Life — June 22, 1916 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or political cartoon. It promotes the 1917 Chalmers automobile—a "5-15" model priced at $1090 in Detroit. The illustration shows a touring car with two figures: a driver and a passenger. The accompanying text celebrates Chalmers' sales achievements, noting 600 men delivered $22 million worth of cars in seven months, with 631 dealers now stocked. The headline "Now for 1917" announces the new model year. The text emphasizes the car's reliability (99.21% perfect service records) and availability in two wheelbases. There is no political satire here—this is straightforward early-automotive marketing material typical of *Life* magazine's commercial content from this period.