Life — April 22, 1926 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **not satire or political cartoon**, but rather a **straightforward advertisement** for Budd Wheel Company, a manufacturer of automobile wheels. The ad compares old buggy wheels (shown at top) with modern Budd steel wheels (center). The headline "Goodbye buggy wheels!" emphasizes the transition from horse-drawn to motorized transportation. The copy explains Budd wheels' practical advantages: they're steel (safer, won't crack), convenient (spare tire design), and beautiful (streamlined appearance). The rhetorical question "Will your new car reflect tomorrow—or yesterday?" uses forward-thinking messaging to position Budd wheels as modern and progressive technology. The illustration of cars and cityscape represents automotive progress and prosperity. This reflects early-to-mid 20th century American optimism about industrial innovation and automobile adoption.