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| The 2024 Program |
Old Car Festival is dedicated mainly to the automobiles from 1932 and earlier.
Tied together with June's Motor Muster (with cars from 1933 to about 1976), these two wonderful car shows at Greenfield Village exhibit 20th century Americana - "materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture" - pretty much in its entirety (okay...aside from the 1980s and '90s). Contrary to popular belief, we have a culture here in America, and the automobile is a big part of it.
To me, this Old Car Festival is an awesome celebration of the United States in the 20th century. And, as you shall see, this event is about more than just cars.
That's what keeps me coming back (as well as Motor Muster) every year.
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Because of what you just read above, I sometimes find it difficult to call this event at Greenfield Village "Old Car Festival," for it's more of a celebration of life at the turn-of-the-20th century, and how transportation - especially the automobile - played a role.
And that began in earnest in the 1890s:
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| Here is an exact replication of Henry Ford's first automobile: The Quadricycle from 1896. The original is on display inside the Henry Ford Museum - such an item would not be brought outdoors - how can you put a price on the first Ford? But this is as close as one can have. By the way, check out the picture directly below:
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On June 4, 1896 in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Street, Ford put the finishing touches on his pure ethanol-powered motor car.
After more than two years of experimentation, Ford had completed his first experimental automobile. He dubbed his creation the "Quadricycle," so named because it ran on four bicycle tires, and/or because of the means through which the engine drove the back wheels.
Ford test-drove it on that June 4 in 1896, achieving a top speed of 20 mph. Ford would later go on to found the Ford Motor Company and become one of the world's richest men. Today the original Quadricycle resides at the Henry Ford Museum.
Here is a rare moving picture - colorized and sound added for effect - of New York in the 1890s:
During the 1890s, one of the most popular form of transportation were bicycles, mainly because they weren't too expensive. However, for distance, horse and carriages, horse drawn streetcars, and steam locomotives were still popular types of land transportation for many.
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| These high wheel bicycles from the later 19th century were also popularly known as a "penny farthing." The penny-farthing bike got its name from its two differently-sized wheels, with the front wheel likened to a penny coin and the much smaller rear wheel compared to a farthing (a quarter of a penny). It was popular from the 1870s through the early 20th century. |
As of September 20, 2024 (the date of this post being published), Elizabeth Francis is the oldest living person in the United States at 115 years and 57 days old. Francis was born in Houston, Texas on July 25, 1909. She is the last American still living who was born in the first decade of the 1900s. Following her we have Naomi Whitehead, who was born on September 26, 1910, and is, as of today (September 20, 2024) 113 years & 348 days old and lives in Georgia, Pennsylvania - we are only a few days from her 114th birthday!
With that in mind, let's visit the "oughts." "Oughts" or "Aughts" is what people call the '00s as a decade - in this case, the first decade of the 1900s (though it could define the first decade of any century, including the 2000s).
Speaking of piano rolls:
(from THIS page)
The Edison Illuminating Company Station "A" was one of the first establishments to provide electricity to the homes and businesses of the City of Detroit, from its opening in 1886 until 1900 by way of coal burning boilers.
As part of this Women's Rights vignette, the ladies (and a few gents) marched in the Village streets.
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| No---this is not Elizabeth or Naomi (lol), but this would not have been a site unfamiliar to the two ladies - the two oldest alive in the US today. Just imagine... |
This area of the Old Car Festival was set aside for The Grand Army of the Republic Reunion Picnic.
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| I have known Beth, here, since the Civil War days! She does Civil War, early 20th century, and WWII. Quite an amazing time-traveler! |
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He's five foot-two and he's six feet-four He fights with muskets and with spears He's all of thirty-one and he's only seventeen He's been a soldier for a thousand years... (Buffy Sainte-Marie) |
In 1736, a small family group with the surname Stutenbecker left Solingen, Germany, and sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, to Philadelphia. The English-speaking agent who filled out their papers Anglicized their surname to Studebaker.
For generations, Stutenbeckers in the Solingen area had been involved with blacksmithing, many as producers of fine cutlery. Those who came to America in 1736 brought with them their metalworking skills. The ability to form metal was essential to the construction of early Conestoga wagons.
