Life, 1921-10-06 · page 4 of 33
Life — October 6, 1921 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **1920s-era advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. The page promotes tire chains for winter driving safety. The "vision" depicted shows a fearful driver imagining his car skidding dangerously near schoolchildren—a persuasive safety appeal targeting parental anxieties. The ad argues that rubber tires alone lack sufficient traction on wet, icy roads, making chains essential. The copy uses vivid language ("mental picture of your car skidding into the school children") to create urgency. It positions Weed chains as superior because they're "diamond hard" and grip without binding, unlike rubber alone. This reflects early-20th-century automobile culture when winter driving was genuinely hazardous and tire chains were standard equipment, not optional accessories.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A of Your car skidding a P iM Thou Ma You have neglected to put on Weed Tire Chains. You anx- iously view the slippery turn ahead and have a mental pic- ture of your car skidding into the school children. Stop nursing anxiety and coaxing calamity. For Safety’s sake — for your own peace of mind fully equip your car today with Weed Anti-Skid Chains THE ONLY REAL SAFEGUARD AGAINST SKIDDING Safety demands that all tires be equipped with Weed Chains. It doesn’t require the gift of second sight to see why this is true. Rub- ber slips— never grips. Rubber will agree to anything the road has to offer. It is the weaker element. It slides on wet pavements like a cake of soap rubbed on the moistened hands. Rubber lacks the bite-and- hang-on ability to prevent skidding. Weed Tire Chains are diamond hard—many times harder than their opposing element — the pave- ment or road. Wheels equipped with Weed Tire Chains automat- ically lay their own traction sur- face. They grip without grinding —hold without binding. No mat- ter how muddy or slippery the road, they hold on like a bull-dog, prevent side-skid and drive-slip. AMERICAN CHAIN COMPANY, INc. BRIDGEPORT CONNECTICUT IN CANADA: DOMINION CHAIN COMPANY, LIMITED, NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO General Sales Office: Grand Central Terminal Building, New York City District Sales Offices: Boston Chicago Philadelphia Pittsburgh Portland, Ore. San Francisco THE LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF CHAIN IN THE WORLD comicbooks.com