Life, 1915-04-01 · page 49 of 72
Life — April 1, 1915 — page 49: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **tire company advertisement**, not political satire. The image shows a fashionable woman in a motorcar with a small dog, steering by an oversized tire labeled "Kelly-Springfield." The ad's pitch centers on **quality and breeding**: it compares tire craftsmanship to "good breeding on a man or woman"—a genteel, class-conscious appeal typical of 1920s advertising. The message is that Kelly-Springfield tires look expensive and refined *and* actually perform well through "hand" manufacturing and careful "mileage building." The fashionable woman driver represents the target market: affluent motorists who value both appearance and genuine quality. The small dog adds charm and respectability. There is **no political cartoon or satire here**—this is straightforward product advertising emphasizing durability, handcrafted care, and status appeal to wealthy consumers. The page number (577) suggests this appeared in a regular *Life* magazine issue among other ads and articles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ae S\ING ELE A~PRINEELELY Pm, Sue YREAD As good as they look The stamp of quality is as obvious on Kelly-Springfield Tires as it is on any other hand-made article of genuine worth. It is as inimitable and as unmistakable as the impress of good breeding on a manor woman. But elly-Springfield tires are not made so carefully merely to give them an air of distinction. It is mileage we build into them so slowly and painstakingly by hand. And judged by the acid test of actual road mileage, Kelly-Springfield tires are as good as they look. For the best results Kelly-Springfield hand-made tubes should be used with Kelly-Springfield tires. Their use in combination prevents needless punctures due to chafed, ill-fitting tubes. Send to 229 W. 57th St., New York City, for ‘Documents in Evidence”’ which tells the experience of others Kelly-Springfield Tire Company Akron, Ohio BRANCHES IN ALL PRINCIPAL CITIES comichooks.