Life, 1915-06-03 · page 50 of 52
Life — June 3, 1915 — page 50: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **tire advertisement**, not political satire. The B.F. Goodrich Company is advertising Silvertown Cord Tires in *Life* magazine. The opening analogy—"A Robe does not make a Judge—A Close Imitation of a SILVERTOWN Tire Tread does not make a [Silvertown]"—uses a legal metaphor to warn consumers against counterfeit tires. The message: external appearance alone doesn't guarantee authenticity or quality. The illustration shows a hand holding tire tread, visually emphasizing the product's construction. The ad's five numbered claims highlight technical superiority: strength, fuel efficiency, durability, moisture resistance, and repairability. The warning at bottom—"If it isn't a SILVERTOWN it isn't the original successful cord"—and the mention of "TWO RED DISCS" as identifying markers suggest the company faced significant competition from imitators, making brand authentication crucial to consumers in this era of early automobile manufacturing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Here is the Inside Evidence Outside the A Robe does not make a Judge —A Close Imitation of a SILVERTOWN Tire Tread does not make a The Silvertown Cord Tire embodies five unique principles, which make it superior to any tire on the market. 1—It is the Strongest Tire Made. By that is meant it has the highest breaking strain in pounds per square inch of internal pressure. 2—It is the Most Economical Tire Made for either gasoline or electric con- sumption. A car equipped with these tires has more power and con- sumes less fuel per mile. 3—It is Immune from Stone Bruising—the big cause of blowouts. 4—Moisture Getting into the Body of this Tire does not Rot the Fabric, as the cords are thoroughly impregnated with rubber which prevents the moisture from attacking the cotton. . 5—It can be Easily, and what is Most Important, can be Successfully Repaired. All these things are due to the 2-ply rubber-covered, rubber impregnated cable cord con- struction not found in any tire made in the U. S. except the Goodrich Sitverrown Cord. Made and sold in the U. S. only by The B. F. Goodrich Co.—fully protected by U. S. patents You can always tell a Silvertown—it is Hall-Marked by TWO RED DISCS “Uf it isn’t a SILVERTOWN it isn’t the original successful cord”’ axkox cio ~The B, F. Goodrich Company 9 4227Gccunar shana Nesekes comicbooks.com