This radiator emblem belonged to an Inter-State automobile that was manufactured by the Inter-State Automobile Company of Muncie, Indiana from 1909 until 1913. Frank Ball bought the company from Thomas Hart in 1914, and produced cars as the Inter-State Motor Company until 1919, with a break during the First World War. This radiator emblem reads “MUNCIE/INTER-STATE/INDIANA.”
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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