Buffalo Electric radiator emblem
Smithsonian Institution
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This object appears in the following sections:
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The Buffalo Electric radiator emblem
Catalog #: 325,528,
Accession #: 260,303
Currently on display
From the Smithsonian Collection
The Buffalo Electric Carriage Company produced a wide range of electric vehicles. The 1903 Buffalo Electric touring car had a range of 75 miles per charge. The batteries were stored under the front hood and body of the car. |
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Physical Description |
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Dimensions (in mm): 6.9 L x 6.9 W x .4 D
Inscriptions: THE BUFFALO ELECTRIC BUFFALO, N.Y.
Materials: metal
Colors: silver, white, red
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Details |
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Credit: | Gift of Hubert G. Larson |
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History |
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Radiator emblems were colorful metal plates with a manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, but never more than a few inches across, the emblems were small branding devices. As vehicles became more popular in a national market, people began associating the company name and logo on different vehicle models with a specific manufacturer. Radiator emblems sometimes indicated the type of engine or place of manufacturing. Other times they appealed directly to a driver's sense of style and class by using iconic images or a catchy motto.
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Related People, Places, and Events |
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Donor
Hubert G. Larson
In 1964 Hubert G. Larson donated a collection of 278 radiator emblems to the Smithsonian.
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