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You’ve Come A Long Way Baby…
May 20, 2021 by Laura Heilenman · 2 Comments
Oftentimes, when I see a headline or an issue here at Rare Newspapers, some old fashioned turn of phrase or idiom comes to mind and today was no exception. As I leafed through a volume of Harper’s Weekly’s looking for a customer request, I glanced through the issue dated one week earlier. “You’ve come a long way baby” sprang to mind as I paused to pour over the vintage automobile and tire ads in Harper’s Weekly’s “Annual Automobile Number” issue. Ironically, the front color cover had a baby in a 1912 car barely missing 1911, represented by an old man trudging across the road. These new cars must have seemed a tremendous upgrade from Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908 and may have caused a pedestrian on the curb to murmur, “We’ve come a long way baby”, however, I am sure their jaw would drop at the thought of electric and self-driving options 100+ years later. These are the things Jules Verne dreamed of as he put pen to paper. I like to imagine that someday, a 100+ years from now, another person may very well see a newspaper from today with the headline: “Tesla’s Autopilot Technology Faces Fresh Scrutiny”(NYT) and quip, “We’ve come a long way baby”, as they climb into their hover car.
One of the first hybrids…
February 8, 2016 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
In today’s world hybrid automobiles are commonly found on the road, a cross between internal combustion and electric engines. But our recent fascination with hybrids is nothing new.
In 1889 a proposal was submitted for what looks like an electric car/cable car hybrid, as detailed in the July 27, 1889 issue of “Scientific American“. The electric vehicle would receive its power from the cable lines above it but the vehicle would negotiate the streets without the aid of tracks.
It is interesting how fascination with electric propulsion over 100 years ago has been renewed today as a means of powering automobiles.
60 years ago today… the Corvette…
July 1, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Chevy rolls out the 2014 Corvette Stingray today, just in time for the 60th anniversary. How much has changed in 60 years? The following link will take you back to a newspaper report of the first release. Please enjoy this walk down memory lane. It’s hard to imagine the initial cost was only $3,250!
1953 Chevy Corvette
The Traveler… first land, now from the sea… just skating by…
January 27, 2011 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I decided to travel to the 20th century and found The Atlanta Constitution dated January 27, 1911. In this issue was coverage of the first American seaplane. This marvelous feat took place in San Diego and was flown by Glenn Curtiss, landing it lightly on the water in front of the hanger-on shore.
Another article of “transportation” that made big front page news was “Skaters, Beware! How About Autos?” which featured a large cartoon illustration. It seems that side-walk skating by the children in Atlanta was against the law and the police had been threatening to arrest them. The children took matters into their hands, writing to the Mayor expressing their concerns on the terrible auto driving that was occurring but nothing being done about it. The Mayor was introducing a revision to the ordinance so that the children could skate again. Look what happens when youth put their minds to it!
~The Traveler