Life — January 4, 1917 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is primarily **advertising, not satire or editorial cartoon**. The page promotes Westinghouse Electric's starting, lighting, and ignition equipment for automobiles. The headline "Getting Away at the Gong" uses a fire-alarm metaphor to emphasize speed and reliability. The circular inset shows an early automobile with prominent headlights, illustrating the equipment in use. The accompanying text argues that Westinghouse equipment is "relied upon" by major automobile manufacturers, claiming that quick, dependable starts could save "lives and property" in emergency situations. The right column lists numerous automobile companies using Westinghouse Equipment, serving as endorsement. This is a straightforward corporate advertisement leveraging safety and reliability claims to market electrical components to consumers and manufacturers during the early automotive era.