Life, 1914-02-19 · page 6 of 40
Life — February 19, 1914 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Weed Anti-Skid Chains, tire traction devices for winter driving. The ad uses fear-based marketing: the dramatic illustration ("A Vision") shows a silhouetted motorist witnessing a car skidding dangerously on icy pavement ahead. The text warns drivers they're "taking chances on your own life" without chains, appealing to both personal safety anxiety and social responsibility ("serious menace to every road user"). The product claim—"Absolutely Prevent Skidding"—is presented as essential winter equipment. The ad emphasizes ease of installation and promises chains won't damage tires, concluding with a "safety campaign" appeal to equip cars immediately. This reflects early-20th-century automotive winter safety concerns before modern tire technology.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
of your car, You have neglected to put on Weed dangerously skidding on the Chains. slippery Pavement ahead You anxiously view the slippery pavement ahead and have a mental picture of your car “‘side-swiping’’ a fellow motorist. Why nurse anxiety and coax calamity—why take such chances when you know | Weed Anti-Skid Absolutely Prevent Skidding Weed Chains do not injure If you don’t equip your ceed with Weed Chains, and pi them on when the roads slippery and muddy or covered with snow and ice, you are tak- ing chances on your own life and are a serious menace to every road user. 28 Moore Street - tires even as much as one litt! tle, slip or skid—They are slipped on ina minute without a jack— they never fail in an emer- gency. Join the safety cam- paign—exercise caution. Equip your car with Weed Chains today. Sold for ALL Tires by Dealers Everywhere Weed Chain Tire Grip Company - NEW YORK Manufactured for Canada by DOMINION CHAIN COMPANY, Limited—Head Office: Shaughnessy Bldg., Montreal, Can. Chains — CoMmicbooks: com