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.

Ford Mustang Pedal Car

Americans learn to love cars at a very early age. More than just play, ownership of pedal cars, bicycles, and motor scooters is a progressive initiation into the culture of personal mobility, climaxing with an automobile learner’s permit and driver’s license in adolescence.
Description
Americans learn to love cars at a very early age. More than just play, ownership of pedal cars, bicycles, and motor scooters is a progressive initiation into the culture of personal mobility, climaxing with an automobile learner’s permit and driver’s license in adolescence. One pedal car manufacturer coined the slogan “Raise the Kiddies on Wheels” to express this extended bonding experience with personal, mechanized transportation. Pint-sized, pedal-powered cars for children became available in the first decade of the twentieth century, soon after automobiles appeared on the market, and they were mass-marketed by 1910. Pedal cars remained very popular for decades and came in a wide selection of styles. Some pedal cars even resembled specific makes and models of automobiles. This Ford Mustang pedal car celebrated the popular “pony car” introduced by Ford in April 1964 at the New York World’s Fair. By the 1960s, many adults and maturing baby boomers were discovering that driving could be fun. They were more inclined to think of their cars as personal possessions and bought models that offered some of the thrill of sports cars and high-performance cars. Manufacturers responded with cars that looked sporty, ran well, handled better than a family sedan or station wagon, and made the owner feel youthful, active, and socially accepted. Ford correctly interpreted this emerging market. Baby boomers were reaching driving age, more families were buying second cars, and women and single people were buying cars. Many consumers were looking for affordable models with flair, excitement, and optional equipment that enhanced comfort and performance. Ford developed the Mustang with these qualities in mind. Its spring debut (instead of a traditional fall debut), world’s fair publicity, and the Mustang’s instant appeal among consumers made this event one of the most memorable new car introductions in history. For children, a Ford Mustang pedal car was the ultimate in trendy playthings.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2000.0265.03
catalog number
2000.0265.03
accession number
2000.0265

Andy Granatelli's shirt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2017.0091.08
catalog number
2017.0091.08
accession number
2017.0091

One of a Pair of Scrimshaw Sperm Whale’s Teeth, late 19th Century

This is one of a pair of decorative whales teeth (374507 and 374508). Both are the same size, have similar subjects by the same hand and identical mahogany bases for vertical display.
Description
This is one of a pair of decorative whales teeth (374507 and 374508). Both are the same size, have similar subjects by the same hand and identical mahogany bases for vertical display. Originally, they would have decorated a family parlor, or a gentleman’s bureau or dressing room. This tooth has a heavily costumed couple on the obverse, depicting a couple at a moment of parting, perhaps Tristan and Isolde or Romeo and Juliet.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
DL.374507
catalog number
374507
accession number
136263

Burma-Shave Sign

In the early years of motoring, the Burma-Vita Company found a novel way to advertise its brushless shaving cream.
Description
In the early years of motoring, the Burma-Vita Company found a novel way to advertise its brushless shaving cream. Burma-Shave advertising signs, with their humorous, serial jingles, were spaced far apart on the roadside and made sense only to someone traveling at 35 miles per hour. From the 1920s to the 1960s, motorists had fun piecing the rhymes together, one phrase at a time, and reaching the wry, witty punch line. They memorized favorite verses and looked forward to the entertainment value of the signs, especially during long trips. Burma-Shave signs were the equivalent of the prize in a Cracker Jack box or the saying in a fortune cookie. They became a classic American form of visual communication in a league with comic strips and greeting cards, and like those whimsical media, the signs became part of twentieth century popular culture. Burma-Shave signs became a national favorite because they humanized highway travel and gave motorists a new way to consume the roadside. They touched many facets of American life; farmers repaired them, radio comedians satirized them, and college students pilfered them. Verses supported the war effort during World War II and anti-inflation efforts after the war. At the height of the program, there were 7,000 sets of signs in 45 states. But by the 1950s, television advertising made rival products more popular than Burma-Shave, and televised ads were more cost-effective than sending a team of sign installers out on the road. Increased highway speeds and limited-access highways also contributed to the decline of the Burma-Shave phenomenon. The sign program ended in 1963.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Bryant, Fred K.
ID Number
1986.0661.04
accession number
1986.0661
catalog number
1986.0661.04
86.0661.04

