Crankshaft,
chassis, ignition,
clutch, displacement, magneto,
cylinders, throttle, valves, transmission,
carburetor, sprockets, battery, radiator, lubrication,
and H. P. — horse power
chassis, ignition,
clutch, displacement, magneto,
cylinders, throttle, valves, transmission,
carburetor, sprockets, battery, radiator, lubrication,
and H. P. — horse power
It was the new age of the motorcar
and it required a new nomenclature
for people to learn.
and it required a new nomenclature
for people to learn.
This comical illustration of a man and woman dressed in absurd heavy clothing and standing next to the front wheel of an automobile is the work of German postcard artist Carl Robert Arthur Thiele (1860 – 1936), known as Arthur Thiele from Leipzig. It comes from a postcard captioned 60 H. P. and is another one in a series of Thiele's artwork that I've featured before in Das Auto, part 1 and Das Auto, part 2. Though this card was never posted it dates from 1907-08 when it was part of a popular set of Thiele's postcards sold throughout Central Europe.
Thiele was satirizing the fashion fads of early motorists who dressed in ridiculous garments made of fur and heavy waterproof canvas for protection against the elements. Germany, of course, was proud to be the birthplace of the first motorcar which was a small three-wheel buggy powered by a one-cylinder two-stroke engine. It was patented in 1886 by Carl Benz (1844–1929).
Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1, 1886 Source: Wikipedia |
Carl Benz along with his competitors, German engineers Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900), the so-called "father of the motorcycle", and Wilhelm Maybach (1846–1929), the "King of Designers", were together responsible for developing the first internal combustion engines used to power motor vehicles. They all became leading automotive industrialists manufacturing motorcars and motorcycles. Eventually their companies merged into the Mercedes automotive company, also known as DMG - the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft.
The silly motoring clothing that Thiele poked fun at was actually pretty close to the real thing. Motor car magazines from the 1900s often included articles about special "motor raiment" for people to wear when riding in an automobile. The fashions were promoted mainly for women but men were also a target since the automobile market itself was a very masculine craze.
Motor magazine January 1906 |
To understand the context of these unusual garments, we should remember that in the 1900s road conditions were largely variations on primitive dirt tracks. Dirt that could be either dry dust or sticky mud. Only in urban areas were roadways paved with cobblestones which made streets suitable for heavy traffic. Of course, this surface was originally intended for draft animals pulling carriages, wagons and carts.
When the first motorcars took to the roads they mainly had open tops and small windscreens. Drivers and passengers were subject to all the dust, mud, rain and snow thrown at them, so clothing companies quickly recognized a new need of the burgeoning automotive consumer. As explained in this magazine article from January 1906, for winter driving, furs were recommended, perhaps made of beaver and squirrel pelts. Ladies might appreciate a handheld wind shield to deflect stones and dirt clods.
Motor magazine January 1906 |
There were arctic style mufflers to protect one's face against frigid winds. Even chauffeurs were offered special attention since their place behind the wheel was the most exposed.
In this era both women and men always wore some kind of headgear when outside. While riding in a motorcar, long scarfs were desired for tying hats on securely and for covering the face. Heavy gloves were de rigueur since automobile engines always needed maintenance handling nasty grease, oil, and petrol.
Motor magazine November 1914 |
Marketing fashion was not new, but artists worked hard to create attractive and desirable fashions for advertising motorcars. It was how the new romance of the the automobile was marketed along with recreational travel and holiday tourism. People were no longer constrained to follow the railroad routes or limited to the short distances a horse could pull a carriage. The automobile promised freedom to explore the world on your own terms.
Arthur Thiele produced another postcard series which focused on the encounters between motorists and rural folk. In this scene a farmer's wife confronts a motorist with a dead goose. The pitchfork and flail hint at some rough treatment if compensation is not granted.
This postcard was sent on 28 January 1907 to someone in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Note the 15 different names for "postcard". I think Arthur Thiele was very good at painting country folk with a universal appeal regardless of nationality.
In August 1906, the American magazine LIFE published a cartoon
about a motorcar driving along a countryside road with nearly the same sentiment.
about a motorcar driving along a countryside road with nearly the same sentiment.
