Life — October 7, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Advertisement Analysis This is a **WEED Tire Chains advertisement**, not political satire. It targets pedestrians with a safety message about motor vehicle accidents. The visual shows a dramatic scene: a car has struck a pedestrian on a wet street while other vehicles and people look on. The ad's premise is that drivers without tire chains cannot stop quickly on slippery surfaces, making accidents inevitable. The copy warns pedestrians to "look out for cars without WEED Tire Chains," arguing that when drivers equip their vehicles with these chains, accidents "will practically cease to happen." This reflects early automotive-era concerns about traffic safety and the emerging market for tire traction devices. The ad positions WEED chains as a public safety necessity, not merely a commercial product. American Chain Company, based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, manufactured these products.