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| Studebaker Wicker Phaeton Studebaker made many types of wagons, carriages, and other horse drawn vehicles throughout their history, beginning around 1750 . Studebaker entered the car business by building an electric in 1902 and, two years later, brought out its first gasoline automobile. In the later part of the 19th century, their slogan was, "Carriage Builder for the American Gentleman." The sign attached does not give a year of this carriage, but it was in 1920 when Studebaker stopped making horse-drawn vehicles and went solely into car production. |
It was St. Patrick’s Day in 1966 when the last Studebaker rolled off their final assembly line.
(From THIS site)
As we continue to move into the 20th century, there are noticeable changes in music...and these changes tend to occur with every new decade, unlike music from previous centuries.
So, from the 1890s through the "oughts" and up until the end of World War I (The Great War), this wonderful music, known as Ragtime, immediately brings to mind the big wheel bicycle, the trolley, the horse and carriage, and, of course, the early automobile.
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| Ragtime is a musical style that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1919. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. And here it was played live - almost as if one were listening to a piano roll. |
Here is a ragtime piano roll playing "The Twelfth Street Rag" composed by Euday Bowman, as heard on a 1917 Davenport Treacy Player:
In fact, in the evening they held a "River Raison Ragtime Revue and Ragtime Era Dancing."
Because I was too busy watching the Gaslight Tour (more on that shortly), I didn't make it to the dance.
Ransom Eli Olds experimented with steam, electric, and gasoline automobiles early in his career. He built a new factory in 1900, with as many as six different models in the prototype stage. A fire at the plant in March 1901 destroyed all but one which was saved by fleeing workers. With his hand forced by fate, Olds began production of the only one left, the Runabout.
The auto, nicknamed the “Curved-dash Olds,” was an immediate success. It had a one-cylinder gas engine, tiller steering, brass lamps, a graceful body, and a snappy black and red paint job. The curved-dash was simple, inexpensive, and cute, but still provided a nice ride and good performance.
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| 1904 Oldsmobile From 1903 through 1905, the curved-dash Olds was the best-selling car in America. At that time, Oldsmobile produced more cars than any other U.S. manufacturer – 5,508 in 1904 alone, more than triple Ford’s production that year. |
Here is a wonderful colorized movie clip showing San Francisco in 1906 - just before the major earthquake:
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| These earliest of autos are getting harder and harder to find. And there had to be close to a thousand of these ancients here! |
The Edison Illuminating Company Station "A" was one of the first establishments to provide electricity to the homes and businesses of the City of Detroit, from its opening in 1886 until 1900 by way of coal burning boilers.
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| And to see these hundred+ year old autos move past is like a window peering into a time very few alive today can claim to have witnessed: |
How about a moving picture from New York 1911, with colorization added to the original black & white film, and even sound added for effect:
Next up we have the Sears Model K from 1912.
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| Sears Motor Buggy from 1912. |
The initial run of Sears Motor Buggies were built in the Hercules Buggy plant in Evansville, Indiana. But by late 1909, the Sears Motor Car Works factory at the intersection of Harrison and Loomis streets in Chicago was ready, and operations commenced from there. The October 6th, 1909 issue of "The Horseless Age" (Volume 24, Number 14) says:
"Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago, Ill., are employing about fifty men in assembling their motor buggy."
Sears advertisements included glowing testimonials received from satisfied customers, like Harry Dobins of Sharpsburg, Ohio: "It beats a horse bad, as it don't eat when I ain't working it and it stands without hitching, and, best of all, it don't get scared of automobiles."
The American Expeditionary Forces arrived in Europe in 1917 and helped turn the tide in favor of Britain and France, leading to an Allied victory over Germany and Austria in November 1918. By the time of the armistice, more than four million Americans had served in the armed forces and 116,708 had lost their lives.
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| The Sears could be picked up in Chicago or delivered by rail to your closest railroad depot. All that a new owner needed to do was uncrate it, do some minor assembly, add fuel and oil, and drive it home. |
WWI vignette
"Allied soldiers from the United States, France, and the British Commonwealth are fighting in trenches along the Western Front. Stretcher bearers bring in the wounded to the Field Dressing Station where they are triaged, dividing the walking wounded from those needing surgery. First aid, tetanus anti-serum, and morphine are provided Medical Officers and Army Nurses. Hemorrhages are stopped, infections prevented, and pain reduced. The more seriously wounded soldiers wait for ambulance transfer to Field and Evacuation hospitals for advanced treatment. The YMCA staff at a nearby canteen offer care and nourishment."
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| YMCA - 1917 |
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Music of the WWI era...
