Featured behind a steering wheel, and wearing his winged hat, is Mercury (aka Hermes) the mythical god of trade, profit and commerce. The illustration graced the cover of the 1916 Chicago Auto Show program and dramatized that even Mercury liked to travel by automobile. All of the cars at the 1916 show were American-built, with 85 gasoline-powered makes and seven-electric vehicles. Car prices ranged from $295 to $6,000. Similar artwork was featured on the 1920 Chiicago Auto Show program cover.
Miss Myra Platt puts decorative touches on a car before the opening of the 1916 Chicago Auto Show. A total of 85 gasoline-powered vehicles and seven electric cars helped fill the space in the Coliseum, Annex, First Regiment Armory and Green Building. All totaled, there was 94,000 square feet of exhibit space for the 1916 auto show.