STP Car 40 drinking glass

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2017.0091.57
catalog number
2017.0091.57
accession number
2017.0091

Bay State Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to a Bay State automobile that was manufactured by the R. H. Long Company of Framingham, Massachusetts from 1922 until 1924.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to a Bay State automobile that was manufactured by the R. H. Long Company of Framingham, Massachusetts from 1922 until 1924. The Bay State automobile had an aluminum body, with an engine manufactured by Continental, and was sold in coupe ($2400), sedan ($2500), and touring models ($1800). The heart-shaped emblem has a blue background with a silver shield in the center that reads “R. H. LONG/COMPANY.” Layered above the shield is a white banner that reads “BAY STATE” in blue.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.022
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.022

Oldsmobile Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to an Oldsmobile model automobile that was manufactured by Olds Motor Works of Lansing, Michigan during the early 20th century. Ransom Eli Olds began the Olds Motor Works in 1891 when he built a three wheeled, steam powered car.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to an Oldsmobile model automobile that was manufactured by Olds Motor Works of Lansing, Michigan during the early 20th century. Ransom Eli Olds began the Olds Motor Works in 1891 when he built a three wheeled, steam powered car. He also experimented with electric vehicles before building the Curved Dash Runabout, the first mass produced vehicle. In 1904 Ransom Olds left the company to found REO. Oldsmobile is one of the few companies whose history spans the initial experimental period of automobile manufacturing up through recent production.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
ID Number
TR.325528.180
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.180

Ship Model, River Steamboat Far West

The sternwheel river steamer Far West was built at Pittsburgh, Pa. in 1870. Measuring 190’ long and 33’ in beam, the West needed only 20” of water to navigate when unloaded.
Description
The sternwheel river steamer Far West was built at Pittsburgh, Pa. in 1870. Measuring 190’ long and 33’ in beam, the West needed only 20” of water to navigate when unloaded. In extreme shallow water, the two tall spars at the front of the boat could be lowered into the river bottom. With the aid of the capstan and engine power, the vessel could be lifted over sandbars or other obstructions, a bit or “hop” at a time. This practice was called “grasshoppering.”
The Far West spent much of its early career chartered to the U. S. Army supplying remote Army outposts in Montana and the Dakota Territory during the Indian campaigns. In June 1876, Capt. Grant Marsh transported Gen. George Custer’s forces to the Little Big Horn. On June 30, the steamer received news of the Indian victory over Custer. It loaded wounded soldiers from another action and travelled 710 miles down the Missouri in only 54 hours to bring the wounded soldiers and the news of Custer’s loss to Fort Lincoln, Dakota Territory. Nine days later, Capt. Marsh and the Far West steamed back to the Little Big Horn with horses and supplies for the soldiers there.
The Far West hit a snag on the Missouri River near St. Charles, Mo., in October 1883 and was lost.
date made
1977
collected
1977-02-28
maker
John L. Fryant & Co.
ID Number
TR.335811
catalog number
TR*335811
accession number
1977.0629

STP Tie Clip

Currently on loan
Location
Currently on loan
maker
STP Corporation
ID Number
2017.0091.61c
catalog number
2017.0091.61c
accession number
2017.0091

Studebaker “Rockne” Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to a Rockne brand automobile that was manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation from 1932-1933.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to a Rockne brand automobile that was manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation from 1932-1933. In 1931 Studebaker announced that Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne was going to become a sales promotion manager for Studebaker during his off-time from coaching. When Rockne died in 1931, his name was attached to the budget Studebaker automobile. The Rockne sold from $585 to $740 depending on the body style, with about 23,000 models produced during its year of manufacture. The emblem reads “Studebaker/Rockne.”
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.207
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.207

Wills Sainte Claire Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to a Wills Sainte Claire automobile that was manufactured by C. H. Wills & Company of Marysville, Michigan from 1921 until 1927.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to a Wills Sainte Claire automobile that was manufactured by C. H. Wills & Company of Marysville, Michigan from 1921 until 1927. The company was owned by Childe Harold Wills, who originally worked as a metallurgist for Henry Ford before starting his own company. This radiator emblem features a Canadian geese flying over a wooded lake. Wills chose the geese as his company’s mascot due to its ability to travel, and it appeared on the company’s emblems and advertising.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.273
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.273

