Life, 1920-10-07 · page 5 of 56
Life — October 7, 1920 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It's a United States Rubber Company advertisement for tires, appearing in Life magazine (page 605). The image shows vintage automobiles from approximately the 1920s era, with people loading or discussing tires. The accompanying text addresses motorists' common misconceptions about tire selection and care. The "satire" here is mild corporate messaging: the ad claims that tire knowledge is spreading faster than some drivers realize, and that irresponsible tire dealers breed distrust. It positions U.S. Rubber Company as the responsible authority—the "largest and most experienced" rubber organization—worthy of customer trust. This is straightforward product advertising wrapped in a light cautionary tone about consumer education, not political satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
An overloaded car, like the one on the left, is one of the shortest cuts to tire trou- ble. Each size of tire is designed to carry @ certain load at a certain air pressure. Any good tire dealer will be glad to tell you the proper size and pressure for your car. It is well to use oversize tires on cars that are often overloaded. HT Tire Knowled e is Spreading Faster ithan Some ; Th People seem to Think‘ bets against the inform- ed opinion of the tire users of this country is going to /ose. The average American motorist is essentially prac- tical. He may get off the track now and then. - But always you will find him going right in the end. * * * The trouble with the irre- sponsible type of tire dealer is that he allows his ideas of his customers to be bred in an atmosphere of distrust and fostered by a small coterie, not at all representative of the motoring public. Not every motorist of whom he takes advantage always finds it out immediately. But the time it takes for motorists generally to com- plete their tire education is growing less and less every + Season, * * * The United States Rubber Company has always stood for a wider spread of tire knowl- edge among motorists. Doing everything it could to encourage} them to greater care in tire selection. Firm in the belief that the more they know about tires, the quicker they will come to quality. * * Back of the /egitimate dealer who sells legitimate tires stand all the weight and influence and responsibility of the United States Rubber Com- pany—the /argest and most ex- perienced organization of its kind in the world. Go to him when you want a tire. For that way—and that way only—lies economy, United States Tires United States Fifty-three Factories The oldest and largest Rubber Organization in the World Rubber Company Two hundred and thirty-five Branches | | | | | SS | ee ee comicbooks.com