Life — March 18, 1920 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Mercer Automobile Advertisement This is a straightforward **automobile advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The page promotes the Mercer car, manufactured by Mercer Motors Company and sold by Hare's Motors in New York City. The ad emphasizes practical buyer benefits: medium weight, low operating costs, high resale value, safety, power, reliability, and simple maintenance with affordable repairs. The tagline "WE SHALL KEEP FAITH" suggests trustworthiness. The decorative illustration shows the Mercer touring car in an elegant garden setting with classical statuary, appealing to affluent buyers. This aspirational imagery—pairing the automobile with refined aesthetic surroundings—was typical of early automotive marketing, positioning car ownership as a mark of sophistication and good taste.