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Pope-Hartford radiator emblem
Catalog #: 325,528,
Accession #: 260,303
In collection
From the Smithsonian Collection
Pope-Hartford is one of the many companies that produced bicycles prior to automobiles. The Pope Manufacturing Company automobile business went into receivership three times during its short life, illustrating the financial difficulties new automobile compaies faced. Pope-Hartfords had reputations as solidly built cars, but annual production never exceeded 726 vehicles.
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Physical Description |
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Dimensions (in mm): 9.7 L x 8.7 W x 2.0 D
Inscriptions: THE POPE MANUFACTURING CO Pope-Hartford HARTFORD CONN
Materials: metal
Colors: silver, black
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Details |
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Note: | Hartford, Connecticut |
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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