Great Period Photo - 1919 Delivery Truck

[Bruce]

Our local newspaper ran an article this morning summarizing historical news paper articles about automobiles and used an amazing photo which I thought was worthy of sharing.

Bruce

The following is this mornings article in the Vancouver Sun for your enjoyment:

‘Closed-in automobiles’ touted to keep out rain

Vancouver Sun16 Nov 2019JOHN MACKIE [email protected]

Most early cars were convertibles. But by November 1917, many consumers were switching to “closedin automobiles.”

“The closed car branch of the automobile trade is growing so rapidly that it promises soon to become the essential factor, even overshadowing the old and seemingly well-entrenched open car,” said a story in the Nov. 18, 1917 edition of The Vancouver Sun.

The anonymous author of The Sun story had a theory about why “open air” cars had dominated the industry: early cars broke down so much that manufacturers spent most of their effort trying to perfect vehicle mechanics, rather than improve the driving experience.

As the mechanics were smoothed out, manufacturers started to pay attention to comforts, such as a “winter top” which “converted the open touring car or runabout into a closed car.”

“That device, though originally a crude makeshift, introduced a large number of people to the comfort of riding well protected from wind, sun, dust, rain and cold,” the story noted. Hence there were even “permanently enclosed touring cars” like the Overland Six Coupe and the Franklin Brougham, whose pictures accompanied the story.

The Sun capitalized on the growing car culture with a weekly automobile section that was brimming with car ads. Sales were exploding: the paper reported that by the end of 1917 “a total of 100,000 machines will have been sold in Canada.”

This was almost five times the sales in 1914, when the First World War started. The Sun reported that there was a car for every 78 people in British Columbia.

Still, sales were small enough that on Oct. 28, 1917, The Sun ran a list of all 275 cars that were sold in B.C. that September.

Almost half (129) were Fords, followed by Chevrolet (36), Studebaker (22), the Canadian-made Mclaughlin (21), and Willys- Overland (14).

All sorts of car companies that have faded from view are on the list, including Gray Dort, Maxwell, Republic, Little Giant, Reo, Russell, Oakland, Hudson, Chicago, Rapid, Mitchell, Alma, Continental, Keeton and White.

The Sun also printed a list of new car owners and their license numbers — Edna Noble of 1722 Cotton Dr. in Vancouver purchased a Ford and was issued licence number 12396.

The paper also had some very rudimentary stories offering driving tips.

“Don’t speed,” said one. “Regulation speed limit, 15 miles per hour along city streets, six miles per hour over intersections, 25 miles per hour in open country.”

The old car ads are a blast. One shows a “Vancouver Built Limousine Hearse” that was put together by Hall & Wallace, 573 Beatty Street, for S. Bowell and Co., “the leading funeral directors of New Westminster.”

“Owing to the hilly nature of the Royal City, Bowell & Co. found they could render more efficient service in having the motor hearse,” the ad states.

The ad for the “Winter Maxwell” was very elegant, and promoted the “progressive” enclosed top, “which gives snappy appearance and closed car comfort at much less than closed car prices.” In this case, a touring car with an all-weather top was $1,200, which was $35 more than a roadster. The Maxwell dealer was Consolidated Motor Co., 1230 West Georgia. (An online inflation calculator says $1,200 would be the equivalent of $19,000 today.)

People were very proud of their cars, which prompted photographer Stuart Thomson to take out an ad in The Sun asking, “Have you had your car photographed? If not, phone Stuart Thomson, Seymour 2967. Specializing in auto photos.”

The ad seems to have worked: the Vancouver Archives has a ton of Thomson photos of people with their cars and trucks.

Thomson was also a key early sports photographer — he sold his archive to The Vancouver Sun in 1954, and The Sun donated them to the Vancouver Archives in 1963.

Late vintage car expert Rick Percy had an incredible collection of Thomson panorama photos showing people and businesses with their cars and trucks. My favourite is a 1919 pic of the British Columbia Gramophone and Talking Machine company truck, a black Studebaker with white tires and a very serious driver in an Andy Capp hat and suit.

The windshield is in two pieces, so it can flip up (and probably down) if the driver wanted to feel the wind in his or her face.

Drivers may have been drawn to “closed-in” vehicles for protection from the weather, but there’s nothing like a breath of fresh air when you’re driving.

[gramophone78]

Great pic Bruce. There were at least two pics taken at that time. The location is Howe & Georgia streets facing North on Howe street in downtown Vancouver. Your pic was taken at Burrard and Georgia streets facing North on Burrard street in downtown Vancouver. If you look at the first pic, you can see the other vehicle parked behind on the street.
Both very nice Studebaker vans.

[zenith82]

I love pictures like this.

The truck is a Studebaker, either a 1917 or 1918 model. Thanks for sharing!

[coyote]

Do you think the Studebaker service truck already put its spare tire into service?