Life, 1920-07-22 · page 33 of 40
Life — July 22, 1920 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **tire company advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It promotes Miller Tires (made by the Miller Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio) to a 1920s American audience. The image shows a well-dressed man (likely a tire engineer or company representative) examining tires in a laboratory setting. The advertisement emphasizes Miller's competitive advantages: durability (a 33,000-mile test case), superior tread design ("Geared-to-the-Road"), and rigorous quality control (250 tires constantly tested, $1,000 spent daily on testing). The text repeatedly stresses that Miller has "doubled" mileage while cutting costs in half since 1914—a major selling point during an era when tire durability directly affected car ownership costs. The ad appeals to practical consumers by highlighting that twenty car manufacturers now equipped vehicles with Millers "without extra cost," positioning the brand as both premium and accessible. There is **no cartoon or satire present**—this is straightforward commercial persuasion targeting middle-class automobile owners.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
al XUM Tread Patented Center tread smooth, with suction cups to firmly grasp wet as- phalt. Geared-to-the- Road side treads mesh like cogs in dirt. 33,000 miles The Crawford AutoCo, of El Paso, Texas, re- port 33,000 miles ona Miller Cord. Of this, 13,000 miles was on country roads. We would like to know if any tire of any make has ever matched that record, THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY Akron, Ohio Also makers of Miller Inner Tubes, fed an built layer on layer, by the ill used in making surgeons’ gloves. LIFE How We Doubled Miller Mileage Miller tire mileage has been more than doubled in the past few years. The cost-per- mile has been more than cut in two. Yet Miller treads have been so improved that they still outwear the tires. Miller Tires come to us with treads intact after 25,000-mile records. As a result, Miller Tires have become the sensation. They are everywhere discussed. Thousands of large tire users, after years of comparison, have adopted the Millers ex- clusively. The demand for Miller Tires in the past five years has multiplied 20-fold. A 24-Year Tire The Miller factory has for 24 years special- ized in fine rubber. It leads the world in some such products, including surgeons’ gloves. Ten years ago they applied this experience to building a super-grade tire. And the facts above will show how they've succeeded. Miller Methods The Miller factory keeps 250 tires con- stantly running under observation. Every tire that excels or that disappoints is examined And a lesson is taught by each. Every tire is signed and recorded. come back with amazing records, some fallen down. For many years our experts have studied out the reasons. We spend $1,000 daily just to watch and test tires and materials. We compare Miller Tires in constant use with five of our leading rivals, Thus, step by step, we have found ways to add mileage. Since 1914 Miller Tires have been bettered by more than 100 per cent. Saves Millions These improvements have cost us some millions of dollars. Again and again vast equipment had to be abandoned. Our re- search work is costly. And we wear out 1,000 tires per year in our factory tests. But this added mileage will save Miller Tire users over $60,000,000 this year. Such tires deserve a test. Compare them with the tires you use. See on your own car what these modern tires can do. In buying a new car get these new-grade tires and watch them. Twenty makers now equip with Millers without extra cost. Mitter Tires Geared-to-the-Road S. Pat. Office The Most Talked-About Tires in America Cords en U Fabrics é comicbooks.com