Lesson: Transportation for People and American Attitudes
16 artifacts in this set
Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles, California, 1956
Postcard
Few American cities embraced the automobile like Los Angeles. The southern California metropolis opened the first of its many limited-access freeways in 1940. Work on the Harbor Freeway, seen here, began in the early 1950s. Now designated Interstate 110, this freeway connects the downtown area with the Port of Los Angeles to the south, and with Pasadena to the northeast.
Tesla Car at SpaceX Facility, El Segundo, California, 2008
Digital photograph
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, developed (and owned) the Tesla Roadster pictured here. The electric-powered vehicle had the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and it could travel 245 miles on a single charge. It was arguably the first viable production electric car of the modern era.
Advertising Postcard for Pan American Airlines, circa 1970, "The Plane with All the Room in the World"
Postcard
For much of the 20th century, Pan American World Airways exemplified innovation in air travel. The carrier pioneered the use of wide-body jumbo jets, like the Boeing 747 featured on this postcard, in the 1970s. But rising fuel costs and difficulty establishing domestic U.S. routes strained the company in the 1980s. Pan Am ended operations in 1991.
Man Seated in a Buggy, circa 1890
Photographic print
Before automobiles became widely used, horses were the common transportation power source. Pictured here is a man seated in a typical horse-drawn buggy -- a light-weight, small carriage with four wheels pulled by one horse.
1984 Solar-Powered Car "Phoenix"
Automobile
This car, the first solar-powered vehicle to cross the United States, was built and driven by students at a small college in Missouri. The Crowder College team developed the car for 1984's Trans-American Solar Auto Run. With a top speed of about 20 mph, their journey from San Diego, California, to Jacksonville, Florida, took 45 days.
1891 Abbot Downing Concord Coach
Concord coach
The stagecoach is a symbol of the American West, but its origins are in New England. First built in the 1820s, Concord coaches featured an innovative leather-strap suspension that produced a rocking motion over rough roads -- easier on passengers and horses alike. This example carried passengers and mail in New Hampshire and Maine before the automobile made it obsolete.
Van Cleve Bicycle, Made by the Wright Brothers circa 1896
Bicycle
Wilbur and Orville Wright established their first bicycle shop in 1892. They started building their own bikes in 1896. Van Cleve bicycles -- named for Wright family ancestors -- used high-grade materials, and they featured special oil-retaining wheel hubs and coaster brakes of the brothers' own design. The Wrights built each bike to order, hand-making parts with basic tools.
1914 Ford Model T Touring Car, Given to John Burroughs by Henry Ford
Automobile
This 1914 touring car is one of several Model T automobiles given to naturalist John Burroughs by his friend Henry Ford. Ford Motor Company experienced a milestone year in 1914. The automaker fully implemented the moving assembly line at its Highland Park plant, and it introduced the Five Dollar Day profit-sharing plan for its employees.
Wreckage of a Chrysler Airflow Car at the Accident Scene, 1934
Photographic print
Here, two men inspect the wreckage of a Chrysler Airflow on a wintry day in 1934. Until the 1950s, car manufacturers and buyers were more focused on styling and horsepower than reducing drivers' and passengers' risks. Since the late 1960s, Americans have generally accepted increasing regulation of cars and drivers, and gradually become more willing to pay for safety features.
1922 Detroit Electric Coupe
Automobile
Detroit Electric was the best-known and longest-lived American electric car company. Detroit Electric built cars from 1907 to 1942, although after 1930 production was limited to custom orders. This elegant four-passenger Model 90 coupe was in regular use from 1922 to 1934. A large battery provided electricity for the vehicle's electric motor. The car had a driving range of 70 to 100 miles between charges and a top speed of about 25 miles per...
Jones Horse-Drawn Streetcar, circa 1875
Horsecar
The horse-drawn streetcar was an important means of public transportation in 19th century American cities. New York's Brooklyn City Railroad ran this car on its line between Hunters Point in Long Island City, and Erie Basin in South Brooklyn. But horses were expensive to stable and feed -- and messy too. Operators embraced electric streetcars starting in the late 1880s.
Stanford Ovshinsky's Hydrogen-Powered Hybrid Prius Car, 2009
Digital photograph
The Prius pictured here is not your typical gasoline-electric hybrid car. Stanford Ovshinsky, an innovator for renewable resources, replaced the standard gasoline fuel tank with a hydrogen fuel tank. The change from gasoline to hydrogen fuel results in a vehicle that releases only water through the exhaust instead of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen.
Stanford Ovshinsky at United Solar Ovonic Facility, Auburn Hills, Michigan, 2009
Digital photograph
Stan Ovshinsky holds over 400 patents related to the areas of energy and information. Many of his patents led to breakthroughs in the usage of solar power and hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Ovshinsky, along with his late wife Iris, founded Energy Conversion Devices Inc., headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The company continues to develop energy generation, energy storage, and information technology.
Mack Model CL Buses Loading Passengers at a Downtown Intersection, Toledo, Ohio, 1935
Photographic print
As cities grew, buses became an important part of the urban public transportation system. They could reach people and places between streetcar lines. This photo depicts a bustling downtown Toledo. Buses load passengers at a busy corner in front of a department store. Meanwhile, well-dressed pedestrians wait for a policeman to move the STOP/GO sign in the middle of intersection.
Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Passenger Coach Replica
Passenger car (Railroad car)
This coach replicates a typical passenger car used on American railroads circa 1860. Its varnished interior surfaces resisted dirt and stains, while its mohair-covered seats stood up to heavy use. Opening windows offered ventilation in summer, and a woodstove provided heat in winter. Other amenities included a drinking water dispenser and a small restroom.
1896 Riker Electric Tricycle
Automobile
Auto pioneer A.L. Riker built this electric tricycle in Brooklyn, New York, in 1896. Its tubular steel frame, wire wheels, and pneumatic tires are adapted from bicycle practice. Lead-acid batteries are under the seat, and a 40-volt, one-horsepower electric motor powered the rear wheel. Although quite successful at building electric vehicles, Riker sold his company in 1900 and became chief engineer of Locomobile, a builder of high-quality...
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