BHC-MSS 0003 Guide to the Records of the Locomobile Company of America by Meghan Rinn 2017
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BHC-MSS 0003 Guide to the Records of the Locomobile Company of America By Meghan Rinn 2017 Descriptive Summary Creator: Locomobile Company of America Title: Records of the Locomobile Company of America Dates: 1895-1986 [Bulk 1910-1929] Quantity: 47 manuscript boxes, 24 oversize, 1 flat file drawer Abstract: The Locomobile Company of America was founded in 1898 in Watertown, Massachusetts, and moved to Bridgeport in 1900. From 1900 to 1929 the company produced steam cars, and then luxury internal combustion engine cars, with custom body work for the wealthiest of Americans and international customers. Locomobile was a key player and employer in Bridgeport’s economy, and speaks to the city’s manufacturing power at the start of the 20th century. Within the records of the Locomobile Company of America are advertisements, catalogues, correspondence, legal documentation, and a wealth of images that document the history of the company from its start in 1898 to its close in 1929. Collection No.: BHC-MS 0003 Language: English Repository: Bridgeport History Center Company History The Locomobile Company of America began its life in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1899. Founders John Walker and Amzi Lorenzo Barber began the company when they witnessed the steam powered car that was built by Francis and Freelan Stanley. Walker and Barber acquired the plans, and originally called their company the Automobile Company of America. That name was already taken, and Barber is given the credit for changing the name to the Locomobile Company of America. They quickly involved others in the venture, including the company’s first president, Samuel Todd Davis Jr., who held that position until his death in 1915. The company moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1900, and initially produced steam cars. During this time, steam, electric, and gasoline cars were all being developed, with no one particular type leading the pack. Around 1901, gasoline cars began to gain traction, and the Locomobile Company of America brought in engineer Andrew L. Riker to assist in developing its cars further. Prior to being hired by Locomobile, Riker had owned the Riker Motor Vehicle Company, based in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which produced electric cars. In 1903, the company began producing gasoline powered cars exclusively. As the car developed, so did the brand, and Locomobile eschewed an assembly line focus for one that emphasized the handcrafted nature of each automobile. This developed into a boast that no more than four Locomobiles were produced each day, making Locomobile an early luxury brand. With lighting provided by Tiffany and Company, plush interiors, and careful attention to detail, this boast was used as a marketing and selling point. In addition, the small number of cars produced allowed the Locomobile Company of America to remain in touch with owners, which helped to ensure customer loyalty, as well as excellent service. The Locomobile Company of America also participated in early automobile races. A key victory was won at the Vanderbilt Cup race on October 24, 1908, when the car now affectionately known as “the Old 16” won the race. That victory made Locomobile the only American car company to win the race, as all previous winners had come from manufacturers from outside of the United States. In 1911, the Locomobile Company of America started to manufacture commercial trucks. These worm drive trucks had a number of different body models based on the need of the individual customer, and it also proved useful in the First World War. The demand for the truck, later renamed the Riker Truck in honor of Locomobile engineer Andrew L. Riker, contributed to the Bridgeport’s economic expansion during World War One. Locomobile was bought by William C. Durant and incorporated into Durant Motors in 1922. (Durant helped to found General Motors.) During this time Locomobiles were still produced, but until 1925, only the Model 48 was produced under the Locomobile marquee. 1925 allowed for the introduction of the 8-66 Junior Eight, then several more models after that, but Durant motors went under in 1929. Production lasted until 1933, but after that Locomobile as a brand was no more. As of today, there are some remaining Locomobiles. “The Old 16” racer is owned by the Henry Ford Museum, and some models appear in auction houses from time to time, retailing for extremely high prices. Scope and Content Note: Within the collection of the records of the Locomobile Company of America are a number of legal documents relating to the company, and a wealth of advertising material. Like contemporary car companies that generate booklets for each make of car they offer, the Locomobile Company of America generated booklets for various models, as well as catalogues of their entire line. This is in addition to advertising that features their custom body work for clients, additional pamphlets, and clippings that show the final ad. Most noteworthy are the oversized illustrations done in the art deco style that were then used for advertisements, as well as a number of advertising layouts in various states of doneness from rough pencils to pasted on text, to the finished and approved versions that were then put into print. In addition, there are a number of photographs of not only cars, but the Locomobile factory and staff, as well as surviving interior trim samples that give a feel for what the interiors of the cars were like. Arrangement Note: Series 1, consisting of legal documents and business documents are arranged in chronological order, with board minutes being given preference. It also contains patents and trademark filings. Series 2, correspondence, came arranged by subject rather than date, and rather than re-arrange it, the order was left intact. However, in the course of arrangement, additional unprocessed correspondence was uncovered. It was decided that those materials would simply be arranged in chronological order. Series 3. represents the production process of car manufacture starting with testing, followed by blueprints. Samples of interior trim come next in the series, and they are followed by specification sheets, then ownership books, then parts listings, then additional instruction books. This series concludes with a grouping of the various Locomobile design models, then two boxes of the custom coach work done for various clients over the years that the Locomobile Corporation existed. This sample of custom coachwork includes the name of the owners, and was often used in advertisements. However, because they best represent the work of the company and the conclusion of the production line, they have been placed here rather than in the advertisement series. The subject file series, series 4, is divided into two sub-series. Sub-series A features material related to the Locomobile Company itself, and is placed in alphabetical order. This reflects the activities of the company while it was active, and allows researchers to select what they want to focus on in relation to the Locomobile Company. Sub-series B features material related to the automotive industry outside the Locomobile Company of America and is arranged in chronological order, so that the greater scope of automotive history can be compared to the specifics within the Locomobile company. Material related to Riker Trucks compromises series 5, and the general arrangement reflects the overall arrangement of the collection. Because this material was originally boxed together, there was no wisdom in parceling the material out. Series 6, advertising, features the various promotional material generated to sell cars in chronological order. This includes catalogs, advertisements themselves, instruction booklets, presentation material, and examples of the advertisements in publication. Series five features images of the pieces of custom body work done for clients. Most are undated, and thus are arranged by the surname of the client. Blueprints compromise series 7, and relate to properties owned by the Locomobile Company of America. Series 8 is comprised of clippings, both collections generated by the Locomobile Company of America, and stored in company stationery, and clippings about the cars and the company itself from more contemporary publications. Series 9 features photographs that reflect the overall arrangement of the collection, but also contain positives from a set of fragile glass plate negatives, as well the personal photo album of Amzi L. Barber. Several three-dimensional objects, including racing goggles, make up series 10. Oversized material makes up series 11. The arrangement reflects the same system of organization applied to the rest of the collection. Due to the wealth of material, it most heavily reflects the various stages of development for Locomobile advertising. This includes original illustration art done for the ads, mock-ups and in-progress layouts, the finished advertisements, and then bound copies that document the ads and the publications that they appeared in. Some of the advertisements are grouped strangely, with the advertising for periodicals seemingly split between two boxes for no reason. This is due to how the advertisements were stored, and attempt to maintain some semblance of original order, as the handwriting on the folders containing them appeared to be original. Likewise, box 61 contains what appears to be a mix of material that should be filed elsewhere but has been grouped together due to extreme size. Administrative information: Provenance: The records of the Locomobile Company of America came into the Bridgeport History Center as three accessions from three different donors. None of these collections were processed immediately, and due to researcher demand, they were often brought out together. As a result, which folder belonged to which accession became lost in the shuffle, and what under normal circumstances would have been three collections became one large collection representing the history of the Locomobile Company of America. They were also frequently brought out with the family papers of Andrew L.