Life, 1916-03-09 · page 43 of 44
Life — March 9, 1916 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes New Departure Ball Bearings for automobiles. The page features a testimonial-style ad with an illustrated man reading a promotional booklet about ball bearings. The "joke" or selling point is that an ordinary car buyer has discovered—through the company's free booklet—that ball bearings are far more important to a vehicle's value and performance than he previously realized. The satire is gentle and self-directed: the man admits his ignorance ("I never knew the Bearings of an automobile meant so much") and expresses gratitude for learning something "important." This was a common early-20th-century advertising approach—using mock-humble testimonials to suggest that readers too should educate themselves about technical specifications. The multiple bearing diagrams on the right demonstrate the product's engineering. This is fundamentally a technical/industrial advertisement masquerading as lighthearted consumer education.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
and so specifies New Departure Bearings throughout, conserves his “I’m Mighty Glad I Sent for This Book.” “T've learned something important—and every man who is about to buy a motor car should read what I have read. “T never knew the Bearings of an automobile meant so much to the automobile owner. “Why, this information about New Departure Ball Bearings answers nearly every question I had decided to ask when I bought my car. “One thing, I've discovered—a eat is only as good as its Bearings whether you pay one thousand or icone riven ms you pay “Personally I've decided what I can afford to pay for my cat, and every dollar | pay must count, And this book has proved to me beyond any doubt that the Bearings in a car decide its true value to the car owner, This book about Nis oping ay eyed. Hae ie Rib seany Law gai aad conscanpbnas” “Haw to gut lang tle out of the car,” *How to prevent waste of power,’ ‘How best to overcome shock and strain,” "How to secure smooth, easy riding qualities under all road conditions.’ and a lot of other interesting things besides. “Every car owner and every man who is going to buy a car should know these things, True, they're technical, but here it is all told so simply a child could understand. “The New Departure Manufacturing Company has performed a valuable service to every man interested in Motor Cars. This booklet, *New Departure Ball Bearings What They Mean to the Car Ovenes,” bs Tu worth while, “You can get it by return mail, by writing for it. Ask for Booklet *F*.” ? roviding a correct bearing for imachine where friction occurs betuceen rotating members. They are internationally iameter and width—can be used in replacement of Balt Bearings of any make. THE NEW DEPARTURE MFG. Co. Conrad Patent Licensee Main Ofice and Works, Bristol, Conn. Harder Divition, Hanterd, Connecticut Wesery Branch, Dat, 1016-17 Ford Be. Coutneat of Faroe Aren Socob Hig, Co =: Fe, Deen ent ¥ " Depot NB, ‘eit, Cora “Armuille, P " | New Departure Single Row A baht, perfected, ant reion ners rati"fonds only are'to be