Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Cars A Century Ago

We think we know what old cars look like, but we really don't. I visited a museum of vintage automobiles and motorcycles this weekend and their collection astounded me.

A century ago vehicles were far more varied and interesting than we believe. For example, many of the cars were electric and not gas-powered! That technology was explored a hundred years ago before being rejected in favor of gasoline engines.

This assortment of vintage vehicles includes many obscure brands that disappeared during the early years. Some ingenious designs caught on, some did not. It was possible to start your own car company back then, compared to its almost-impossibility today (due to high capital demand).

Examining these cars in the flesh lets you understand them realistically. Piloting one over unpaved roads must have been a jaw-rattling adventure!

Look at the beauties pictured below. They stand as physical testament to human creativity.






























12 comments:

  1. My grandparents had a phone JUST like this in their house when I was growing up- and it worked! I loved to play on it. :)


    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  2. One of these things is not like the other! That phone looks very surprised!

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    1. It was in a separate section of old horse-drawn carriages with similar equipment from the 19th Century.

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  3. Oh the cars.... I dream of someday owning a vintage car.
    And I actually have a phone like that, bought it in Peru during a business trip, it was quite heavy!

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    1. Me, too. So cool you have an old phone! Call me. :-)

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  4. These are all amazing, Ally! Certainly, they don't make them like that anymore. I'm also loving the phone, we have a similar one here at Dove Cottage! xxx

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  5. What exquisite pieces of art these antique automobiles make. The style is so aesthetically pleasing. The first one reminds me of the traditional carriage. That is interesting to learn that we first started with these cars using electricity.
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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  6. Though I'm not much of a car enthusiast, it's hard not to appreciate the details and fine workmanship that went in to creating these beautiful cars. Thanks so much for sharing--where is this anyway? I'm sure Bryan would love to go!

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    1. Boyertown, PA which is an hour's drive west of Philly. (Or a three-day ride by horse-drawn carriage.)

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  7. These are all so beautiful. I love how open vehicles were back then, I always loved the ones with the trundle seats :)

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  8. We visited a car museum in Hamilton, New Zealand last month and were shocked to see the baby seats … they just hooked over the back of the seat … nothing like the seats of today that you need an engineering degree just to install them into your car.

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