Life, 1916-05-04 · page 35 of 52
Life — May 4, 1916 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It appeared in *Life* magazine (page 859) promoting Thermoid brand brake lining. The image shows a vintage automobile with well-dressed occupants stopped on a tree-lined road, observed by a policeman and another figure—a staged scene suggesting respectability and safety. The advertisement's rhetorical strategy uses **legal fear**: it warns readers that if involved in a lawsuit for damages, faulty brakes will "go mighty hard with you." This appeals to both financial liability and personal safety concerns. The copy emphasizes that Thermoid's superior asbestos-based lining provides consistent friction, contrasting with "ordinary, friction-shy" competitors. The ad targets car owners who cannot afford brake failure—either legally or morally. It positions Thermoid as the responsible, premium choice, dismissing cost objections by claiming the price difference is "trifling." This is a straightforward early-20th-century product pitch combining legal anxiety, safety consciousness, and quality assurance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
en book: lied free addressed of wes> What would a Jury say? If you ever come into Court as a defendant in a suit for damages and it is proved that your brakes could not grip or hold your car—it will go mighty hard with you. You simply can’t afford to take chances with ordinary, friction-shy brake lining. Quite apart from any financial loss, remember that your own life and the lives of others are not safe if your car is equipped with faulty brake lining. life and car safety— Here’s the brake lining that stands for TOL FESilc Comes Brake Lining-100% Size for size, compare the weight of Ther- moid with any brake lining on the market— sce which is the heaviest—has the most body to it—the best wearing qualities—we'll let you be the judge. Even if the difference in cost be- tween ordinary brake lining and Ther- moid was ten times what it is you couldn't afford to pass up Thermoid. As a matter of fact the difference in cost is so trifling that it isn’t worth figuring, So buy Thermoid, Gaarastee “old Brake Lising is atwolstely guarantee! to ¢! slactory results and to outwear any other bn 1. Not affected by heat, oil, water, gatutine er dl Thermoid is the all-friction brake lining— friction (gripping-power) from surface to sur- face—through and through—safe until it is worn as thin as paper. Thermoid is made of high grade, long-fibre Canadian Asbestos spun on brass wire and im- pregnated with a friction compound to protect it from the action of oil, gasoline and water It is then folded, firmly stitched and hydrauli- cally compressed into one single, solid sub- stance. Don't leave it to the supply or the garage man to put any kind of brake lining on your car, The matter is too serious. When you buy brake lining you want to buy 100% friction— that’s Thermoid, hermoid Rubber Compan Trenton, N. J. Makers of Nassau Tires and Thermoid Radiator Hose, Garden Hose, etc, comicbooks.com