Life, 1915-05-06 · page 5 of 56
Life — May 6, 1915 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily **advertising copy**, not satire or political commentary. The Fisk Rubber Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts uses an illustrated mascot—the "Time to Retire" Boy—to promote tire quality and customer service. The cartoon shows children examining an anthropomorphic tire character, reinforcing the brand's messaging about reliability and trustworthiness. The "Time to Retire" name cleverly plays on the phrase "time to retire," suggesting that Fisk tires last so long, retirement comes before the tires fail. The advertisement emphasizes Fisk's commitment to quality materials, nationwide service, and reducing customer tire expenses—standard early-20th-century marketing appeals to automobile owners concerned with tire dependability and value.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
recial Iffer losed 1e Dol nadian reign 1 Lire ths to orF. Ri Time to Re-tire?, (Buy Fisk) The Fisk “Time to Retire” Boy ingenuity, finest materials, exclusive methods and modern equipment will permit. The Fisk “Time to Retire” Boy, registered as a trademark in the United States Patent Office at Washington, stands for the Fisk Rubber Company, its methods, its accomplishments, its ideals. It stands for honesty of purpose, dependability of product, integrity of mind and stability of resources. It is the car owner's assurance of satisfaction as to mileage, safety and service. We mean that tire users shall be- come familiar with the Fisk trade- mark so that every time it is seen it will suggest Fisk Tires and what they stand for. We mean that the “Time to Retire” Boy shall serve as a guide to motor- ists who want tires of demonstrated quality and the service of a nation- wide organization whose mission is to satisfy them. Weare making the best tire human We are extending our experience and resources to Fisk users to free them from the annoyance of tire troubles and reduce their tire expense. We are determined, through our product, to make the Fisk Trade- mark an emblem of tire satisfaction to car owners everywhere. Postcard Reproduction in Colors of Above Design Sent on Request. THE FISK RUBBER COMPANY Factory and Home Office Chicopee Falls, Mass. Fisk Branches with Direct Fisk Service in All Principal Cities comicbooks.com