Life, 1927-08-18 · page 3 of 36
Life — August 18, 1927 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Timken Roller Bearings advertisement**, not political satire. The illustration depicts a stylized 1920s scene of a fashionable young woman and man with a luxury automobile—likely referencing the cultural moment when automobiles became status symbols and personal possessions for the wealthy. The ad's humor targets middle-class fathers: it playfully warns that when daughters demand their own cars, bearings (mechanical components) become crucial for keeping maintenance costs "down to a minimum." The illustration's art-deco style and the couple's elaborate clothing emphasize the frivolous luxury of the scenario. This is fundamentally a **commercial advertisement** exploiting gender stereotypes and emerging consumer culture—particularly women's newfound independence and purchasing power in the 1920s—to sell industrial components.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HEN daughter insists on having that car of her own you can keep the operating and maintenance expense down to a minimum by making sure that it is equipped with Timken Bearings. Look for Timken Tapered Roller Bearings in the front wheels, rear wheels, transmission, differential, pinion, steering pivots and fan, The exclusive Timken combination of Timken-made electric steel, Timken POSITIVELY ALIGNED ROLLS, and Timken tapered design assures you of the safety, en- durance, and economy that you want. The Timken Roller Bearing Co., Canton, Ohio TIMKEN ix, BEARINGS comicbooks.com