Life, 1920-06-24 · page 39 of 41
Life — June 24, 1920 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **product advertisement**, not political satire. It promotes automobile headlight visors manufactured by Macbeth-Evans Glass Company. The ad appeals to early automobile owners by positioning the green visor lens as a marker of gentlemanly conduct and refinement. The central claim: these lenses redirect light downward to prevent blinding other drivers—framing traffic safety as a courtesy and social responsibility. The advertisement leverages prestige by noting the technology's adoption by the U.S. Navy for battleships and lighthouses, lending scientific credibility. The visual shows a stylized car with the large visor lens displayed prominently. The underlying pitch is aspirational: purchasing this product signals one's status as a "gentleman" and considerate motorist. For a 1920s audience transitioning to mass automobile ownership, such products offered a way to demonstrate social refinement through consumer choice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*-LIFE. Macbeth Green Visor Lens A GENTLEMAN’ S LENS Notable! To the most expensive cars as to the least, Macbeth green visor lenses add a notable touch of elegance and on every car they render notable service. They mark, too, a notable courtesy — the courtesy a gentleman extends his fellows. The Macbeth permits no dazzling glare to stab and blind the eyes of other drivers. All upward rays are re-directed down at the correct angle on the road. The light is scientifically concentrated in a straight low line of brilliance far ahead and spread uniformly throughout the Price per pats $5.25--Denver ond West $5.75—Caneda$o lighted area. The Macbeth principle of scientific prismatic Winniped and West $6.50 direction of light is that adopted for safety by the United States Macbeth-Evans Glass Company, Pittsburgh for battleships and lighthouses. An impressive endorsement. B h Offices in: Boston; Buffalo; ti , , a o rs reps tikemeger indo The endorsement of gentlemen everywhere of the green v isor Pitesburah; San Francisco lens is equally impressive. It marks a gentleman’s car. Let it Macbeth-E. Glass Cor , Limited, Toronto, ict) H wens Clase Compeny distinguish yours, comicbooks.com