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I'll be the first to admit that I have a rather eclectic collection of tunes in my music library. It's difficult for me to only listen to one style of music; I'm all over the historical musical map. And as a historian, it's only natural for me to seek out the sounds of the past.
A good example of my eccentric tastes can be seen (and heard) in this set -
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This double CD compilation begins with a song most every one of us may be at least somewhat familiar with, if in melody only (especially if you've watched "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"): It's A Long Way To Tipperary (remember when Snoopy, the WWI Flying Ace, danced to Schroeder's piano playing? Yeah...this was the song). Follow that with Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag & Smile Smile Smile, Over There, Til We Meet Again, The Caissons Go Rolling Along, Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts For Soldiers, I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier, How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down On The Farm...40 original recordings in all. A bonafide sense of a time-travel experience through sound with the actual hit tunes of the era of my grandparents - not re-recordings. This is a favorite and a must have. |
Sight, sound, smell, and touch - in this case, sound - brings one back to the past.
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| A nurse helping a hurt soldier - perhaps even getting a shot to prevent tetanus.
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On the home front, millions of women went to work, replacing the men who had shipped off to war, while others knitted socks and made bandages.
As of 2011, there are no surviving veterans of The Great War. Despite more than 4 million soldiers being mobilized and more than 65,000 being killed in a short amount of time, the fact that the war ended more than 100 years ago makes it impossible that someone called up to fight could be alive today.
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With certain pictures I enjoy making the attempt to feature the subject as it may have looked in its own time, such as this one.
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What about a woman's right to vote?
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
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| The women's suffrage movement in the United States was a long and complex fight for women's right to vote that began in the mid-1800s and resulted in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. |
However, just like men and women supported votes for women, men and women organized against suffrage as well. Opposing votes for women may seem surprising today, but anti-suffrage views dominated among men and women through the early twentieth century. Anti-suffragists argued that most women did not want the vote. Because they took care of the home and children, they said women did not have time to vote or stay updated on politics.
There is so much more to history than tends to be taught.
And another vignette, this time depicting the 1920s. Because I was doing a few other things - so much to do and see! - that I did not get a chance to visit.
But check out this beauty of an auto from 1927:
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| The 1927 Chrysler Imperial Sportif Convertible~ "For 1926 and 1927, Chrysler offered a limited number of custom models in its Imperial 80 series. The most luxurious was this Model E-80 Sportif with a body by Locke---one of only six produced. Chrysler described its custom series models as being 'As fine as money can build'." |
In the meantime, you might enjoy this short colorized film clip of Detroit in the 1920s:
Nor did I get a chance to visit the 1930s vignettes either.
Next year!
So how and why did Detroit, Michigan become known across the world for automobiles?
Well, in a nutshell: in the 19th century, Detroit was the Stove Capital of the World, producing more than 10 percent of all stove sold around the world. Cast iron stoves, burning wood or coal, began to be widely manufactured after the Civil War, and Detroit became the center of the industry in the late 19th century.What does all this have to do with cars?
All of the raw materials needed for automobile production, culled from stove making, were already here, and other necessities were easily accessible to the city by the Great Lakes waterways and by rail.
Detroit also had a number of early innovators, including Henry Ford, Ransom Olds, and the Dodge Brothers.
The perfect storm.
"Can't forget the Motor City!"
"The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was an American manufacturer of steam cars that operated from 1902 to 1924, going defunct after it failed to adapt to competition from rapidly improving Internal combustion engine vehicles. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced."
Probably my most favorite of all of the activities at Old Car Festival is the Saturday Evening Gaslight Tour:
"A spectacular site as hundreds of cars featuring gas, kerosene, and early electric lamps take to the streets."
"A spectacular site as hundreds of cars featuring gas, kerosene, and early electric lamps take to the streets."
Think about it:
at your typical car show, the autos sit in a spot in a parking lot, ne'er to be moved from that location until the day ends. However, at Greenfield Village's "Saturday Evening Gaslight Tour" one gets to witness the cars being driven all around the Village streets, beginning shortly before sunset and continuing on until after sundown.
