Life, 1916-10-26 · page 31 of 46
Life — October 26, 1916 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straightforward product advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The page promotes Goodyear Cord tires in *Life* magazine (page 725). The visual shows two large tires displayed dramatically against an industrial cityscape. The accompanying text emphasizes that Goodyear achieves "safety" and "ease" simultaneously through superior construction—specifically their patented cord tire method using "many layers of light, strong cords, cushioned in springy rubber." The ad's rhetoric stresses **trustworthiness and quality over cost**: the company prioritizes durability and performance rather than cheap manufacturing. It mentions specific tire types (No-Hook, Q.D. Clincher) and notes compatibility with both gasoline and electric automobiles—reflecting the transitional automotive market of the era. There is **no cartoon or satire present**—this is period advertising copy emphasizing engineering innovation as a selling point to middle-class consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: 725 Trust These Tires— They Couple Ease With Safety Bea the greater grace, the spryer action, the surer comfort of Goodyear Cord tires— is strength. Simple, honest, trustworthy strength. It's there—in every inch of cord, in every ounce of rubber. We put it there and put it there to stay. We put it there—not by sacrificing any element of comfort, of life, or of appearance—but by fostering and amplifying these qualities, even while developing a sounder and stronger foundation for them. We coupled greater ease with greater safety by coup- ling greater suppleness with greater strength. Only the Goodyear method of Cord tire construction could achieve this perfect balance of resilience and security. Only the Goodyear principle of many layers of light, strong cords, cushioned in springy rubber, could make tires so flexible. Only the Goodyear practice of protection by spe vial feature against any form of accident, could make them so safe. We repeat, you can trust these tires. They are true Goodyears, from bead to bead—built in an institution where cost is subordinate to quality, where experience and disposition have firmly established the principle that it pays better to give better value. They come in No-Hook and Q. D. Clincher types, in both All-Weather and Ribbed Treads, for gasoline and electric cars. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio)