Life — May 19, 1921 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a **Michelin Tire Company advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes Michelin's superior rubber compound that resists brittleness and porousness with age. The central claim: Michelin tubes outlast competitors. The advertisement describes an actual test where half a Michelin tube was cemented to half a tube from "another make," then run until failure. The other sections wore out completely while the Michelin portion remained serviceable. The cartoon illustration shows the **Michelin Man** (the company's mascot, a rotund figure made of tire rings) presenting this evidence to onlookers. The dark photograph on the right appears to show the test results—the comparative wear patterns of the tubes. The message: Michelin tubes cost no more than ordinary brands but last significantly longer, making them superior value.