Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
Washington, D.C., 1914. "Federal taxicab garage, 13th Street." These cabs served Union Station. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
The man kneeling appears to be cleaning as spill. We still use the stuff he is spreading today (or kitty litter if none is available).
[As noted below, he's putting on tire chains. Driver of 5412 is pulling on an air hose. - Dave]
That spotlight is quite impressive; I wonder if the driver could aim it if so required. Neat that two headlights seem to not be totally in vogue yet.
It's a pity taxi drivers no longer wear uniforms and pride themselves on clean cabs. Boston, especially.
Does anyone have any ideas about what the half-kneeling man on the left is doing?
[Putting on chains. - Dave]
The Franklin looking car is a Renault. They started using that style hood in 1902 and moved the radiator from the hood sides to the firewall in 1904. The style remained substantially unchanged for the next 24 years including the WWI years. 1914 was the last year of passenger vehicle production until after the war, since the production lines were mainly taken up with the manufacture of tanks. Starting again with the same look in 1919, Renault stuck with it until 1928/29 when they made the hood more streamlined. They moved the radiator to the front in 1930.
The radiator configuration is a lot like a pre-war Renault taxi. Mack trucks also used the same layout.
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5