Life, 1923-02-01 · page 29 of 40
Life — February 1, 1923 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Lincoln automobile advertisement**, not a political cartoon. The page uses classical architectural imagery—a grand neoclassical building with columns—positioned above a Lincoln sedan to suggest the car embodies timeless aesthetic principles. The text argues that the Lincoln's beauty derives from three qualities: good taste, design purity, and refinement. The comparison to classical architecture implies the automobile represents enduring, high-class design that transcends temporary trends. This is aspirational advertising targeting wealthy buyers, positioning the Lincoln as a status symbol associated with cultural refinement and permanence. The "beauty that lives" phrase suggests the car's value won't depreciate—a common luxury-goods marketing claim. There is no satire or political commentary present.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BEAUTY _ THAT LIVES Even if your attention were drawn to nothing further than the exterior beauty of the new Lincoln, that beauty would immediately command, and merit, your respect. For the perceptible things so pleasing to a Lincoln observer rest their appeal on three fundamentals. These are good taste, purity in design and refinement, and a quality that knows neither sparing nor compromise. Are not these things the rudiments of that enduring beauty from which the years cannot detract? comicbooks.com