Life, 1926-05-13 · page 2 of 52
Life — May 13, 1926 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon** but rather a **full-page advertisement** for DuPont's Duco automotive lacquer finish. The page promotes Duco as a premium car coating that provides both aesthetic beauty and practical protection. The central image shows a well-dressed couple admiring a glossy black automobile in a showroom, emphasizing how the finish conveys "good taste and beauty and pride of ownership." Surrounding the text are logos of major automobile manufacturers (Cadillac, Packard, Buick, Franklin, etc.) who used Duco finishes. The satirical element is minimal—the phrase "beauty insurance" humorously frames the coating as protective assurance rather than mere cosmetics. The ad targets wealthy car buyers concerned with maintaining their vehicles' showroom appearance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
There is only ONE Duco — DU PONT Duco PLPLLLLLL LLL IDA Buying Beauty Insurance HE gleaming finish on the car beckons to you from the show-room window. It speaks to you of good taste and beauty and pride of ownership. Unconsciously you think, “That must be DUCO”. For a DUCO finish is richly lustrous, invitingly beautiful. But, more than that, it is your assurance that you need not say, a year or two later: “It doesn’t look like much—but listen to that engine purr!” For the owner of a DUCO-finished auto- mobile is justly proud—even boastful—of its attractive appearance in spite of storms and miles and years. When you buy another car or have the present one refinished, if you want cont show-room attractiveness, get “beauty in- surance” by making certain the finish is genuine du Pont DUCO. E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co, I Chemical Products Division, Parlin, N.J Detroit, Mich., Chicago, Ill, San Fran- cisco, Cal., Everett, Mass., or Flint Paint and Varnish Limited, Toronto, Canada. . ¥ | comicbooks:com