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Washington, D.C., 1924. "Havoline Oil Company." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress.
Havoline is Texaco's brand name for its oil and products.
The sign says Texaco, not Havoline.
[The Havoline sign is at top right. - Dave]
It could be this was a demo of the device. The words on the gasometer seem to be announcing its purpose a bit too loudly for normal garage use.
That's a honey locust in the foreground (note the seed pods). Memories of cleaning the pods off the driveway and yard as a kid. The tree also has huge thorns.
The device is a chassis dynamometer.
The dyno operator has his hand on the brake lever (Prony brake). He's either measuring horsepower and trying to relate it to engine condition or using the dyno to load the motor and collect/measure blowby somehow for the same purpose.
I wonder if this was a "special occasion" or if there was some other reason the dyno operator had so many helpers?
Looks like they lock down the automobile and then the drive wheels power a pump. The pressure is measured on the gauge on the "gasometer" in the background.
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