Life, 1920-05-20 · page 5 of 48
Life — May 20, 1920 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising, not satire**. It's a Miller Tire Company advertisement from Life magazine (page 925). The central illustration shows two men in business attire examining a large tire—a straightforward product demonstration image, not political commentary or caricature. The ad emphasizes Miller Tires' durability through competitive testing: a bus achieved 22,000 miles on a single tire, and only 15 tires failed out of a $500,000 retail business. The copy stresses rigorous factory testing (1,000 tires tested constantly) and challenges consumers to compare Miller Tires against competitors. The tire illustration on the right displays the product's patented center tread design. This is standard commercial advertising highlighting manufacturing reliability and performance metrics—typical early 20th-century promotional strategy with no satirical element.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Examining a Miller Tire which made a great record Why 22,000 Miles Years ago we started to gather in Miller Tires which had made ex- ceptional records. Forinstunce, 22,000 miles or over ona bus, a truck or a stage line. Westudied those tires, and learned thereasons forendurance. Then we aimed to build all Millers like them. Constant Tests Now we make constant tests. We wear out at our factory 1,000 tires yearly to watch the Miller mileage. We run scores of tires all the time under extreme conditions. We spend $300 daily just to test ubrics and cords for tires. We vulcanize and test every lot ftread stock in our laboratory, be- forea tread is made. Every tire is signed both by maker and inspector, and both are penal- ved if a tire falls down. Note the Records The records show that average Miller mileage has been almost doubled in late years. Miller Tires are so uniform that adjustments are rare. Even in some large cities—like Buffalo—not a single Miller Tire came back last year. In Akron, our home town, where Miller Tires dominate in local use, On a 3-Ton Bus Ray Carpenter runs 22-passenger buses. The average load is three tons. The first Miller Tire he tried ran 23,600 miles. The next 17,000 without a blowout. It was punctured at 5,000 miles. The next ran 22,000 miles. Now, of course, he uses Millers only. only 15 tires disappointed last year on a retail business of $500,000. Everywhere Miller Tires are winning contests against all their leading rivals. They are winning enormous contracts by excelling in million-mile tests. Miller Tires Cords Geared-to-the-Road Registered U, S. Patent Ope Fabrics The Contest Winners Individual records have made them, perhaps, the most talked- about tires in America. The demand in six years has in- creased ten-fold. Last year alone the increase was $11,000,000, See What You Get Put a Miller Tire opposite the tire you use. Compare the mile- age. You may be wrong in your ideas of what modern tires shoulddo. If you buy a new ask for Miller ires. Twenty makers now supply them without extra cost. Then watch them, and let your odometer figures tell you what tire to get next. Tread Patented Center tread smooth, with suction cups to firmly grasp wet as- phalt. Geared-to-the- Roadsidetreadsmesh like cogs in dirt. THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY Akron, Ohio Makers of Miller Uniform Geared-fo-the-Road Tires—Also Miller Red andGray Inner Tubes—Team-Mates of Uniform Tires—Makers also of Miller Surgeons Grade Rubber Goods for Homes as well as Hospitals. comicbooks.com