Biographical/Historical Sketch
Processed by
Brent Abercrombie
November 2006
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
1 OVB graphics box |
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COLLECTION |
1916–1996 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Michael Churchman, Shawnee Mission, KS |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
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RELATED |
Wallace Spencer Huffman Collection (M 0159); Gibson Company Records (M 0573) |
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ACCESSION |
2003.0362 |
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NOTES: |
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The collection contains a number of automobile makers’ ads from early 20th century Indiana companies. The collection contains ads from the following Indiana companies: Marmon, Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg, Stutz, Cole, National, Studebaker, EMF, and Haynes-Apperson.
The Marmon Motor Car Company started in 1902 as the car division of Nordyke and Marmon Company. Known for its reliability and comfort, the Marmon gained national recognition as the vehicle that won the 1st ever Indianapolis 500. The company peaked financially in the early 1920s, but met its end as a result of the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing economic depression.
The Auburn Automobile Company was the byproduct of the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded by Charles Eckhart. Frank and Morris Eckhart, sons of Charles Eckhart, began their automobile company, Auburn (named after the Indiana town they lived in), in 1904. Auburn enjoyed reasonable success until material shortages during World War I forced the plant to close. In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold their corporation to a group of Chicago investors headed by Ralph Austin Bard. The group was able to improve the company, but failed to turn in profits. The group eventually sold the company to Errett Lobban Cord in 1924.
The Cord Automobile Company was owned and operated by Errett Lobban Cord. The Cord was known for its innovations (i.e. front-wheel-driving) and its streamline design. Mr. Cord believed in building inventive vehicles, but perhaps more importantly was that the vehicles were profitable. The Cord’s production ended in 1937, and sold the company to the Aviation Corporation.
The Duesenberg automobiles were considered the most luxurious and have the highest quality of engineered cars during the classic era. The Duesenberg Automobile Company was established in 1920, in Indianapolis, and was named after its founders Fred S. and August S. Duesenberg. The Duesenbergs luxuriousness was so well know that often times they were considered favorites for movie stars, monarchs, and millionaires during the late 1920s through the 1930s. The Duesenbergs decided to sell the company to the Cord Company in 1926, who owned the company till its dissolve in 1937.
The Stutz Motor Car Company, which started in Indianapolis in 1913, was founded by Harry C. Stutz. The company formed as a result from the merger of Stutz Auto Parts and Ideal Motor Car companies. The Stutz Company made a name for itself during the inaugural Indianapolis 500, after it built a race car in only five weeks and had it finished 10th in the race. The company changed ownership a couple times at it went public in 1916, but eventually folded due to the depression in 1937.
The Indiana native, Joseph Jarrett Cole, created the Cole Carriage Company after purchasing the Gates-Osborne Buggy Company in 1908. One year later, Cole began manufacturing auto production and formed the Cole Motor Car Company in 1909. A main rival to GM’s Cadillac, Cole was known for its high standards in quality and craftsmanship. Despite its quality and craftsmanship, sales and auto production declined sharply after World War I, and Cole eventually liquidated the company in 1925.
Arthur C. Newby and Charles E. Test established the National Auto and Electric Company in 1900, then changed its name three years later to National Motor Car Company. The company, located in Indianapolis, manufactured both electric and gasoline-powered vehicles. The car company was like other Indianapolis-based auto companies of the time, and focused its production on high quality luxury cars. The company eventually closed in 1930.
The Studebaker Corporation, based out of South Bend, Indiana in 1868, was originally a producer of wagons. The Studebaker entered the automobile industry initially with electric only automobiles in 1902, but then reluctantly made gasoline powered vehicles two years later in 1904. The Studebaker built automobiles with partners until 1911, and in 1913 finally introduced a gasoline powered automobile in its name. In 1954, the Packard Motors Company of Detroit acquired the Studebaker Corporation, and renamed it the Studebaker Packard Corporation from 1954 to 1962. In 1962, the company reverted back to the Studebaker Corporation name. The Studebaker remained independent till 1967 when it merged with Worthington to form the Studebaker-Worthington Corporation.
The EMF Company was an early automotive manufacturer from 1909–1912. The initials for EMF came from its founders: Barney Everitt, Willaim Metzger, and Walter Flanders. The company designed automobiles of its own, but were sold through the Studebaker Corporation. The vehicles themselves were known for their notoriously low quality. This eventually led to the Studebaker Corporation taking control of the EMF Company in 1910 to improve its quality. By 1913, the EMF Company name was completely replaced by Studebaker.
The Haynes-Apperson Company started in 1901 as a manufacturer of Brass Era automobiles in Kokomo, Indiana. The Haynes-Apperson Company produced two and five passenger seat automobiles. Eventually though, the founding brothers started their own company, the Apperson Brothers Automobile Company.
Sources:
Bodenhamer, David J., and Robert G. Barrows. The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Automobile. 10/30/06.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_Automobile. 10/30/06.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-M-F_Company. 10/30/06.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haynes-Apperson. 10/30/06.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker. 10/30/06.
The collection contains a selection of early twentieth century Indiana automobile advertisements. The companies’ advertised include: Marmon (38 ads), Cord (7 ads), Auburn (8 ads), Stutz (14 ads), EMF (1 ad), Studebaker (47 ads), Haynes-Apperson (8 ads), Cole (1 ad), National (3 ads), and Duesenberg (9 ads) automakers. Most of the advertisements were found on loose-leaf paper from old magazines, and there were also a couple of photographs taken of the vehicles. The magazine ads range from 1916–1996.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Auburn Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Cord Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Marmon Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Duesenberg Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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E.M.F. Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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National Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Studebaker Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Haynes-Apperson Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Cole Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
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Stutz Automobiles |
OVB Graphics: |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://opac.indianahistory.org/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select “Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, P 0143).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.