Life, 1915-02-04 · page 33 of 44
Life — February 4, 1915 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Weed Anti-Skid Chains, tire traction devices for early automobiles. The "cartoon" at top is a cautionary narrative: it depicts a car accident caused by a driver who neglected to install tire chains before a storm. The skid happens "like a flash," leaving the driver helpless. This advertisement exploits **fear-based marketing**—a common early 20th-century sales tactic. By dramatizing a preventable tragedy, it argues that chains are "the Only Positive Safeguard Against Skidding" and warns: "Don't wait until after the first skid." The text emphasizes chains prevent "injury, death, car damage and law suits," appealing to both safety and liability concerns. The manufacturer, Weed Chain Tire Grip Company (Bridgeport, Connecticut), positioned their product as essential equipment for all motorists—particularly relevant when winter driving and poor road conditions made skidding a genuine hazard.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
It Happened— Because He Failed to Use Tire Chains He or his chauffeur did not appreciate the great importance of Tire Chains. The car was overtaken by a storm and then the accident happened—the nerve-racking, bone-breaking, car-smashing skid came like a flash. There was nothing he could do but surrender to the inevitable. He had failed to equip all four tires with Weed antisxia Chains The Only Positive Safeguard Against Skidding The time to provide against acci- Weed Chains are the only Skid Stop- dents is before they happen. Don’t wait Pers fit for any car, made to fit every car. until after the first skid. Put Weed Chains No matter how muddy or icy the road, they on all four tires and you'll have quad- | hold on like a bull dog. It is as if you were ruple protection against injury, death, to transfer your own instinct for self-preser- car damage and law suits. vation to the wheels of your car. Do Not Injure Tires When properly applied Weed Chains do not injure tires—that is, put on so as to allow a little “pl Tight enough to be secure—loose enough to “creep.” When they “‘creep"—shift their position— there isn’t a chance to cause injury to the tires. Instructions for attaching, enclosed in every bag of ‘Weed Chains or mailed upon request. Sold for ALL Tires by Dealers Everywhere Weed Chain Tire Grip Company Bridgeport, Connecticut Also Manufacturers Oris Cusine ond Lasse Grtos copeetely. qeattracted for Single and Manufactured for Canada by DOMINION CHAIN COMPANY, Limited, Head Office: Shaughnessy Bldg.,Montreal,Can.