Life — February 23, 1928 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is **primarily an advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It's a 1928 Lee Tire & Rubber Company ad for their "Shoulderhill" tire brand. The ad uses patriotic imagery—showing a car parked before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.—to associate Lee tires with American values. The text draws a parallel between the character of Washington and Lincoln and the character of American business, arguing that quality products express national ideals. The actual "joke" or selling point is modest: Lee tires are reliable and economical ("Cost no more to buy ~ much less to run"). The patriotic framing attempts to make tire quality seem morally significant, appealing to consumers' sense of supporting authentic American enterprise. This is straightforward commercial persuasion dressed in nationalist rhetoric, typical of 1920s advertising.