Brewster & Company, like many early car manufacturers, was originally founded as a carriage builder in Long Island, New York in 1810. The company had a reputation for excellent craftsmanship and upscale clientele, advertising themselves as “Carriage Builders to the American Gentlemen.” The focus on upscale clientele continued when the company began automobile production in 1915, as its first offering sold from $5250 to $6650 depending on the body model. When Rolls Royce began American production in 1922, Brewster supplied most the bodies. By 19226 Rolls purchased Brewster, and the company ceased to produce an eponymous vehicle until 1934, when it was revived after the American Rolls Royce Company became the Springfield Manufacturing Corporation. This emblem bears the text “Brewster & Co./New York.”
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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