Life, 1920-07-01 · page 2 of 56
Life — July 1, 1920 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not political satire. It's a Pantasote automobile top material ad from The Pantasote Company (New York City). The imagery shows a scenic mountain landscape (labeled "Columbia Crest, Mount Rainier National Park") with tourists, framed as if viewed through an automobile's convertible top. The ad's message is straightforward product marketing: Pantasote's composition resists weather damage ("Rain, sun, heat, cold, grease do not injure this composition"), making it durable for long-term use. The framing device—presenting the national park vista through the car—is clever advertising that associates the product with leisure travel and outdoor adventure, appealing to early-20th-century automobile owners. There is no satirical or political content here; this is commercial promotion.