Historic Autos at Winterthur

Saturdays in May 2012
10:00 am–4:00 pm

In May enjoy a series of displays of magnificent historic automobiles. Step back in time to see elegant automobiles of the country-estate era. Each Saturday will feature a different thematic display. Weather permitting. Members free. Included with admission.

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

In 2008 Winterthur received a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Ascot Tourer. A gift of the Philip C. Beals family, it is on display at Point-to-Point and on Saturdays each May near the museum. Affectionately called “The Empress,” the auto has an all-aluminum body that was crafted by the Brewster Company of Long Island City, New York, and a chassis that was made in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Displays and Lectures

Each Saturday in May there will be a lecture and a selection of historic autos associated with a particular theme.
  

May 5: The Early Years

Lecture

“An Autocar Restored: Teaming Science with Automotive Craftsmanship”
1:00 pm, Rotunda

Walter Higgins, owner of Higgins Restoration, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, will outline the decision-making process in creating a historically accurate automobile restoration. His presentation will debunk myths about “absolutes” in restoration standards by using scientific evidence and historical research. Members free. Included with admission.

Autos Expected

• 1927 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom 1 
• 1907 Autocar 
• 1908 Franklin Model G Run-a-bout
• 1909 Mitchell Model K 5-Passenger Touring
• 1910 Stanley Touring Model 71 4-Passenger Touring Sedan
• 1913 Ford Model T Touring
• 1918 Buick E45 5-Passenger Touring
• 1918 Cadillac Type 57 7-Passenger Touring Car
• 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Limousine
• 1912 Ford Model T Estate Wagon

May 12: 1930s Vogue: Luxury, Innovation, and Speed

Lecture

“Within the Covers of Vogue: Automobile Advertising in the 1930s” 
1:00 pm, Rotunda

Gregory Landrey, director of the Library, Collections Management & Academic Programs Division at Winterthur, will discuss automobile advertising from the 1930s in Conde Nast’s publication Vogue. Vogue served as the fashion magazine of its time, and the automobiles advertised between its covers helped to enhance that image. The lecture will highlight artwork and photography illustrating the virtues of a wide range of vehicles from the more affordable Ford Model A and the Chevrolet Six to Cadillac’s premier V-16 and Lincoln’s Willoughby-bodied sedans. Other makes, such as Cord, Auburn, Packard, REO, Marmon, Pierce Arrow, and Chrysler, will be presented as well. Members free. Included with admission.

Autos Expected

• 1928 Mercedes-Benz 2-Door Touring
• 1927 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I 
• 1938 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Saloon
• 1940 Chevrolet Master Delux 4-Door Sedan
• 1940 LaSalle Series 50 Sedan
• 1940 Packard 1801 4-Door Convertible
• 1941 Chrysler C28 Windsor Convertible
• 1942 Buick Roadmaster 4-Door Sedan
• 1942 Cadillac 7533F Formal Sedan
• 1938 Packard Super 8 Coupe
• 1933 DeSoto Rumble Seat Coupe 

May 19: Post-War Years

Lecture

“The Z. Taylor Vinson Collection: Documenting the History of the Automobile”
1:00 pm, Rotunda

In January 2010 Hagley Museum and Library received The Z. Taylor Vinson Transportation Collection consisting of 700 cubic feet of transportation (primarily automotive) memorabilia. The collection is currently being processed as part of a three-year Council on Library and Information Resources Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives program grant. Emily Cottle, project archivist and cataloguer of the collection, will discuss Vinson's lifetime passion for collecting car memorabilia, the challenges of processing such a large collection, its current status, and the promise of digital techniques to promote the collection and increase its availability. Members free. Included with admission.

Autos Expected

• 1927 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I 
• 1953 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Sedan
• 1955 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
• 1956 Chysler New Yorker Newport 2-Door Hardtop Coupe
• 1959 Cadillac 62 Convertible
• 1962 Cadillac DeVille 4-Window Sedan
• 1963 Studebaker Avanti Coupe
• 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Sedan
• 1956 Packard Patrician 4-Door Sedan
• 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III 
• 1964 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

 

May 26, 2012: Custom Coach Works

Lecture

“Coachbuilt: The Derham Body Company”
1:00 pm, Rotunda

Join Mark Derham Bowen, PE, CFM, and ecological engineering team leader at Kleinschmidt Associates, for a discussion on the Derham Body Company, which built fine custom automobile bodies and horse-drawn carriages for nearly 100 years in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Many local families, movie stars, and foreign dignitaries owned custom Derham bodies built on chassis by Duesenberg, Cadillac, Peirce Arrow, and many more. Family recollections along with Enos Derham’s favorite photos will be presented, including rare photos of the Derham Body Company shops and hand-drawn renderings prepared by Enos. Parts of the lecture will be based on a presentation that Enos himself made in the 1970s. Members free. Included with admission.

Autos Expected

• 1911 Ford Town Car 
• 1927 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I
• 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I All-Weather Sedan
• 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Suburban
• 1931 Cadillac 452A V-16 All-Weather Phaeton
• 1952 Bentley Mark VI Saloon
• 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Touring Limousine
• 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood 4-Door Hardtop
• 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 
• 1976 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible
• 1951 Packard Patrician 400 4-Door Sedan
• 1934 Brewster Town Cabriolet deVille