Life — June 25, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is primarily a **Fisk Rubber Company advertisement**, not political satire. The main image shows two well-dressed women in a car with a child, promoting tire reliability. The company emphasizes "honesty of purpose" and claims fifteen years of tire-making expertise, positioning their product as trustworthy. The small inset cartoon titled "Time to Re-Tire? (Buy Fisk)" depicts a train conductor or porter figure—likely a period racial caricature—serving as a visual pun on "re-tire." This type of imagery was common in early 20th-century advertising but reflects deeply offensive stereotyping practices of that era. The advertisement targets middle-class consumers, particularly families, emphasizing safety and confidence in their tires.