Transportation

1955 Ford Country Squire

Americans have always been a people on the move—on rails, roads, and waterways (for travel through the air, visit the National Air and Space Museum). In the transportation collections, railroad objects range from tools, tracks, and many train models to the massive 1401, a 280-ton locomotive built in 1926. Road vehicles include coaches, buggies, wagons, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and automobiles—from the days before the Model T to modern race cars. The accessories of travel are part of the collections, too, from streetlights, gas pumps, and traffic signals to goggles and overcoats.

In the maritime collections, more than 7,000 design plans and scores of ship models show the evolution of sailing ships and other vessels. Other items range from scrimshaw, photographs, and marine paintings to life jackets from the Titanic.

Date: 1960s

1967 Chevrolet Energy-Absorbing Steering Column

In the 1930s, several inventors were issued patents for steering columns that collapsed on impact, sparing the driver from being impaled on the column in a crash. Scissors, piston, and spring designs were proposed.
Description
In the 1930s, several inventors were issued patents for steering columns that collapsed on impact, sparing the driver from being impaled on the column in a crash. Scissors, piston, and spring designs were proposed. But collapsible steering columns did not enter production until 1967, when General Motors began installing two-piece columns with steel mesh that crumpled under pressure as the column telescoped. The mesh slowed impact by absorbing energy. Chrysler adopted a similar column in 1967, and Ford introduced its own collapsible design in 1968. This example was designed for a 1967 Chevrolet Chevy II.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1967
maker
General Motors Corporation
ID Number
2010.0113.01
catalog number
2010.0113.01
accession number
2010.0113

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 2 and 3, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (190
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 2 and 3, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.03
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.03

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 16 and 17, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 16 and 17, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.10
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.10

Ship Model, Brig Diligente

This model represents the brig Diligente, a two-masted sailing vessel used in the last days of the transatlantic slave trade. Begun in the sixteenth century, this trade was fueled by the demand for human labor in the New World.
Description
This model represents the brig Diligente, a two-masted sailing vessel used in the last days of the transatlantic slave trade. Begun in the sixteenth century, this trade was fueled by the demand for human labor in the New World. Enslaved people were forced to work in gold and silver mines as well as on plantations producing valuable crops like sugar, coffee, rice, cotton and tobacco. The ships that delivered cargoes of these products to European markets also carried millions of enslaved people from their African homelands to the Americas.
By the early nineteenth century, several nations had outlawed the slave trade. As a result, slave ship owners regularly changed the names of their ships and sold them frequently in an attempt to remain active in the lucrative trade without getting noticed. Because accurate records of these ships are difficult to find, the date and place where the slaver brig Diligente was built cannot be confirmed. Still, it is thought to be American-built, as the ship’s design is similar to that of ships built along the east coast of the United States, specifically vessels built in Maryland.
In the early 1800s, Lloyd’s of London auctioned off old slave ships, which allowed condemned ships like the Diligente to return to the slave trade. In 1837 Parliament outlawed this practice, making the Diligente one of the last slave ships to be sold by auction. On January 12, 1837, the HMS Scout captured the slaver along the coast of Africa. At this time, the Diligente was sailing under the Portuguese flag and used the name Paquete de Cabo Verde. It was condemned to Sierra Leone, where it was sold to an American named Lake. Records indicate that Lake resold the ship to Miguel Bentinotte, a known slave trader, for the price of 1,000 British pounds.
After changing owners and names twice more, the Diligente soon re-entered the slave trade with a license from the Portuguese government, only to be captured by the HMS Pearl on April 24, 1838. The British government sent the nine crewmen to Portugal to be tried, while the Diligente was condemned to Bermuda. Although there is some indication that the Diligente was caught again in 1839 near Cuba, it was probably broken up after its arrival in the Caribbean.
Date made
1960
brig first used in the transatlantic slave trade
16th century
slaver was captured
1837-01-12
1838-04-24
1839
ID Number
TR.318279
catalog number
318297
accession number
234478

