This radiator emblem belonged to a Wills Sainte Claire automobile that was manufactured by C. H. Wills & Company of Marysville, Michigan from 1921 until 1927. The company was owned by Childe Harold Wills, who originally worked as a metallurgist for Henry Ford before starting his own company. This radiator emblem features a Canadian geese flying over a wooded lake. Wills chose the geese as his company’s mascot due to its ability to travel, and it appeared on the company’s emblems and advertising.
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.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.