Life, 1921-04-14 · page 3 of 36
Life — April 14, 1921 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Kelly-Springfield tire advertisement disguised as humor**. Two men are depicted: one driving an old automobile, the other (labeled "Parson") standing beside it with a cane. The joke plays on the stereotype of clergy swearing when experiencing car trouble. The parson claims he avoids temptation to curse by using Kelly-Springfield tires—implying these tires are so reliable they prevent the frustration that causes profanity. The humor is gentle, relying on the incongruity of a religious figure nearly losing his composure over mechanical failure. The advertisement's message: Kelly-Springfield tires prevent problems, thus preventing the bad behavior problems cause. This represents early 20th-century advertising strategy: embedding product placement within editorial humor rather than separate ads.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
June 8, 1883, at the Post Office at New York, CHARLES DANA GIRSON, President ithe act of March 34. 1879. GBORGE B. RICHARDSON, Vice-President L&ROV MILLER, Treas GEORGE D'UTASSY, Se BF. PROvANDIR, Western Manager aia “ Aren’t you sometimes tempted to swear a little when you have tire trouble, Parson?” “Well, I migt be, but you see I avoid temptation by using Kelly-Springfields.” 519 comicbooks.com