Life, 1917-11-22 · page 35 of 44
Life — November 22, 1917 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward product advertisement for Federal Cord Tires, a manufacturer based in Cudahy, Wisconsin. The page features a large photograph of a tire cross-section displaying the "Double Cable Base" construction. The accompanying text describes technical features: the tire uses flexible cords impregnated with rubber, is vulcanized under air pressure, and features four steel cables anchoring it to the rim to prevent slipping and blowouts. The marketing emphasizes practical benefits for early 20th-century motorists: improved traction, fuel savings, easier riding, and durability. The ad notes Federal made various tire types (non-skid, rugged tread, traffic tread) and other rubber products. This represents typical automobile industry advertising from Life magazine's early period, when tire technology was actively marketed as a competitive advantage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
DOUBLE CABLE BASE Fe DERAL Grp lires Equalized Cord- Strain! Y first forming the car- cass into. shape with strong flexible cords im- preguated with live supple rubber. And then by vulcanizing of the completed tire under internal air pressure— Federal Cord tires are free from troubles that result from being cramped into rigid metallic molds., They come out of the vul- canizing unimpaired — with all their cords straight and parallel and with equal strain upon them to resist road shocks and load. Easier traction, which means saving of fuel, and easier riding, result from the pliability of the Federal Cord construction. Four endless steel cables so firmly anchor the tire to the rim that the longest and hardest service cannot make it shife or slip off. This patented Double Cable Base advantage prevents tube- pinching, positively elim- inates rim cuts and prevents blow-outs just above the rim, No other tire has these ad- vantages. Federal Cord Tires are made in “over size” to fit stand- ard detachable rims. Besides the non-skid Federal Cord Tire there are the Federal non-skid Rugged Tread and Traffik Tread. Let your nearest Federal dealer show you these tires that reduce expenses and increase mile: The Federal Rubber Company of Illinois * Factories, Cudahy, Wisconsin Double Cable Ba Se Manufacturers of Federal Automobile Tires, Tubes and Sun- dries, Motorcycle, Bicycle and Carriage Tires, Rubber Heels, Fibre Soles, Horse Shoe Pads, Rubber Matting and Mechanical Rubber Goods comicbooks.co