Life, 1917-04-19 · page 6 of 42
Life — April 19, 1917 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is primarily an **advertisement**, not satire or editorial content. It promotes the Locomobile Company's "Series Two" automobile—a six-cylinder car marketed as a refined, powerful vehicle with improved ignition systems and fuel economy. The accompanying illustration shows a stylishly dressed woman in silhouette alongside the car, likely appealing to affluent consumers. The woman's elegant pose and fashionable attire suggest the car's status as a luxury product for the well-to-do. Pricing information indicates this was an expensive vehicle ($5,000-$7,000 for chassis with coach work, equivalent to roughly $175,000-$245,000 today). The advertisement emphasizes engineering refinements rather than satirizing any social or political issue. This represents typical early-1900s automotive marketing targeting wealthy buyers.