Life, 1919-11-06 · page 35 of 36
Life — November 6, 1919 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **full-page advertisement**, not a political cartoon or satire. It promotes Chase Drednaut Motor Topping, a car roof material manufactured by L.C. Chase & Co. of Boston (established 1847). The ad uses a romantic, idealized illustration—two figures (a man and woman) admiring a landscape vista framed by classical architecture—to associate the product with beauty, durability, and quality. The tagline "Defies Time and the Elements" emphasizes weatherproofing. The sales pitch targets early-20th-century car owners who may have purchased cheap roof materials without consideration. Chase Drednaut promises superior finish and longevity, positioning the higher cost as justified by durability. The ad exemplifies vintage automotive marketing that tied functional products to aspirational imagery and emotional appeal rather than technical specifications.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“"Defies Time and the Eleme: Give serious thought to the top material when buying a new caror when re-topping. Perhaps you are one of the many who, to their sorrow, accepted without heed a top on its face value — look further now — specify DREDNAUT and be protected both by the material and our trademark. L. C. CHASE & CO., BOSTON Leaders in Manufacturing since 1847 HHASE DREDNAUT MOTOR TOPFING IS ABSOLUTELY WEATHERPROOF — APPROPRIATE IN EVERY DETAIL— WILL ADD TO THE BEAUTY AND DIGNITY OF ANY CAR — REMAINS TRUE IN FINISH AND OFTEN OUTLASTS THE CAR ITSELF. A COSTLY MATERIAL BUT NOT AN EXTRAVAGANCE OWING TO ITS LASTING QUALITIES, comicbooks.com