Life, 1919-01-23 · page 35 of 42
Life — January 23, 1919 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon or satire**—it's a **full-page advertisement** for Goodyear tires in *Life* magazine (page 143). The image shows two Goodyear motor trucks photographed on rough, rocky terrain, demonstrating their capability on poor road conditions. The advertisement describes a cross-country promotional journey: two trucks carried full loads from Boston to San Francisco and back to Boston via Los Angeles, completing 7,763 miles in 24 days. The "point" is commercial, not satirical: the ad argues that Goodyear Pneumatic Cord Truck Tires proved superior because they successfully negotiated harsh conditions (71.5% unimproved roads and wagon trails) that would have disabled solid tires. This was early automotive advertising, using a real-world endurance test to demonstrate product reliability. There are no political figures, caricatures, or satirical commentary—just a straightforward marketing message aimed at commercial truck buyers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a CORTIPENTAL MOTOR DRESS jOOD) YEAR i | ij aknox BOSTON SAN FRANGSCO. “VA LINCOLN O HIGEOWAN BOSTON 1 ia San Francisco and Los Angeles ‘WO Goodyear motor trucks, shod with Goodyear Pneumatic Cord Truck Tires, recently carried full loads from Boston to San Francisco and returned to Boston by way of Los Angeles. They were taken off their regular Akron-to- Boston route without special preparation and sent west. As shown by the recordograph, they completed the 7,763-mile round trip in 24 days, 1 hour and 55 minutes of actual running. The journey constituted a remarkable demonstra- tion of the ability of motor trucks, equipped with Goodyear Pneumatic Cord Truck Tires, to nego- tiate the worst kinds of going found anywhere. For 71.5 per cent of this transcontinental jaunt was made over unimproved roads and in wagon trails. The traction of the big Goodyear Pneu- matics enabled the heavy trucks to negotiate mud, sand and grades that would have stalled solid tires. This memorable performance of these pioneer- ing Goodyear Pneumatic Cord Truck Tires points to their immense advantages for both high- way hauling and off-the-road work. THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, AKRON, OHIO comicbooks.com