Life, 1924-09-18 · page 27 of 36
Life — September 18, 1924 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon but a **luxury automobile advertisement** from Life magazine's early 20th century. The page promotes the Pierce-Arrow Dual-Valve Six, a high-end car positioned for wealthy elites. The text appeals to class consciousness, emphasizing that the car serves those "who live their lives against a background of pleasant things, gracefully done"—coded language targeting the affluent. It stresses exclusivity: limited production by "rarely skilled craftsmen" justifies premium pricing ($5,250–$7,000, substantial sums in this era). The specific example—a custom vehicle built for A. Watson Armour (member of the wealthy Armour meatpacking family)—reinforces aspirational marketing. Detailed mention of color choices and upholstery signals bespoke luxury. This reflects the **Gilded Age** automobile market, where cars symbolized wealth and status rather than mere transportation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PIERCE- A RRO W Those who live their lives against a background of pleasant things, gracefully done, sele& the Pierce-Arrow Dual-Valve Six not alone for the quality of service which it renders, but also for the distin@ion with which it renders that service. It is obvi- ous that such a car cannot be built except by a group of rarely skilled craftsmen, producing only a limited number of cars. THE PIERCE-ARROW MOTOR CAR COMPANY BUILDS TWO TYPES OF MOTOR CARS, THE DUAL-VALVE SIX IN THIRTEEN BODY STYLES AT $5,250 AND UPWARD; THE seaizs Bo IN SEVEN BODY STYLES AT $2,895 AND UPWARD DUAL-VALVE SIX Open cars, $5,250 Closed cars, $7,000 at Buffalo 2 rags a The Pierce- Arrow Dual-V alee Seven- Passenger Enclosed Drive Limousine built for A. Watson Armour, Esq. Mr. Armour chose for this car a BrewSter green finish, with gray Sriping on body and hood, The belt is of black, the wheels gray with green Briping. The upbolitery in taupe affords an effedive contrait, ao é comicbooks.com