Historic Photographs and Documents

This tintype was taken at Niagara Falls and illustrates two ladies in an early Locomobile. The image is reversed due to the image capture process. In reality, the car and the ladies are facing in the opporite direction. Pat Farrell identified this as a Locomobile, Style 2 Dos-a-Dos, ca: 1900 - 1901. Thanks, Pat!

This tintype was also taken at Niagara Falls and illustrates a family of seven on and around the Locomobile. This image is presented exactly as it seen and not reversed. This is undoubtedly the same Locomobile in both tintypes.

This tintype appears to illustrate an early steam car. Help in identifying it would be greatly appreciated.

This Locomobile name plate carries the Serieal Number 2000. It came from a Style 2 Locomobile.

The reverse of this photo (see below) identifies it as a view of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Note the three men holding the car in position with a rope or chain.

This photograph is identified on the reverse (see below) as a Locomobile with the White House in the background and snow on the ground. It is marked for cropping and almost certainly appeared in a magazine.

This very early Locomobile advertisement promotes the Stanley Stanhope, and describes the Stanley Locomobile. It appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1899, month unknown. p. 36.

This photograph shows a Locomobile driving in the snow, presumably in New York. The inscriptions on the reverse (see below) are not helpful in identifying the location.

This photograph illustrates the Locomobile's hill climbing ability. As with other images, it appears prepared for publication, but the reverse of the image (see below) provides not suggestion of where it appeared.

This image was printed on June 3, 1960 and shows what appears to be a driver for an early Locomobile. The inscriptions on the reverse are not helpful in any identification (see below).

The information on the reverse of this photograph reads as follows: "A. E. Holmes of San Jose & his brother F. Holmes" "First Automobile to reach Yosemite July 1900 - 2 cylinder Stanley Steamer" "Made in Boston. Made the trip via Madera & Raymond. More than a decade prior to the time when autos official entry was permitted. Was not original car's body but was made just for the trip. Photo by Boysen[?]. Autos admitted into the Valle in 1913 via Coultonville Rd. 10 mph on rolling m[oun]t[ain] country & 15 mph on Valley Floor. 127 cars admitted during season. 1914 - Wawmong & Big Oak Flat Roads opened to automobile traffic. Speed limited to 6 mi per hr. except on straightaways where 10 mph was permitted"

This postcard of an early Locomobile and a De Dio Bouton Quadracycle is identified as image No. 26 of a series of Early Automobile[s] on exhibity at the New York Museum of Science and Industry [at] Rockefeller Center, N.Y.. This museum was opened on February 11, 1936.

This image may have been part of an information package distributed by the New York Museum of Science and Industry that opened on February 11, 1936 in Rockefeller Center in New York. The lady sitting in the Locomobile is unidentified.

This wire service newspaper photo is dated January 7, 1956. It features a 1900 Locomobile. Note the crankshaft in the lower left corner. The reverse is below.

Dated December 7, 1900, this letter to Mr. O. L. Barringer of Charlotte, N. C. indicates not only that he has pruchased a Locomobile, but tha the company actively sought his help in selling the cars by offering him a dealership.

F. L. Swetland of New York city paid $.99 for 5 1/2 gallons of gasolene on May 31, 1903, according to this Locomobile invoice.

This letter to F. W. Swetland dated June 1, 1903 details his tire problems and his desire for nickel plated lamps.

This letter to F. W. Swetland dated June 3, 1903 details his ongoing lamp issues.

This letter to F. W. Swetland dated June 12, 1903 asks him to bring his car in to the dealership for service to solve numerous problems.

This letter to F. W. Swetland dated July 25, 1903 details his purchase of a fuel strainer and a top for his Locomobile, suggesting that the dealership resolved his issues.

This is a letter to the Editor of The Autocar, a British publication from W. M. Letts of the Locomobile Company of America. It deals with cycle and automobile trade protection, an issue in Britain but not in the United States.

This is a letter from Birney Robinson to A. A. Smith is dated December 9, 1902. Robinson dealt in Steam, Electric, and Gasooline Automobiles.

This photocopied article came from Art Hart. It is dated 1904 from a book entitled English and American Steam Cars by Wm. Fletcher. I have not yet found this book.

Post Cards

This postcard is dated November 22, 1909 and details the efforts of Joseph Carlson to sell his Locomobile to A. A. Hoffman in North Dakota.

This postcard illustrates a Locomobile on the River Road between Ormond Beach and Datona Beach, Florida. It predates 1907 when divided backs appeared on postcards.

Although the image on this postcard, dated March 9, 1904, is identical to the postcard above, it was printed by a different publisher.

Sadly, the Locomobile is not illustrated in this postcard, an image of the same road between Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach, Florida. It is called an Automobile Trail on this card.

This view of the Locomobile factory in Bridgeport, CT dates prior to 1907 as evidenced by the undivided back of the postcard.

This color postcard of the Locomobile factory in Bridgeport dates after 1907 as evidenced by its divided back.

This wonderful Locomobile advertising postcard is courtesy of an anonymous friend who outbid me for this card on eBay. My losing bid led to a friendship. Thank you!

The Pennziol Company created a series of postcards for its dealers to mail to their customers, reminding them to change their oil and get service on a regular basis. Here are four examples illustrating an 1899 Locomobile. Other antique cars were featured as well. These cards date from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Note that the Locomobile is identified as an 1889 vehicle.

This is the "60 Day" card, mailed on July 8, 1960 and reminding the recipient to "ask for Pennzoil with Z-7."

This is the "90 Day" card, mailed on July 8, 1960 and reminding the recipient to "ask for Pennzoil with Z-7."

Leitenberger's Chrysler/Plymouth dealership in Johnstown, PA personalized this Pennzoil card for its customer, George Gage, Jr.

Charlie Myers, an employee of Lindt-Wilson Motors, a Ford dealership in South Gate, Californai, put his stamp on this card, which is postmarked Novemer 21, 1968.

Exclusive Car Sales promoted its acceptance of Union Oil Credit Cards on this card, Mailed from Covina, CA on June 12, 1961.

Stanley Dodge-Simca, Inc. mailed this card on February 3, 1961 in National City, CA. These cards may have been a west coast or California phenomenon, as the postmarks are all California.

Ephemera

This Harper's Weekly article detailed the Automobile Races at Newport on August 39, 1901[?] on page 931. There are three or four Locomibiles in the photo at the top of the page.

This full page article celebrating "The First Woman Driver," who drove a Locomobile in Washington, DC.appeared on pages 83 & 84 of Life Magazine, on September 8, 1952 (Vol. 33). Thanks to Jim Merrick of the Stanley Museum for identifying the source.

As the antique automobile hobby grew and developed in its early years, it produced a wide range of "modern" ephemera. This delightful chidlren's book tells teh story of Arabella the Steam Car from her manufacture to her rescue and restoriation.

It is always a delight to see antique cars featured in the modern automotive press. This Locomobile article appeared in Auto Week Magazine on April 24, 2006.

As were many antique automobiles, the Locomobile was featured on a Canadian jello promotion. This jello tab incorrectly dates the Locomobile to 1898

The First Car in Hartsville, South Carolina was a Locomobile. For information, see below. http://www.hartsvillemuseum.org/index_files/Page324.html