Monroe Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to a Monroe automobile that was manufactured by the Monroe Motor Company between 1914 and 1923. The Monroe Body Company was founded by R. F.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to a Monroe automobile that was manufactured by the Monroe Motor Company between 1914 and 1923. The Monroe Body Company was founded by R. F. Monroe around 1908 to supply automobile bodies to the plethora of Detroit car manufacturers, and was so profitable that he decided to found the Monroe Motor Company in 1914. R. F. Monroe operated the company until 1918, when it went bankrupt. Monroe automobiles were then produced by several different manufacturers until 1923. Monroe manufactured a variety of four-cylinder engine model cars, including a sedan, roadster, runabout, and touring. This diamond-shaped emblem has jagged edges with a white rim and a blue background. The center of the emblem reads “MONROE” in small-big-small graduated white letters.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.167
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.167

"My Trip Abroad" Memoir Book, SS Leviathan

This little book (and a second, nearly identical one from 1924 in the Smithsonian collections) was published by the Diary Publishing Corporation of New York City for distribution by the United States Lines to its passengers on the Leviathan.
Description
This little book (and a second, nearly identical one from 1924 in the Smithsonian collections) was published by the Diary Publishing Corporation of New York City for distribution by the United States Lines to its passengers on the Leviathan. Similar books were common on many transatlantic passenger ships.
The ocean liner Leviathan was built as the Vaterland for Germany's Hamburg-American Line in 1914. During World War I the American government seized the ship and operated it as a troopship. After a complete reconditioning at Newport News, Virginia, in 1922-23, the Leviathan became the flagship of the new United States Lines, which operated it for the U.S. Shipping Board until 1929. Subsequently sold into private hands, the ship ran until 1934. Laid up as a result of high operating costs and low Depression-era patronage, the Leviathan was sold to Scottish shipbreakers in 1938 and dismantled.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1926
used date
1926
ID Number
1991.0856.21
catalog number
1991.0856.21
accession number
1991.0856

Ship Model, Victory Ship Type VC2-S-AP

By 1943, the outlook for an Allied victory in World War II was steadily improving. The reign of the U-boats that had plagued Allied convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic was coming to an end.
Description
By 1943, the outlook for an Allied victory in World War II was steadily improving. The reign of the U-boats that had plagued Allied convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic was coming to an end. And the Axis powers were finally losing the tonnage war, which aimed to sink Allied merchant ships faster than replacements could be built. While the mass-produced Liberty ships were faithfully carrying cargo and troops to war zones, these ships were relatively slow. In response, the War Shipping Administration commissioned a new class of emergency vessels called Victory ships. This model represents one of the 534 Victory ships that were built alongside the Liberty ships in seven shipyards around the country.
Speed was the key difference between the Victory and Liberty ships. When Liberty ships were designed, all of the new steam turbine engines were reserved for naval vessels, leaving the Liberty ships with reciprocating steam engines. While these engines were reliable, the ships could only reach 11 knots, leaving them vulnerable to attack. As the war progressed, more turbine engines became available and were installed in the Victory ships, giving them a speed of over 16 knots.
Another improvement of the Victory design was a stronger and larger hull. This meant that more cargo could be transported at once, and improved the odds of the vessels continuing to serve in the merchant fleet during times of peace. After World War II, 170 Victory ships were sold as commercial freighters. About 20 were loaned back to the military and used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Several Victory ships have been preserved as museum ships and are currently located in California and Florida.
date made
early 1940s
commissioned Victory ships like the ones this model represents
War Shipping Administration
ID Number
TR.313023
catalog number
TR*313023
accession number
170015

Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild Model Car, 1962

This automobile model was entered into the 1962 Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild contest by Richard J. Johnson of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was given the Styling Award for his model, which came with a $1,000 prize.
Description
This automobile model was entered into the 1962 Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild contest by Richard J. Johnson of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was given the Styling Award for his model, which came with a $1,000 prize. The wooden model has a red body, a one-piece black opaque wrapping around the front and sides of the car, with chrome accents at the front and rear. In 1963 Richard Johnson would advance win his region and go all the way to the national finals.
From 1930 until 1968, the Fisher Body Division of General Motors sponsored the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild and its annual model-building competition. For the first seven years of the contest, the young men in the Guild built models of a Napoleonic carriage (the Fisher Body logo) to show their high precision skills in craftsmanship. In 1937 the contest expanded to include model automobiles, which became a source of inspiration for new GM automobiles. By 1948 model cars became the only accepted entry for the contest. Winning car models were both practical and stylish original designs made with superior craftsmanship on an exacting 1/12th scale. For General Motors, the competition was a major public relations success while also serving as a type of design aptitude test for the entrants. For the young men of the Guild, the contest was a chance to win scholarships, cash prizes, and an once-in-a-lifetime all-expenses paid trip to Detroit for the regional winners. Designs featured in these models would often presage production automobiles, as many winners went on to work for General Motors or other automotive companies as designers.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Johnson, Richard J.
ID Number
1987.0254.01
accession number
1987.0254
catalog number
1987.0254.01

Framed Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Teeth, 1865

The backs of two large, matched sperm whale teeth were sawn off, and the front sides were scrimshawed freehand and mounted in an unusual glass-top wooden display case.
Description
The backs of two large, matched sperm whale teeth were sawn off, and the front sides were scrimshawed freehand and mounted in an unusual glass-top wooden display case. The tooth on the left displays the stern of a large sailing ship flying an American flag, sailing away from the viewer. At the top are the numbers “18”, matched by the numbers “65” in the same place on the right side tooth. The bow of a large ship engraved on the right tooth is sailing toward the viewer, and it is almost certainly a different view of the same ship on the other tooth. Above and below the main image of the ship on the sea are matching rope and floral motifs.
The sailing ship depicted is a merchant vessel, as shown by the absence of a warship’s guns or the try works characteristic of a whaler. It appears to be a packet ship designed to carry mail, passengers and cargo together, judging from the number of lifeboats over the side on davits.
Below the teeth is a small bone plaque engraved in cursive “Dr. Charles E. Smith”. There was a Dr. Charles E. Smith in Whitesboro, NY during the Civil War, but the 1865 connection between Dr. Smith and a ship or a piece of framed scrimshaw artwork is unknown. The village of Whitesboro is near the precise middle of the state of New York, about the same distance from Long Island Sound and the Great Lakes. The nearest body of water was the Erie Canal passing through the village.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865
ID Number
1978.0052.03
accession number
1978.0052
catalog number
1978.52.3

Saucer

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.04
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.04

Dog House Key, SS Leviathan

This key opened the outside door to the Leviathan's kennel, a small wood shed on the aft boat deck in her first-class accommodation.The ocean liner Leviathan was built as the Vaterland for Germany's Hamburg-American Line in 1914.
Description
This key opened the outside door to the Leviathan's kennel, a small wood shed on the aft boat deck in her first-class accommodation.
The ocean liner Leviathan was built as the Vaterland for Germany's Hamburg-American Line in 1914. During World War I the American government seized the ship and operated it as a troopship. After a complete reconditioning at Newport News, Virginia, in 1922-23, the Leviathan became the flagship of the new United States Lines, which operated it for the U.S. Shipping Board until 1929. Subsequently sold into private hands, the ship ran until 1934. Laid up as a result of high operating costs and low Depression-era patronage, the Leviathan was sold to Scottish shipbreakers in 1938 and dismantled.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1923
used date
1923-1938
ID Number
1991.0856.27
catalog number
1991.0856.27
accession number
1991.0856

REO Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to an REO automobile manufactured in Lansing, Michigan between 1905 and 1936. This vehicle takes its name from the initials of its founder, Ransom Eli Olds, who left Oldsmobile to start his new company named after his initials.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to an REO automobile manufactured in Lansing, Michigan between 1905 and 1936. This vehicle takes its name from the initials of its founder, Ransom Eli Olds, who left Oldsmobile to start his new company named after his initials. REO made a variety of cars, which were steady sellers up through the Depression. Although the last private car was manufactured in 1936, trucks and buses were made sporadically through the 1950s as a division of White. This white oval emblem bears the black vertical letters “REO.”
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.203
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.203

