Life, 1917-05-31 · page 31 of 38
Life — May 31, 1917 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not political satire but a straightforward automobile advertisement from *Life* magazine. The page promotes the Franklin Sedan, emphasizing its advantages for summer driving: an enclosed car design that allows adjustable windows for ventilation and weather protection, lightweight construction for easy handling, and fuel economy. The decorative illustration shows flowers and trees above the vehicle, suggesting outdoor leisure and comfort. The ad's rhetorical strategy appeals to both practical (reliability, economy) and social concerns—particularly the comfort of wives and families who, the text implies, suffered from dust, heat, and the appearance of dishevelment when driving open cars (referenced mockingly as looking like "rescued survivors of a wrecked Cook's Tour"). This reflects early automotive marketing targeting middle and upper-class families considering enclosed vehicles as a luxury innovation for recreational driving.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ 5]|IND a man who has experienced the luxury of a Franklin Sedan for summer use. Ask him what he thinks of the Enclosed Car idea for summer. He will tell you that he has made a discovery in motoring; that he will never use any other type of car. He will tell you that the lightness and resilience of the Franklin Sedan make it practical for any kind of driving, on any sort of road, any time, anywhere. That he gets all the free-blowing air there is—as much or as little as he wants. That he can instantly adjust the windows for any sort of weather—shut out dust or rain; drive for fifty miles on a hot summer afternoon and step out of the car clean and cool. Then he will tell you what it means to his wife and family. The freedoin from grimy, parched skins and enveloping veils; the joy of stepping on to a hotel veranda without looking like the rescued survivors of a wrecked Cook’s Tour. Then he will come back to the flexibility of the Franklin, the lightness of its unsprung weight. Easy riding over rough roads, liveliness on the hills, maximum speed from place to place, economy in gasoline, remarkable tire-mileage. Features that apply as well to the Brougham and Cabriolet Models as to the Sedan—the features that make the Franklin so definitely an all-around efficient car. Franklin Sedan (5 passengers) 2610 tbs + $2890.00 Franklin Brougham (4 passengers) 2575 Ibs. $2800 00 Franklin Cabriolet (3 passengers) 2485 Ibs, +s se ee ee $2750.00 All Prices F. O, B, Syracuse FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY SYRACUSE, N.Y, U.S. A. ko x: Uo ees (OLN — comicbooks.com