That's where I spend most of my time there, at the foot of the Ackley Covered Bridge, taking picture after picture of all of these ancient horseless carriages on a lighted habitat not often seen, honking their horns and, in the case of the Stanley Steamers, blowing off their steam whistles:
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| 1912 Ford Model T It's still too light for the historic headlights...but hearing and seeing these ancient vehicles is a delight beyond compare for car lovers. |
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| 1913 Ford Model T All original - my favorite "restoration"! |
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| 1915 Ford Model T This couple got re-married earlier in the day while standing in the Cotswold Cottage garden! |
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Steam Locomotive: The Edison~ Henry Ford wanted an American style William Mason locomotive from the post-Civil War period for his museum. Mason's engines were famous for their superior performance and technical design, but no original examples could be found. In 1932, Ford created a replica using parts from a number of different locomotives. He named it after his friend Thomas Edison. |
From steam locomotives to steam automobiles:
From Wikipedia:"The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was an American manufacturer of steam cars that operated from 1902 to 1924, going defunct after it failed to adapt to competition from rapidly improving Internal combustion engine vehicles. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced."
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Note the steam coming out the back end.
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| 1914 Ford Model T The sun dipped behind the western horizon---and the streetlights came on... |
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| This couple "dressed the part" I believe this is the 1904 Oldsmobile we saw earlier.
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Everywhere you turn during Old Car Festival, you are immersed into the past of a hundred+ years ago - turn-of-the-century America. These old cars parked or chugging past, the sound of "owooga!" heard from all around - sensurround - immersion...and not in some parking lot.
Technically, it was still summer when this event took place on the weekend of September 7 & 8. But because it occurred after Labor Day, I do put it in the Fall category.
No matter, for I spent an amazing Saturday and Satur-eve (is that even a word??) at Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village - seriously amazing!
Now, you need to go to the Motor Muster page, which picks up where Old Car Festival leaves off:
click HERE
click HERE
All of this right here!
If you live out of town or outstate, and you have a passion for these early autos, I highly recommend making an effort to come to Motor Muster in June and Old Car Festival in September.
As for the time we left - - - -
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| There was a beautiful crescent moon a-shining above as we exited the grounds. I was not the only one who took this kind of image - plenty of others around me were doing the same. |
I can feel the sun slipping out of sight...
Sunset...twilight? What’s the difference?
We often hear the terms sunset and twilight time used to refer to the same thing. But what is the difference?
Sunset is simply the point that the sun disappears over the horizon.
Twilight is the period directly after sunset. During twilight there is still light in the sky.
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| As I walked toward the van, I caught the moon over the Henry Ford Museum - the front façade being a replication of Independence Hall. |
Twilight time, dream with me a-while...
To get to or return from Greenfield Village from where I live, we usually take the I-94 freeway through downtown Detroit, and earlier this year, mainly for the NFL Draft event that took place back in April, a new city sign was erected as folks enter the City of Detroit from the west side - just minutes away from Greenfield Village.
Some refer to it as the “Hollywood-style” Detroit sign.
Each letter is 8-feet tall and all are perched atop 2-foot concrete blocks.
As I wrote on my Facebook page last spring:
"On my way back from Greenfield Village, I took a snap of the new Detroit sign on I-94.
I hear a lot of crap about it - (can't please everyone, I suppose) - but I really like it! I think it's awesome - - the only thing I *might* have done different was have the "Old English D" rather than the D they used - - but otherwise, Detroit, ya done good! Two thumbs up!"
Seems that I'm in the general minority, for a lot of locals do not like it and consider it a waste of money. Well, maybe to some, but sometimes it's these little, somewhat unobtrusive things that can make a small difference. And I don't consider it "Hollywood" in any way. There is no comparison - -
Detroit needs positive press - we've had nothing but negativity since 1967, and too often for good reason, I suppose. But we've improved greatly over the past 50-something years, and sometimes little things like this can give it a bit of a boost and a touch of pride.
So, yeah...Detroit, ya done good.
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| Here's that photo I took last April (2024). |
In the nighttime the sign is lit, and I have tried to capture the electrified image, but it always ends of being a blur.
But this night...I got the picture I'd been hoping for:
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| Here's the nighttime photo I took in September---almost perfect! Detroit - car capital of the world - "can't forget the Motor City!" It looks great in daylight, but literally shines at night! I love it day or night - - I personally think it is so cool~ |
As you can see, Greenfield Village, showing more than 400 years of history, can be more than an open-air museum. Yes, its streets are lined with historic structures such as the Wright Brothers' house and bicycle shop, the home of Noah Webster, and Edison's Menlo Park laboratory (and dozens more). But that's not quite enough; Greenfield Village is a true showcase of American history.
Until next time, see you in time.
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