While there were quite a few automobile manufacturers that adopted Cleveland as a make, this Cleveland radiator emblem belonged to a car manufactured by the Cleveland Automobile Company between 1919 and 1926. Cleveland was established by the Chandler Motor Car Company to manufacture a cheaper, smaller make of car. Contemporary advertising sought to make a distinction between the brands until they merged in 1926 to form the Chandler-Cleveland Corporation. The metal emblem reads “CLEVELAND.”
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.
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