Lucie Shank on car with Maryland license plate

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
post-1937
ID Number
2006.0108.358
accession number
2006.0108
catalog number
2006.0108.358

1963 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible

Sports cars combine the performance of a competition car with the ride of a family car. The Chevrolet Corvette, introduced in 1953, differed from European sports cars in its coupe styling and automatic transmission.
Description
Sports cars combine the performance of a competition car with the ride of a family car. The Chevrolet Corvette, introduced in 1953, differed from European sports cars in its coupe styling and automatic transmission. American motorists liked the combination of looks and performance in a car that was more “family” than “competition” but delivered the thrill of the Indianapolis 500 on the interstate. The rakish Corvette Sting Ray, introduced in 1963, had more aerodynamic styling, and it became an iconic “think young” car. This car was owned by Gwendolyn Cafritz, a Washington, D. C. philanthropist and society hostess.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1963
maker
Chevrolet Motor Car Company
ID Number
1986.0784.01
catalog number
1986.0784.01
accession number
1986.0784
serial number
30867S100360
3783244GM862

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 22 and 23, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 22 and 23, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.13
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.13

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 10 and 11, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 10 and 11, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.07
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.07

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 18 and 19, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 18 and 19, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.11
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.11

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 4 and 5, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (190
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 4 and 5, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.04
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.04

Saucer

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.03
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.03

Rigged Model, Keel Boat Packet Barge

Mainly sailing on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, keel boat barges were used to transport people and commodities.
Description
Mainly sailing on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, keel boat barges were used to transport people and commodities. The earliest ones were powered manually rather than by sail or steam, only traveling 10 to 20 miles per day as the crew rowed, poled or hauled the keel boat along the river with tow lines. This model, dating to around 1810, would have been called an express boat, as it was able to travel faster than a traditional keel boat. It also could harness wind power with its sails, making the journeys up and downstream more quickly and efficiently.
Often called “keelers,” keel boat pilots dedicated their careers to sailing on the rivers. Steering a keel boat was complex. Pilots had to have extensive knowledge of the ever-changing river, its currents, seasonal conditions, and flood patterns. For this reason, traditional keelers were ideal candidates to operate newer packet barges and steamships during the mid-19th century. By the 1830s, it was rare for someone to become a river pilot without prior experience.
People living in isolated towns on upper river waters and tributary streams were dependent upon these barges. Because steamships were too big to travel in the shallower riverbeds, these packet barges—often painted bright red—were used to deliver manufactured goods, people, mail, and groceries to the town.
Date made
1961
ID Number
TR.318826
catalog number
318826
accession number
236169

Bowl

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
ID Number
1984.0331.08
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.08

Ship Model, U.S. Lighthouse Service Tender, Greenbrier

Built in 1924 in Charleston, West Virginia, the Greenbrier was meant to replace the Goldenrod (built in 1888) as a lighthouse tender on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. Although the plans for the Greenbrier were originally authorized in 1917, the ship’s contract was delayed twice.
Description
Built in 1924 in Charleston, West Virginia, the Greenbrier was meant to replace the Goldenrod (built in 1888) as a lighthouse tender on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. Although the plans for the Greenbrier were originally authorized in 1917, the ship’s contract was delayed twice. Finally, in September 1922 the keel for the 164-foot Greenbrier keel was laid.
As part of the Lighthouse Service, tenders performed a variety of tasks. Their main work was to attend to the needs of American lighthouses and navigational buoys. Sometimes this entailed the provision of supplies, fuel, mail and transportation to remote coastal lighthouses; other times it meant towing a lightship (or floating lighthouse) into a bay or harbor.
Lighthouse tenders were designed to work in a specific service region. Because the Greenbrier was built to aid lighthouses along the inland rivers, its design was similar to shallow-draft Mississippi River steamboats. The Greenbrier had two main steam engines, three coal-fired boilers and a stern paddle wheel. Like all vessels in the service, it flew the triangular Lighthouse Service flag, and had a polished brass, miniature lighthouse affixed to its bow, for ease of identification.
The Greenbrier serviced the Ohio, Kanawha and upper Mississippi Rivers until September 1947. After its sale in April 1948, the Greenbrier’s name was changed to Mississippi; it worked as a private river boat until 1975.
This model was built by Arthur G. Henning, Inc.
Date made
1962
ID Number
TR.320154
catalog number
320154
accession number
241746