LIFE magazine 24 August 1906 |
“Just think, William! Probably the only pleasant break in the monotonous lives
of these poor people is an occasional passer-by like ourselves.”
Motor magazine July 1909 |
In July 1909, Motor, the magazine founded by publisher William Randolph Hearst, ran a full page caricature of a family losing their hats. It was captioned: "Their First Spin."
In this next postcard by Arthur Thiele, a motorcar races down a narrow village lane forcing a trio of street musicians to jump out of the way. The bass drum is injured in the fender bender. The caption reads: Hindernisfahren ~ Obstacle Driving.
This card has a postmark of 28 April 1911 from Mühlhausen, in northwest Thuringia, Germany.
It was a new age that needed a new vocabulary to cope with rapidly changing automotive technology. Local and state governments and police soon realized that new laws were needed, too. The new motor vehicles were literally on a collision course with the old ways of using the roadways.
Speed was the probably the most overriding motivator to attract this first generation of motorcar enthusiasts. Thiele's 60 H.P. mocked motorists' fanatical zeal for seeking more engine power just to go faster and faster. Advertisements in auto magazines pushed similar illustrations that promoted the thrill of speed, especially when compared to rail travel. This August 1907 cartoon from Motor magazine has a family automobile upsetting a farmer's wagon as it races a train.
Collier's magazine 14 May 1910 |
In this example from May 1910 an advert for Oldsmobile shows a motorcar going faster than a steam locomotive. "Power—Silence—Speed—with Safety" is the slogan for Olds Motor Works.
Motor Age 3 February 1910 |
This full page illustration has a motorcar leading a race against a motorcycle, an airship, a balloon, and a biplane. "King Still!" is the caption. The publication came out in February 1910, less than two years after the Wright brothers demonstrated the first practical airplane. It was a portent of a more powerful technology that would create the next craze for more speed and fantastic machines. The age of the automobile was about to be overtaken by the age of aviation.
Or would it?
Suppose we could have flying cars?
Motor magazine July 1906 |
The Motorist's Dream, No. 2 –
He was out of reach of the speed laws at last,
dashing among the clouds 'till his gasoline tank ran dry
and he fell–out of bed.
He was out of reach of the speed laws at last,
dashing among the clouds 'till his gasoline tank ran dry
and he fell–out of bed.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where everyone loves that new car fragrance.
4 comments:
Some great fanciful postcards about the beginnings of living in a world of cars. And speed is still the great advertisement no matter the terrain or conditions. Speed sells so the cars speed through the snow, mud, rain, whatever. You'll never see an ad with a car just cruising leisurely along. Oh well. :)
That Collier's ad saying "Power—Silence—Speed—with Safety" made me laugh. It certainly may have had a couple of those attributes...but not silence nor safety could be obtained. It wasn't until electric cars arrived (the new ones, I don't know about the original ones) that silence was achieved to the point that Teslas have an added sound whir so people don't miss that one is approaching them. As always, Theil's art is amusing.
I met a lady at the Tailgate Market this morning who has an extensive collection of old post cards from the area (Black Mountain etc.) She formerly has posted stories about them on Facebook but has stopped since they took so much time to compile with accurate historic details. She wanted to bring her composite cards that are framed to the market. I said I'd love to see them, then realized they would probably be priced out of my own resources. Just a FYI since I don't know if she'll actually bring them, and they are on a completely different topic than your interests also!
Some great laughs in this selection of cards/illustrations from your collection. I love that there was a "Motor" magazine dedicated to making drivers/passengers comfortable enough to take up the new mode of transport. My mom's Italian grandfather at one point had a very fancy Packard that included a bud vase in the passenger compartment. And before family car trips, he made sure there was a flower in there -- which my mom remembered, since she was usually in the back seat. They still sell the vases online. So much more elegant than our modern, utilitarian vehicles.
A great collection of cheerful fun posts that made me smile. I love seeing pictures of vintage fashions and have some in my own collection - my favourite amongst yours has to be the elegant cover image on Motor magazine .
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