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Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Emergency Fleet Corporation, building exterior." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
The car in the picture is a 1915 Milburn model 15 (their introductory model). Until 1916 most enclosed cars were electric. The electric Coupés usually had a three place bench seat across the back and one or two bucket or folding jump seats that faced aft, or rotated to face either direction.
The electric car was driven from the back seat. If you look, you can see two tillers sticking up on the far side of the car. When the driver gets in, they pull these down across their lap and control the car with them.
The Fords both have hood covers. Keeping in mind that the engine bay is open underneath, plus the Model T had a low-mounted updraft carburetor, there is no danger of stifling the motor even if the covers were left on during use.
There is also a bicycle leaning against the tree in the lower right corner.
We tend to think of parking shortage as a contemporary issue - but finding space in the urban environment to park cars has been a challenge since the mass production of automobiles began. It's hard to believe that a six-story building would be razed to make way for a surface parking lot, but that is what happened. The Service Parking Corporation razed at least a dozen buildings in downtown to replace them with surface parking. Other buildings lost to the Service Parking Corporation include the Edward Apartment Building (15th St), Gramercy Apartments (825 Vermont Ave), Marini's Hall (914 E st), and the former residence of President Buchanan (916 E st).
Washington Post, Jan 7, 1933Builders Exchange Building Will Pass
Site on Thirteenth Street is Leased to
Auto Service Parking Company.Disappearance of the former Building Exchange Building, another landmark of the downtown business section, at 719-721 Thirteenth street northwest, is forecast following completion of an important parking lease for the building's site yesterday by the offices of Carl G. Rosinski and Harvey A. Jacob.
The site of the building, containing 10,093 square feet, has been leased for five years for the Stilson Hutchins estate to Service Parking Ground, Inc, and organization with out-of-town headquarters, which has been in business for seventeen years and is operating more than 50 parking lots throughout the country.
The 3-passenger coupe was a popular style in that first decade of autos. The driver had a bucket seat, and the left rear passenger was crammed in behind the driver. The right rear passenger had more legroom. Some models included a fold-down jump seat facing backwards in the right front position; this passenger's back was against the dashboard.
It appears that there are 3 occupants in the electric car: A woman in an elegant hat, a gentleman in a topcoat, and the chauffeur - a Bedouin preparing for a sandstorm. The last effect may just be due to the tree reflection across the windshield, but it definitely looks like the driver is wearing a mask/muffler of some sort - maybe because to the flu epidemic? Dave, is it time to bring out the ShorpyVision? But the other passenger is missing, because they just dropped Tweety Bird off at the vets.
What an interesting time period when it came to transportation. Besides the gas powered automobiles parked on the street, and the Milburn Electric in the center of the photo, you can see the very back end of a horse-drawn wagon in the lower right of the photo. If you look at the plate glass window of the "Builders and Manufacturers" office, you can see the reflection of the horse hitched to the wagon.
Can anyone explain the function of the cover over the engine hood on the car in the lower left corner? I'd guess it's there to prevent freezing in cold weather, but it completely covers the radiator face and side vents as well, and I'd think it would tend to starve the carburetor.
I like old cars but I'm not familiar with cars as old as the one in the foreground. That being said, I'm pretty sure that is a steam powered car
Can anyone ID the vehicle in the center of the photo? It's intriguing because it looks as if there are two people inside of it that are facing each other.
I'm surprised by the haphazard way the cars are parked on both sides of the street. And the jaunty little car center front is a puzzlement. I think I can identify the front by the headlights, but it looks like the passengers are seated facing each other. Where is the steering wheel?
[It has a tiller. - Dave]
According to the Washington Post, this was built in 1890 at 719-721 Thirteenth Street, NW., between G and H (Post, March 20, 1890 p.4; July 25, 1909 p. R2)
Is that a Milburn Electric in the center foreground?
This Milburn Electric Model 27 looks similar.
That's a charming little electric runabout. It's hard to tell whether it's coming or going.
The car in the foreground appears to be a 1918 Milburn electric car.
On second thought, the car might be a Detroit Electric instead of a Franklin,
anyway either would be a blast to drive, although range was limited to 20 miles plus or minus.
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