Life, 1918-05-23 · page 29 of 40
Life — May 23, 1918 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **straightforward tire advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It appeared in *Life* magazine (which published both humor and ads). Federal Rubber Company promotes their "Double-Cable-Base" tire innovation, arguing that while car designs constantly improve, tire technology had lagged behind. The ad claims their exclusive feature—four twisted steel cables anchoring the tire to the rim—prevents internal wear, blow-outs, and tire separation. The visual shows a cross-section of the tire highlighting the Double-Cable-Base technology, with labeled examples of their "Rugged White Tread" and "Traffik Black Tread" products. The pitch targets consumers who buy new cars: if you're upgrading your automobile, why not upgrade your tires too? The company manufactured multiple rubber products and operated factories in Cudahy, Wisconsin. This reflects early-20th-century automotive advertising emphasizing technical innovation as a sales angle.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: Rugged White Tread Trattik Black Tread FEDERAL TIRE DOUBLE CABLE BASE Now—Tire Improvements on Par With Newest Cars! Woe buy the latest improved motor cars—different designs—better en- gines! Were tires perfec ? Could no im- provements be made? . Federal’s answer is their e.xelusive Double-Cable-Base feature. If tires are only armored against at- tacks of the road, they are only partially equipped to resist wear. Federal’s Double-Cable-Base construc- tion prevents undue inside wear against the rim—at the same time making it pos- sible to get more service outside against the road. Four unstretchable twisted steel cables anchor the Federal tire so correctly and securely to the rim that the longest, hardest use cannot make it shift. T keeps the toe of the bead from tube-pinching; prevents rim-cutting and blow-outs just above rim, and 0- lutely insures the tire cannot blow off the rim. Also, the low, flexible bead filler heel yields with every motion, relieving the inside walls from excess strain and pre- venting fabric separation. Any Federal dealer will explain these tire improvements in our white Rugged Tread and black Tratik ” Tread, both strong, effective, non-skid tires. Also our perfected Cord tire with black non-skid tread and Double-Cable-Base. Get Federal tires and save money. The Federal Rubber Company of Illinois Factories, Cudahy, Wisconsin Manufacturers of Federal Automobile Tires, and Sundries, Motorcycle, Bicycle and Carriage Tires, Rubber Heels, Fibre Soles, Horse Pads, Rubber Matting and Mechanical Rubber ( comicbooks.com