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 6 and 7, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (190
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 6 and 7, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.05
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.05

Salt Shaker

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.12
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.12

Empty blacktop road

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960s
photographer
Uzzle, Burk
ID Number
PG.72.12.016
accession number
2003.0044
catalog number
72.12.16

Spanner

This homemade spanner was used in steam locomotive repair work to tighten/remove very large, critical bolts. The wrench would need to be used with a very long 'extender' on the handle to gain the necessary leverage.
Description
This homemade spanner was used in steam locomotive repair work to tighten/remove very large, critical bolts. The wrench would need to be used with a very long 'extender' on the handle to gain the necessary leverage. The spanner was used on bolt heads and nuts that hold the front-end (or the "smokebox" portion) of a steam locomotive boiler onto the cast-steel "saddle" that is the foundation of a steam locomotive's cylinder-and-mainframe assembly. The strength and tightness of these "saddle bolts" that join boiler and saddle are crucial to keeping the locomotive from literally shaking itself apart when underway down the track. This crude spanner was likely home-made in a roundhouse far from a full repair shop.
Date made
ca 1950s
date made
ca. 1950s
used date
1900-1960
maker
unknown
ID Number
2002.0075.14
catalog number
2002.0075.14
accession number
2002.0075

Plate

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date made
ca 1936
patent date
1923-06-12
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.01
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.01

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 1 and 24, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (19
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 1 and 24, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.02
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.02

Abandoned Ferry at Ellis Island

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1962
maker
Plowden, David
ID Number
1986.0711.0713
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0713

Schwinn Varsity Tourist Bicycle, 1965

This ten-speed Schiwinn Varsity Tourist Bicycle was donated to the Museum in 1965 as an example of a bicycle typical to the period.This bicycle's frame is of the usual lightweight diamond pattern.
Description
This ten-speed Schiwinn Varsity Tourist Bicycle was donated to the Museum in 1965 as an example of a bicycle typical to the period.
This bicycle's frame is of the usual lightweight diamond pattern. The frame and forks have a coppertone finish, the tourist-style handlebars have white plastic grips, and the spring saddle is in white and coppertone. A built in kick-stand is mounted on the left, just behind the pedals. This cycle is equipped with a 10-speed, French-made Sprint derailleur. This is so named because the chain can be "derailed" from one sprocket to another, offering ten different gear ratios. The rear hub is fitted with five sprockets (14, 16, 20, 24, and 28 teeth), and the 6 1/2-inch pedal cranks have two sprockets (39 and 50 teeth). Two small levers mounted on the lower main tube of the frame move cables that operate the derailing devices, the left one moving the chain sideways behind the pedal sprocket and the right one moving the chain sideways below the wheel sprocket. This lateral movement causes the chain to crawl up or down to the next sprocket as the cycle is pedaled forward. With this type of drive, Weinmann caliper brakes are used, the pairs of brake shoes gripping the rims of the wheels when hand levers are squeezed-the left one operating the front brake, and the right one, the rear. The 36-spoke wheels have tubular chrome rims and carry 27-by-1 1/4-inch nylon sports touring tires.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
ID Number
TR.326803
catalog number
326803
accession number
265701

box for cuff links

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1969
maker
Bastian Brothers Company
ID Number
2017.0091.17
catalog number
2017.0091.17
accession number
2017.0091

Make Way for the Thruway

Original artwork, of pages 12 and 13, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 12 and 13, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.08
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.08

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