Life, 1915-08-12 · page 2 of 40
Life — August 12, 1915 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily a commercial advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes White Motor Cars' enclosed vehicles, marketed to affluent buyers with "cultured discrimination" and refined taste. The ad features a silhouetted automobile surrounded by crowds and hot-air balloons against a mountainous backdrop—imagery suggesting leisure, celebration, and social status. The text explicitly targets wealthy consumers who value "cultivation of taste" and "truest sense" of personal distinction. The ad emphasizes custom-built options (Limousine, Semi-Touring, Town Car), positioning enclosed cars as status symbols for the discriminating elite. This reflects early automotive marketing that equated ownership with social class and refined sensibility—a common approach in 1920s advertising to affluent Life magazine readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
N.V.,a8 Second Class Mail Murty Fost Uitice Department, Canad ish Possessions JA@ fine enclosed car holds an important place in the environment of those whose choice in all things denotes cultured discrimination. To such persons the enclosed car must be more than simply a conveyance—it must express cultivation of taste—it must be fashionable in the truest sense—it must bespeak the personality of the owner. White enclosed cars are customvbuilt, affording you the opportunity to collaborate with our designers in having the finish and decorations identified with your own personal taste. Let us submit plans for your new enclosed car—Limousine, Landaulet,Semi-Touring or TownCar. Fall delivery assured on orders placed now. The WHITE COMPANY, Cleveland, Ohio en tims 2