Das Auto, part 4

Who were these strange people
dressed in outlandish costumes? 
Were they natives of some remote
northern region of the world?
Did their goggles protect them
from frigid arctic winds or
shield them from blinding blizzards?

Could they even be aliens from another planet?
Were their weird horns some kind of
musical instrument or a weapon?
Even their little animal companions
look bizarre and a bit scary.  

No, they were not pictures of monsters or foreigners. They were crazy cartoons of ordinary German couples who were preparing to go for a ride in their new automobile. Evidently they drove very powerful cars as the postcards are captioned: 100 H. P. and 80 H. P.  

They were figments of the vivid imagination of Arthur Thiele (1860 – 1936), a prolific German postcard artist whose work I have featured many times on this blog. This is the fourth and final installment of a series I call Das Auto which presents Thiele's suite of six postcards on a theme of motorists  indulging in extravagant and plainly silly outfits for their motoring. It was a 1900s fashion trend shared throughout Europe and much of America too.  

My first story, Das Auto, part 1, started out of order with a card portraying 40 H. P.  This was followed by Das Auto, part 2, which presented 10 H. P. and 20 H. P.. And then in May 2024 was Das Auto, part 3 which showcased 60 H. P.  Even a casual reader could guess where this was going. Automobiles were still a novelty in the first decade of the 20th century but already motoring enthusiasts were demanding "more power" from their vehicles which made them a target of mockery from clever artists like Arthur Thiele.

In fact these motorists' wacky apparel was a practical answer to a problem with the first automobile designs. The first motorized autos were patterned off horse-drawn carriages and had canvas coverings or just open tops. Since even 10 horsepower engines could propel a car faster than a team of horses, drivers and passengers were exposed to the elements and subject to extremes of heat and cold that had never been felt before. 

When Thiele published this series in 1908 automobiles typically had petrol and diesel engines that could produce a range of horsepower from around 10 to 60 hp depending on price. Horsepower was a new novelty term that few people understood. But to rich upper class society people more  horses had to be better, so Thiele makes a joke about how with more power, like 80 and 100 H. P., speed would increase enough to freeze toes, fingers, and noses too. Since the automobile heater had not yet been invented, much less included as standard equipment in a car, other companies jumped to manufacture suitable climate change accessories for motorists. 

Motor
1906 January

The Scandinavian Fur & Leather Co, of New York advertised in Motor, the monthly magazine for automobile aficionados, that its Scandinavian Motor Apparel for Winter Wear "is known throughout the world." Except maybe in Australia, India, and the Caribbean. Their fur coats look quite sturdy and warm, though maybe not as heavyweight as those worn by Thiele's motorists. 

The 100 H. P. postcard was sent from Dresden across town to someone staying at the Hotel du Nord in Dresden by G. S., A. S. and W. S. on 15 June 1908.

Motor 
1907 December

In 1907 Motor magazine devoted a whole page to a piece entitled "Rough Furs for Winter Motor Garb." The writer discusses the need for proper gear when taking houseguests to the theater in the wintertime. These coats needed to be large enough with extra wide sleaves for a person to put on over their regular evening garments. Buttons were larger to make it easier to fasten when wearing gloves. Fur pelts like grey squirrel, opossum, muskrat, raccoons, and Russian pony were commonly used while sealskin, leopard, sable, and broadtail, a wavy, moiré-like pelt of a young or stillborn Karakul lamb baby lamb, were available on special order for more discerning motorists.

Motor 
1906 February

Hats and veils were another important fashion accessory for every motoring woman. The sudden changes of wind direction when driving around a city street or country road made it very challenging to keep your hat on, even with long pins. In 1905 the Boehm & Levine company of New York took out a patent for their Mon Bijou head attire that was "absolutely dust proof". The wind in an automobile also stirred up a lot of dust and dirt from road surfaces. No respectable lady wanted to see her bonnet trashed or her feathers in a twist when arriving at her destination. A full face veil was the most practical solution.

The 80 H. P. postcard was sent from Paris on 24 Août (August) 1908. There is no postmark so the card went with a letter or package. The handwriting is reasonably clear but the combination of letters in French, especially vowels that look like consonants, made it a difficult puzzle for me so I gave up. I do know that the writer's first line refers to arriving in Paris after traveling for 4 hours. Her name was Emma Leroy(?) and her flat at 47 Rue du Rocher is still there with decorative  ironwork so typical of Paris on the entrance to the five story building.  

Motor 
1906 January

For gentlemen there were special head and face gear too. The Scott Muffler Co. of Portsmouth, Ohio offered their "all in one piece" mufflers that protected the face, ears, neck, and chest. "Makes zero weather pleasant." 

 

Motor 
1906 January

In January 1906 the Ball-Fintze Co of Newark, Ohio advertised the Avalon Storm Apron which was a rubberized cloth that draped across an automobile's passenger compartment. It offered protection against storms and bad weather with holes for one to five people. They also offered Weed Chain Tire Grips to prevent skidding and assist in traction on muddy roads.

Motor Age
1907 December

The two men in Thiele's postcards hold strange horns. The 100 H. P. instrument looks not unlike a brass alphorn and the 80 H. P. instrument is a four valve four bell horn. Though they are exaggerated in size they were another useful motoring accessory that were not included by the automobile manufacturers. Soon after they were introduced to the world, automobiles and their drivers were recognized as being dangerous to pedestrians, horse, and other drivers. Many communities demanded that drivers announce themselves with a loud bugle horn in certain situations like when rounding a curve or entering an intersection. Some were pneumatic devices like the No. 19 La Bassoon oval horn and the Leavitt Siren Horn which were advertised in the December 1907 edition of Motor Age magazine. The sound was produced by a brass reed which I think was the same in the horns of Thiele's cartoons. 

Life
1909 April

The early motorists of the 1900s endured a lot of misadventures as they learned how to operate an automobile. Every driver was expected to understand the mechanics of their machine. Otherwise they were likely to one day find themselves stranded. As this illustration from Life magazine shows, a man might need to get out and get under in order to fix his car, especially in winter.

The travails of modern motoring were a source of amusement in America as in Germany.  

Life
1909 January 7

                                                                Getting Even

    Autoist (who has paid boy to bring assistance):  Did you give the farmer mm message, boy?

    Boy:  Yep; I told him ther' wuz four automobeelers stuck in a driff' an' cuddent git out.

                                                             "What did he say?

                                                             "He said 'HOORAY,'  an' gimme another quarter."

Life
1909 April

And when all else failed,
the motorist could still depend
on real horse power
to get their auto
back to its stable garage. 

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday

where no matter how old it is

a photo can still have that new-car scent.