shows three well-dressed men (appearing to represent "leaders of men" in business and banking, per the bottom caption) riding in the car, implying that prestigious figures endorse this vehicle. The text emphasizes technical superiority—particularly the four-cylinder engine's advantages over six-cylinder competitors in "silence, simplicity and superb riding qualities." It claims the company is "the largest manufacturers of high grade four-cylinder cars in America." The phrase "LEADERS OF MEN" and "BANKING" at the bottom suggests aspirational marketing: buying this car associates the owner with successful businessmen. There is no political cartoon or satire present—this is straightforward early automotive advertising leveraging status and male authority figures to sell vehicles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Stearns-Knight Car— Chosen by Leading Men From the very first the Stearns-Knight has been the choice of men who know—men who have wearied of poppet-valve troubles and complaints. These men— leaders in all branches of business—have ordered and re-ordered these cars till Stearns sales have practically doubled. These owners have found silence, simplicity and superb riding qualities hitherto unknown. They have proved that in the four-cylinder Stearns-Knight they have the superior of any six-cylinder poppet valve in flexibility, economy, efficiency, durability and silence. Thatis why weare the largest manufacturers of high grade four-cylinder cars in America. Other owners have proved that the only car greater than this is the six-cylinder Stearns-Knight—a car of surpassing power and speed, with the other well known Stearns-Knight qualities even more pro- nounced than in the four. Four-, Five- and Seven-Passenger Touring Cars Three-Passenger Roadsters, Limousines and Landaulets The equipment includes Gray & Davis electric starter, electric lighting system, Warner Auto-meter, windshield, top and side curtains, Klaxon and bulb horns, Mea’ Magneto and many other appointments. The F. B. Stearns Company, Cleveland, Ohio Branches and Dealers in 125 Cities THE ULTIMATE CAR (xmicnT Tyee MoToR) ‘LEADERS OF MEN em ERLE EN BANKING comicbooks.com