Life — August 30, 1917 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is not a satirical cartoon, but rather a **luxury automobile advertisement** for the Locomobile Company of America. The page promotes their "Series Two" closed car, specifically limousines and landaulets. The advertisement uses ornate decorative borders typical of early 20th-century print design. The text employs pretentious language, comparing the vehicles to "Orders of Architecture" and "a grand piano or period furniture"—positioning Locomobiles as status symbols for wealthy consumers who "prefer a conservative model, fully developed and perfected." This represents early automotive marketing targeting the affluent, emphasizing craftsmanship, exclusivity, and timeless style rather than innovation or performance. It's a straightforward commercial appeal, not satire.