In today’s dispatch from the time machine known as the Library of Congress digital archives we see some of the very people who started the automotive industry in the United States. Frank Duryea and his brother were the first people to build cars for commercial sale in the USA back in the late 1800s. We also see Louis Chevrolet rocking his famous ‘stache at the wheel of a Sunbeam race car. There are some truly neat scenes from the inside of car factories and a few streetside scenes, especially one in color that are great.
The best image in this grouping, in my opinion anyway is a strange and frankly creepy Ford poster advertising the then new V8 engine. The giant eye ball seems to bore right through you when looking at it. I guess that is the mark of a compelling ad image because once you see it, that eyeball is tough to forget. It really weirded my wife out.
Thanks for posting these, Brian. I find these posts SO interesting.
The color pix is of corner in Washington D.C. The Dealership Car lot is Orisman’s. A dealership chain still in the D.C. metro region today.
teach.