Life, 1924-07-24 · page 3 of 36
Life — July 24, 1924 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon or satire**, but rather a **straight advertisement** for Goodrich Balloon Cords (tire products) from The B.F. Goodrich Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio. The image shows a tire and inner tube secured with a padlock, labeled "17-731." The ad's message is literal: Goodrich Balloon Cords will revitalize old cars by improving ride quality and comfort through low-pressure cushioned wheels. The headline "Put the old car on a new footing" uses figurative language to suggest tire replacement will restore worn vehicles. The padlock symbolizes security and reliability—key selling points for the product. This appears in *Life* magazine's advertising section rather than editorial content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Put the old car on a new footing Goodrich Balloon Cords liven up an old car.... They put new pleasure into it because they put a special easy riding travel under it. ...The ordinary bumps of rough road and pavement are absorbed in the yielding low-air pressure cushions on the wheels. But the advantages of Balloon Cords are depend- ent upon quality.... Without it, the smoother riding and surer traction are a short lived novelty, and economy vanishes... . It adds to your con- fidence in your Balloon Cords, as it adds to their service, to have their quality underwritten by Goodrich reliability... . Anyone who has ridden on Balloon Cords will tell you that they better a car in comfort, and this improvement affects every detail of motoring. ..- Your Goodrich Dealer will advise you on the correct size of Balloon Cords for your car. > ° > TO PROVIDE A QUALITY TIRE FOR EVERY CAR AND SERVICE, GOODRICH ALSO OFFERS SILVERTOWN CORDS, COMMANDER CORDS, AND GOODRICH “55's."" THE B. F. GOODRICH RUBBER COMPANY, In Canada: The B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company, Limited, Toronto Akron, Ohio OUR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT INVITES SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW USES OF RUBBER comicbooks.com