Life, 1917-06-07 · page 6 of 42
Life — June 7, 1917 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **safety advertisement** for Weed tire chains, not satire or political commentary. The ad uses moral persuasion to promote tire chains as safety devices for wet/slippery roads. The visual shows a ghostly figure (representing death/consequences) overlooking scenes of 1920s automobiles and recreational activities. The repeated question "Art thou the man?" directly addresses readers' consciences about preventable motor accidents. The core message: motor accidents causing injury and death are often preventable through simple precautions like tire chains. The ad suggests drivers bear moral responsibility for accidents caused by their carelessness—a guilt-based sales approach appealing to readers' sense of safety responsibility for themselves and passengers. This reflects 1920s automotive safety concerns and advertising strategies.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Do the Shades of Destruction, Injury and Death Haunt Your Conscience? Or from Others’ Faults, Do They Rise Before You—Warning You For Safety Each day rings up an increasing toll of motor accidents—preventable accidents—accidents caused by motor cars skidding. And for every such accident, some man’s carelessness was responsible. Art thou the man? . From these accidents killed its own occupants or crashed into another car, mutilating NY financial loss has resulted, or taking the lives of its innocent passengers, the cause was the with injury and suffering same—the lack of Tire Chains. It began with some one man’s to human beings. Death too has often followed—irrep- individual carelessness. Art thou the man? arable, irrevocable death—with all the sorrows and i i i i trials and hardships that death brings to the bereaved ones. pkg ile dad get en ph apree aes you are'eale Hyour And all because some one man thought he was immune— when the roads are wet and slippery. carelessly indifferent to the accident-preventing value of Tire And no matter how careful you are, if Chains, Art thou the man? others fail to safeguard their cars, each Someone was responsible for each accident from skid- such careless driver endangers you and ding. Whether the car that skidded—smashed, maimed or those with you. Carelesaness is even now arranging the plans for the next accident from skidding. Some certain man is already preparing to be responsible for that accident— Art thou the man? American Chain Company, Incorporated Sole Manufacturers of Weed Tire Chains Bridgeport \@/ Connecticut In Canada: Dominion Chain Company, Limited, Niagara Falls, Ontario Largest Chain Manufacturers in the World The Complete Chain Line—all types, all sizes, all finishes—from plumbers’ safety chain to ships’ anchor chain. comicbooks.com