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From My Collection: Antique Photographs featuring Early Automobiles
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From My Collection: Antique Photographs featuring Early Automobiles

Keith Dotson
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Old photographs show car owners who are proud of their automobiles

From my collection of historic photographs: we look at a set of old black-and-white snapshots with one thing in common . . . they all feature automobiles. These photographs were taken in the early days of America’s budding obsession with the automobile.

Roads were improving and travel was becoming a passion for Americans with disposable income and plenty of leisure time. America’s famous mother road, Route 66, opened in 1926 and road trips for vacations, seaside visits, picnics, and distant relatives were becoming a more convenient reality.

At the same time, thanks to innovations like the Kodak Brownie, photography was easy and affordable.

It’s safe to assume everyone shown here is long gone now, and their cars long ago relegated to the scrap heap, but 100 years later, their images live on.

Historic photograph: An 8 x 10-inch gelatin silver photograph shows a barn and a car with visitors either arriving or preparing to depart.
Historic photograph: An 8 x 10-inch gelatin silver photograph shows a barn and a car with visitors either arriving or preparing to depart.
Historic photograph shows a man standing beside his car on a dirt road
He’s proud of his car and rightfully so. A small gelatin silver print.
Historic photo: This big automobile shows passengers in the front and rear seats, parked on a dirt road in the countryside.
This big automobile shows passengers in the front and rear seats, parked on a dirt road in the countryside.
A companion photo to the one directly above it, shows the same woman in the rear seat, and a man with a cigar who is apparently game to have his portrait made from the front passenger seat.
A companion photo to the one directly above it, shows the same woman in the rear seat, and a man with a cigar who is apparently game to have his portrait made from the front passenger seat.
This snapshot gives us a great look at the license plate number 218367, and in the faint smaller text beneath the number, appears to say Ohio 1921 (or possible 1927).
This snapshot gives us a great look at the license plate number 218367, and in the faint smaller text beneath the number, appears to say Ohio 1921 (or possible 1927).
Side view of a historic automobile parked in a nice neighborhood with brick streets.
Side view of a historic automobile parked in a nice neighborhood with brick streets.
A portrait of three middle-aged men in hunting garb, posed beside their car. In the corners of the decorative border around the photograph can be seen the name of the photo lab: "Laube Bros. Akron Ohio."
A portrait of three middle-aged men in hunting garb, posed beside their car. In the corners of the decorative border around the photograph can be seen the name of the photo lab: “Laube Bros. Akron Ohio.”
The back of the hunting photo is captioned on a typewriter: "Three Deerless Hunters." It was dated 10/17/1927, and shows a faint purple stamp from Laube Brothers Photo Finishing, Akron, Ohio.
The back of the hunting photo is captioned on a typewriter: “Three Deerless Hunters.” It was dated 10/17/1927, and shows a faint purple stamp from Laube Brothers Photo Finishing, Akron, Ohio.

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