Life, 1923-08-09 · page 31 of 36
Life — August 9, 1923 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **Kelly-Springfield tire advertisement** disguised as humor, not political satire. The cartoon depicts two well-dressed people at a roadside rest stop with a broken-down car below them. One says to "Tom" that if he doesn't enjoy these roadside encounters (suggesting car trouble), he should buy Kelly tires instead. The joke is straightforward advertising: Kelly tires prevent the mechanical failures that strand motorists at roadsides. The "téte-à-tête" (intimate conversation) reference is a light pun—suggesting that car trouble forces unwanted social situations. The ad copy promises Kelly's "Kant-Slip Cord" tires offer reliability, mileage, and safety in all weather conditions at competitive pricing. This reflects early 20th-century automotive advertising emphasizing tire durability as a key selling point when car travel remained relatively unreliable.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Cheer up, Tom. If you don’t enjoy these little roadside téte-d-tétes, you ought to use Kelly tires.” © OR many years Kelly-Springfield tires have been famous for the mileage they gave and the trouble they did not give. The Kelly Kant-Slip Cord, the newest member of the Kelly family, has maintained this reputation for sturdiness and in addition has earned one of its own for surefootedness. The owner of Kelly cords rides, not only in comfort, but also in safety on practically all kinds of roads and in all kinds of weather. It costs no more to buy a Kelly. comicbooks.com