Life, 1928-10-12 · page 3 of 44
Life — October 12, 1928 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **Timken Roller Bearings advertisement** from Life magazine's early 20th century era. The left cartoon depicts an auto show or dealership with well-dressed potential car buyers examining vehicles. The right panel shows "Booth No. 1" where a woman in fashionable dress examines a car, presumably at the same event. The advertisement's message is straightforward: when selecting a motor car, buyers should look beyond surface aesthetics ("beauty contest") and consider technical components like bearings. The satire is gentle—the implication that car selection is often as superficial as a beauty pageant, when consumers should prioritize mechanical quality and durability. Timken Bearings, the ad argues, represent the "hidden" quality that ensures "motorists longer service and assured satisfaction." The cartoon illustrates contemporary 1920s-era consumer culture and automotive commerce.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I, ELECTING to buy a certain motor car —make your choice more than a“beauty contest”. Consider grace of line, of course, but remember there's more in a car’s make-up than appears on the surface—Timken Bearings, for instance. Technically speaking, Timken tapered construc- tion, Timken POSITIVELY ALIGNED ROLLS and Timken-made electric steel provide full protection against thrust, torque and shock. Which means that Timken Bearings in differen- tials, pinion or worm drives, transmissions, steer- ing pivots and wheels give motorists longer service and assured satisfaction at these impor- tant points. In selecting a car, make up your mind to ask— “Is it Timken-Equipped?” Note the answer—and vote for Timken Bearings. THE TIMKEN ROLLER BEARING CO., CANTON, O. TIMKEN: BEARINGS comicbooks.com