Life, 1914-01-08 · page 27 of 44
Life — January 8, 1914 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **car advertisement**, not political satire. The page advertises the White Company's coupé automobile, marketed as ideal for women ("her car for all purposes") while also appealing to men for "town and winter use." The artistic framing employs classical mythology: Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting, is depicted forsaking her traditional ox-drawn chariot to ride in a modern White coupé. The cherubs and allegorical figures reinforce luxury and elegance. The joke/appeal is gentle wordplay on "grace"—the title and the goddess Diana represent elegance, while the car promises graceful, swift performance combining electric vehicle safety with gasoline engine power and range. This reflects early-1900s automotive marketing positioning cars as modern replacements for horse-drawn carriages, emphasizing both practicality and aspirational status.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Grace [HE WHITE coupé is the car she has always wished for—light, beautiful, swift and far running. Here are found the safety and simple operation of the electric vehicle, combined with the flexible speed and touring possibilities which only the gasoline roadster can give. Primarily her car for a// purposes, its power and convenience also make the White coupé the preferred car for /4/s town and winter use. THE WHITE ow COMPANY ar Diana, goddess of the moon, forsakes her oxen chariot for a White Coupe! comicbooks.com