Advertisement for the Sylvester Roper Steam Car, from the Grand Rapids Eagle, September 8-9, 1864
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Artifact Overview
Massachusetts machinist Sylvester Roper built several steam-powered carriages and motorcycles years before automobiles -- as we know them -- appeared. Roper never produced his vehicles commercially. Instead, they were exhibited at circuses and fairs, where crowds marveled at the self-propelled contraptions. Steamboats and steam locomotives were common, but steam-powered carriages were genuine novelties.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Negative (Photograph)
Date Made
1950
Subject Date
1864
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
EI.1929.N.B.17098
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 5 in
Width: 4 in
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1865 Roper Steam Carriage: The Oldest Surviving American Automobile
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