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- Driving the Selden Motor Buggy during the Selden Patent Suit - George Selden conceived -- but didn't build -- a self-propelled gasoline-powered vehicle in 1877 and patented the idea in 1895. The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers enforced Selden's patent, but Henry Ford fought ALAM in court. This car was completed for Selden in 1907 as evidence for the legal battle. Ford ultimately won, freeing himself and other automakers from paying royalties to ALAM.
- 1907-1911
- Collections - Artifact
Driving the Selden Motor Buggy during the Selden Patent Suit
George Selden conceived -- but didn't build -- a self-propelled gasoline-powered vehicle in 1877 and patented the idea in 1895. The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers enforced Selden's patent, but Henry Ford fought ALAM in court. This car was completed for Selden in 1907 as evidence for the legal battle. Ford ultimately won, freeing himself and other automakers from paying royalties to ALAM.
- Patent Model of Marine Signal Lantern, 1863 - This marine lantern was designed to burn oil. An opaque metal shade could be moved to expose and block its glow. Moveable red and green glass shades are its most innovative feature, which served two purposes. They allowed the lantern to act as a communications device, to send messages between ships--and as an anchor light, to avoid collisions between vessels.
- July 21, 1863
- Collections - Artifact
Patent Model of Marine Signal Lantern, 1863
This marine lantern was designed to burn oil. An opaque metal shade could be moved to expose and block its glow. Moveable red and green glass shades are its most innovative feature, which served two purposes. They allowed the lantern to act as a communications device, to send messages between ships--and as an anchor light, to avoid collisions between vessels.
- Trade Card for Pond's Extract, Pond's Extract Co., 1886-1910 - In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- 1886-1910
- Collections - Artifact
Trade Card for Pond's Extract, Pond's Extract Co., 1886-1910
In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- Trade Card for Pond's Extract, Pond's Extract Co., 1886-1910 - In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- 1886-1910
- Collections - Artifact
Trade Card for Pond's Extract, Pond's Extract Co., 1886-1910
In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- Patent #610,040, Carburetor Improvements by Henry Ford, Granted August 30, 1898 - Henry Ford received a patent in August 1898 for an improved automobile carburetor -- the device that mixes the fuel and air sent to an engine's cylinders. It was part of Ford's work to design and build his first marketable automobile. Ford's first company, the Detroit Automobile Company, was formed in July 1899 but closed after 15 months.
- August 30, 1898
- Collections - Artifact
Patent #610,040, Carburetor Improvements by Henry Ford, Granted August 30, 1898
Henry Ford received a patent in August 1898 for an improved automobile carburetor -- the device that mixes the fuel and air sent to an engine's cylinders. It was part of Ford's work to design and build his first marketable automobile. Ford's first company, the Detroit Automobile Company, was formed in July 1899 but closed after 15 months.
- Trade Card for Knapp's Throat Cure and Packer's All Healing Tar Soap, H. W. Knapp, Packer Manufacturing Co., 1882 - In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- 1882
- Collections - Artifact
Trade Card for Knapp's Throat Cure and Packer's All Healing Tar Soap, H. W. Knapp, Packer Manufacturing Co., 1882
In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- Trade Card for Hibbard's Rheumatic Syrup and Plasters, Rheumatic Syrup Company, 1880-1900 - In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- 1880-1900
- Collections - Artifact
Trade Card for Hibbard's Rheumatic Syrup and Plasters, Rheumatic Syrup Company, 1880-1900
In the last third of the nineteenth century, an unprecedented variety of consumer goods and services flooded the American market. Advertisers, armed with new methods of color printing, bombarded potential customers with trade cards. Americans enjoyed and often saved the vibrant little advertisements found in product packages or distributed by local merchants. Many survive as historical records of commercialism in the United States.
- Patent Model of Lamp Extinguisher, 1878 - From 1790 to 1880, the U.S. Patent Office required applicants to submit a miniature model along with diagrams and written descriptions detailing the operation of their invention. Patent models could be no larger than 12" by 12" by 12". Though they were usually not operational, these models helped explain an inventor's idea and protect it from competitors.
- April 02, 1878
- Collections - Artifact
Patent Model of Lamp Extinguisher, 1878
From 1790 to 1880, the U.S. Patent Office required applicants to submit a miniature model along with diagrams and written descriptions detailing the operation of their invention. Patent models could be no larger than 12" by 12" by 12". Though they were usually not operational, these models helped explain an inventor's idea and protect it from competitors.
- George Selden with the 1907 Selden Motor Buggy during the Selden Patent Suit - George Selden conceived -- but didn't build -- a self-propelled gasoline-powered vehicle in 1877 and patented the idea in 1895. The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers enforced Selden's patent, but Henry Ford fought ALAM in court. This car was completed for Selden in 1907 as evidence for the legal battle. Ford ultimately won, freeing himself and other automakers from paying royalties to ALAM.
- 1907-1911
- Collections - Artifact
George Selden with the 1907 Selden Motor Buggy during the Selden Patent Suit
George Selden conceived -- but didn't build -- a self-propelled gasoline-powered vehicle in 1877 and patented the idea in 1895. The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers enforced Selden's patent, but Henry Ford fought ALAM in court. This car was completed for Selden in 1907 as evidence for the legal battle. Ford ultimately won, freeing himself and other automakers from paying royalties to ALAM.
- Doctor Ingoldsby's Piles Specific, 1846 - Nineteenth-century entrepreneurs promised cures with patent medicines. Some of these concoctions, however, contained harmful ingredients or ingredients used in unsafe quantities -- the industry was unregulated and manufacturers were secretive about their recipes. Beginning with the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, national legislation increasingly prohibited misleading health claims and required manufacturers to list their product's contents.
- 1846
- Collections - Artifact
Doctor Ingoldsby's Piles Specific, 1846
Nineteenth-century entrepreneurs promised cures with patent medicines. Some of these concoctions, however, contained harmful ingredients or ingredients used in unsafe quantities -- the industry was unregulated and manufacturers were secretive about their recipes. Beginning with the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, national legislation increasingly prohibited misleading health claims and required manufacturers to list their product's contents.