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- Twin Parking Meter, circa 1938 - By the 1920s, automobile parking in cities was chaotic. City governments tried widening streets, prohibiting parking near intersections, and marking parking spaces. Finally, it was the parking meter, introduced in 1935, that proved workable and enforceable. This early parking meter, designed for two cars, was used in Hamtramck, Michigan. Parking cost five cents per hour, except on Sunday and holidays.

- circa 1938
- Collections - Artifact
Twin Parking Meter, circa 1938
By the 1920s, automobile parking in cities was chaotic. City governments tried widening streets, prohibiting parking near intersections, and marking parking spaces. Finally, it was the parking meter, introduced in 1935, that proved workable and enforceable. This early parking meter, designed for two cars, was used in Hamtramck, Michigan. Parking cost five cents per hour, except on Sunday and holidays.
- Dual Brand Parking Meter, circa 1948 - By the 1920s, automobile parking in cities was chaotic. Parking meters, introduced in Oklahoma City in 1935, proved to be the workable and enforceable solution. Carl Magee, inventor of the parking meter with help from local engineering professors and college students, named his company "Dual" -- supposedly because parking meters served the dual purpose of controlling parking and generating revenue.

- circa 1948
- Collections - Artifact
Dual Brand Parking Meter, circa 1948
By the 1920s, automobile parking in cities was chaotic. Parking meters, introduced in Oklahoma City in 1935, proved to be the workable and enforceable solution. Carl Magee, inventor of the parking meter with help from local engineering professors and college students, named his company "Dual" -- supposedly because parking meters served the dual purpose of controlling parking and generating revenue.
- Drawing, "Ass'y - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, July 20, 1948 - The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.

- July 20, 1948
- Collections - Artifact
Drawing, "Ass'y - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, July 20, 1948
The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.
- Drawing, "Lens - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, December 10, 1955 - The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.

- December 10, 1955
- Collections - Artifact
Drawing, "Lens - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, December 10, 1955
The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.
- Drawing, "Pad - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, September 25, 1956 - The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.

- September 25, 1956
- Collections - Artifact
Drawing, "Pad - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, September 25, 1956
The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.
- Drawing, "Assembly Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, July 12, 1947 - The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.

- July 12, 1947
- Collections - Artifact
Drawing, "Assembly Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, July 12, 1947
The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.
- Cars Parked on Residential Street, New York State, circa 1915 - Curbside parking generally wasn't a problem on quiet residential streets like the one seen here, but it could be a nuisance in crowded cities. Parked cars effectively narrowed the roadway, which restricted traffic flow. Limits on curbside parking improved traffic, but they annoyed business owners by discouraging customers. Coin-operated parking meters, introduced in the mid-1930s, helped solve the dilemma.

- circa 1915
- Collections - Artifact
Cars Parked on Residential Street, New York State, circa 1915
Curbside parking generally wasn't a problem on quiet residential streets like the one seen here, but it could be a nuisance in crowded cities. Parked cars effectively narrowed the roadway, which restricted traffic flow. Limits on curbside parking improved traffic, but they annoyed business owners by discouraging customers. Coin-operated parking meters, introduced in the mid-1930s, helped solve the dilemma.
- Woman with a Coin-Operated Parking Meter, circa 1935 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, installed the world's first coin-operated parking meters in 1935. These devices brought order to the chaotic parking situation in many American cities at that time. Parking meters simultaneously generated revenue and encouraged turnover in municipal parking lots. In the 1990s, many cities began shifting from coin-operated machines to meters capable of accepting credit or debit cards.

- circa 1935
- Collections - Artifact
Woman with a Coin-Operated Parking Meter, circa 1935
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, installed the world's first coin-operated parking meters in 1935. These devices brought order to the chaotic parking situation in many American cities at that time. Parking meters simultaneously generated revenue and encouraged turnover in municipal parking lots. In the 1990s, many cities began shifting from coin-operated machines to meters capable of accepting credit or debit cards.
- Park-O-Meter Parking Meter, circa 1958 - The first parking meters, installed in Oklahoma City in 1935, were invented by newspaper editor and local traffic commissioner Carl Magee. He produced his own design after enlisting the help of engineering professors and students at nearby Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma State University). Then he founded Magee-Hale Park-O-Meter Company to manufacture the meters.

- 1953-1963
- Collections - Artifact
Park-O-Meter Parking Meter, circa 1958
The first parking meters, installed in Oklahoma City in 1935, were invented by newspaper editor and local traffic commissioner Carl Magee. He produced his own design after enlisting the help of engineering professors and students at nearby Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma State University). Then he founded Magee-Hale Park-O-Meter Company to manufacture the meters.
- Drawing, "Body Assy - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, January 4, 1955 - The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.

- January 04, 1955
- Collections - Artifact
Drawing, "Body Assy - Parking Lamp," Ford Automobile, January 4, 1955
The Ford Motor Company created over a million parts drawings from 1903 to 1957. Many of these drawings specify engineering requirements for the components of Ford-made vehicles--including automobiles, trucks, tractors, military vehicles and Tri-motor airplanes. Others document assembly components, stages of casting and forging, or experimental designs. Beginning in the 1940s, Ford transferred the drawings to microfilm.