Longshoreman’s Cap, about 1960

Longshoremen are the laborers who load and unload cargo ships.
Description
Longshoremen are the laborers who load and unload cargo ships. Since 1937, longshore work on the West Coast of the United States has been performed by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
This white cotton cap with a visor was worn by its donor, Herb Mills, a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 10, in San Francisco. Mills wore this hat for special union-related events, such as meetings and parades. The cap was made in Korea for “Dorfman Pacific, of Stockton, Califonia.”
Sometimes called the "West Coast Stetson," this type of white cap was worn by West Coast mariners, particularly longshoremen and sailors. Along with black "Frisco" jeans and a "hickory" (blue and white striped) shirt, the soft white cap was once a signature part of "the usual rig" that men wore in part to express their occupational identity. The white cap also served a safety function as they could be spotted even in the dark holds of ships by men on deck who were lifting and lowering heavy slingloads. By the early 1970s longshoremen were required to wear hardhats for safety when working aboard vessels and on the docks. They still wear the "West Coast Stetson," however, at special union meetings and events.
date made
ca 1960
1970s
used date
ca 1970-2001
ID Number
2001.0214.02
catalog number
2001.0214.02
accession number
2001.0214

50th Birthday of the Railroad Eng. V.V. Salov

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1908
ID Number
NU.69.127.420
catalog number
69.127.420
accession number
286471

Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth, mid 19th Century

The main surface of this large sperm whale tooth is etched with the famous scene of Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas 1776 into New Jersey.
Description
The main surface of this large sperm whale tooth is etched with the famous scene of Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas 1776 into New Jersey. The river was filled with ice, and the rowers had to push it out of their way to get across the river in their heavy, flat-bottom Durham cargo boats. In all, Washington transported ca. 2,400 troops across the Delaware that day. After crossing, they marched nine miles to Trenton, NJ, where they surprised and conquered the British Hessian troops.
The absence of any pinholes indicates that the artist of this piece carved it freehand, but its subject indicates that the artist had a good look at the many images of the famous scene before he began carving. The back of the tooth is smoothed but uncarved, with a large piece missing from the bottom edge.
Scrimshaw began in the late 18th or early 19th century as the art of carving whale bone and ivory aboard whale ships. The crew on whalers had plenty of leisure time between sighting and chasing whales, and the hard parts of whales were readily available on voyages that could last up to four years.
In its simplest form, a tooth was removed from the lower jaw of a sperm whale and the surface was prepared by scraping and sanding until it was smooth. The easiest way to begin an etching was to smooth a print over the tooth, prick the outline of the image with a needle and then “connect-the-dots” once the paper was removed. This allowed even unskilled craftsmen to create fine carvings. Some sailors were skilled enough to etch their drawings freehand. After the lines were finished, they were filled in with lamp black or sometimes colored pigments.
Scrimshaw could be decorative, like simple sperm whale teeth, or they could be useful, as in ivory napkin rings, corset busks (stiffeners), swifts for winding yarn or pie crimpers. The sailor’s hand-carved scrimshaw was then given to loved ones back on shore as souvenirs of the hard and lonely life aboard long and dangerous voyages.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
ID Number
DL.374497
catalog number
374497
accession number
136263

Stutz Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to a Stutz automobile that was manufactured in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1911 until 1935. Stutz was most well-known for the Bear cat, a stylish sports car that placed 11th in the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to a Stutz automobile that was manufactured in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1911 until 1935. Stutz was most well-known for the Bear cat, a stylish sports car that placed 11th in the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500. The white emblem bears the silver wing Stutz logo with a silver “STUTZ” inside.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.232
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.232

Premier Radiator Emblem

This radiator emblem belonged to a Premier automobile that was manufactured by the Premier Motor Manufacturing Company of Indianapolis, Indiana from 1902 until 1914. The Company was bought and sold three times during its existence, and operated in a variety of forms until 1926.
Description
This radiator emblem belonged to a Premier automobile that was manufactured by the Premier Motor Manufacturing Company of Indianapolis, Indiana from 1902 until 1914. The Company was bought and sold three times during its existence, and operated in a variety of forms until 1926. The radiator emblem has a black rim, a white background, and a green leaf that reads “Premier.” The rime bears the text “QUALITY CAR /PREMIER MOTOR M'F'G CO. INDIANAPOLIS, IND. U.S.A.” in silver text.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TR.325528.196
accession number
260303
catalog number
325528.196

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