Life, 1919-09-04 · page 3 of 48
Life — September 4, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Life magazine (page 383) contains a humorous short story rather than political satire. The illustration shows a couple in an open-air automobile from approximately 1919, speeding along a road. The joke centers on tire reliability. The man worries they won't reach their destination by midnight to buy a final bottle of wine (suggesting Prohibition's impending enforcement on June 30, 1919). The woman reassures him they're safe because they have "Kelly-Springfield Cord tires"—a real tire brand known for durability. The man's punchline: they'll have a blowout, but not while driving. This is essentially an advertisement disguised as entertainment, promoting Kelly-Springfield tires through humor. The Prohibition reference dates it precisely to 1919.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HEY were speeding along in a smooth- running car on the evening of June 3oth, 1919. He hadn't spoken a word in many minutes, seemingly in deep thought. Suddenly “Why so pensive, my dear?” “T was thinking,” he replied, “that we have over a hundred miles to go before we reach the Inn, and with the best of luck it will be midnight before we get there.” “Well?” “Well, if we are late, we'll miss that final bottle of cuvée ‘98 . . . this is the last day!” “But,” she argued, “we have over four hours.” “Yes, I know,” he said, “but suppose we have a blowout?” “Why, my dear,” she replied, smiling confi- dently, “have you forgotten t we are riding on Kelly-Springfield Cord tire: “Righto!” he exclaimed, “I had forgotten. We shall have a blowout—but not on the road!” comicbooks.com