This Hanson radiator emblem belonged to a Hanson automobile manufactured by the Hanson Motor Company of Atlanta, Georgia between 1918 and 1925. Hanson produced a variety of automobile body types with six-cylinder engines, and advertised their car as being “Tested and Proved in the South.” The car is unusual for being manufactured in Georgia, but the post-war recession heavily affected sales, and the company was forced to close in 1925. The emblem has a white enamel background, with the blue text “HANSON” in the center, with metal underneath that reads “ATLANTA/GA.”
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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