I spent an afternoon last week visiting two car museums that were very close together in location and very similar in terms of collection philosophy. The Millbury Classic Cars and Truck Museum in Millbury, Ohio, and Snook’s Dream Cars, located 26 miles south in Bowling Green, are each the offshoots of private collections passed on from father to son. While the Millbury focuses on vehicles from the 1960s and 1970s, Snook’s collection includes cars from the early auto age and prewar era. Because each assemblage of vehicles reflects the personal preferences and vision of each owner, it is not surprising that there are very few artifacts in either location that recognize women as participants in American automotive history. Fortunately, I discovered a few that made the trip to Ohio worthwhile.
The Millbury Classic Cars and Trucks Museum opened its doors in May 2024. It is a large structure consisting of three garages, each added on as the collection expanded. The museum is a family project; the owner’s mother-in-law helped with the wood staining on the walls, while his son helped locate cars to fill the collection. The museum is unique in that provenance is not a requirement for auto inclusion; in fact, the majority of the vehicles are not original but have been modified or customized in some way. Rather than rely on donations, most of the cars were acquired through auction. Because the cars were purchased rather than donated, the accompanying placards have a lot of technical information about the car, but no identification or stories of previous owners. The collection also includes a vast array of auto memorabilia, including gas pumps, signage, and toys. Replicas of movie cars are also a prime attraction.
‘Daisy Duke’ display with 1974 Plymouth Road Runner
Women’s representation in the museum is primarily as mannequins, called upon to place an automobile in a particular cultural or historical moment in time. They are part of a family in a Scooby-Do Mystery Machine-themed 1974 Chevy G10 custom van; riding in the passenger seat of a 1975 Volkswagen Bus; sitting shotgun in the 1979 Pontiac Trans Am of Smokey and the Bandit fame. The only vehicle devoted to a woman is a replica of the yellow 1974 Plymouth Road Runner driven by the fictional character Daisy Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard television series. A group of mannequins ‘for sale’ featured a dark haired woman in a racing suit, no doubt a salute to Danica Patrick.
Mary Clark’s 1933 Cadillac
Snook’s Dream Cars was opened in 2002 with the goal of sharing ‘cars for all ages.’ The automobiles on display are all in working condition; the museum’s on-staff mechanic gave us a short tour of the four-bay shop for maintaining collector cars within the building. The museum features a recreated 1940s era Texaco gas station, a showroom of extensive automobile memorabilia, and a car collection presented within period scenes ranging from a 1930s general store to a racetrack from the 1960s. The car collection consists of models from the 1930s, and includes coupes, convertibles, sedans, roadsters, and race cars.
Women were represented in the museum as important historical markers, such as the year in which Amelia Earhart disappeared, as well as the year in which Lyn St James became the first female rookie of the year at Indy. Two of the vehicles with female connections were a 1933 Cadillac owned by Mary Clark of the Kimberly-Clark Company, and a 1954 Kaiser-Darrin. As noted on an accompanying poster, ‘[Henry J.] Kaiser’s wife loved the look of Darrin’s sports car, and convinced her husband to go with the design for a limited production’, which suggests she had a significant amount of automotive influence over her husband.
Stereotypes of women drivers were found on the covers of automotive magazines on display, as well as assorted print advertisements in the ‘for sale’ bin. Symbolic women were also present as hood ornaments and award figures.
Automotive Digest cover featuring the stereotypical ‘backseat driver’
While there weren’t as many representations of women in the two Ohio museum as I had expected, I am hoping that delving deeper into the artifact origins will provide some new insight into women’s automotive history.
While on a recent trip to Phoenix to capture some Cactus League spring training games, I made a visit to the Martin Auto Museum. The Martin Museum is located in an older strip mall, in a building that felt like it was a supermarket or discount store in a previous life. The museum features over 170 vehicles, including classic cars, hot rods, customs, and imports. It also contains a fair amount of auto memorabilia, signage, and a few antique gas pumps. The museum was founded by Mel Martin as a means to share his expanding collection and to ‘pass down his sizeable amount of knowledge to the generations that follow.’
Queen Wilhelmina’s 1933 Buick
The Martin Auto Museum is very focused on education; its website provides automotive history lesson plans for grades one through twelve. Younger grades are encouraged to create personal and family automotive histories through scrapbooking. Automotive history is incorporated into higher grade levels, with topics that include automobile types, automotive safety, the Arsenal of Democracy, the assembly line, as well as the representation of cars in song, film, art, and literature. The focus on education is clearly evident in the automobiles on display, as each is accompanied by a lengthy and often technical description of the car. While this practice allows for the dissemination of automotive knowledge, it lacks the personal stories that often accompany old cars. Consequently, the displays are somewhat sterile, as there is little opportunity for the visitor to connect to the car in a personal way. This focus on the technical rather than the personal eliminates any possibility of recognizing women’s relationship to cars. Without this social connection, the featured women in the Martin Museum exhibits are limited to famous women, women with relationships to famous men, women in motorsports, and unidentified women in photographs and film.
The woman who receives the most attention is Bertha Benz. Benz and her car, an 1886 Benz Motorwagen [replica], are featured in nearly every automotive museum I have visited. The attention is well deserved, as Benz, whose dowry financed the automotive enterprise of her husband Karl, drove the Patent-Motorwagen No. 3 on the first long-distance internal combustion engine [ICE] road trip to demonstrate the automobile’s feasibility and well as to garner publicity for Karl’s growing company. Greta Garbo is featured in two displays, as an owner [along with Mae West] of a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible as well as a 1925 Lincoln Model L. As the Lincoln placard reads, the photo ‘captures the elegance and timeless beauty of both the car and the actress.’ The conflation of characteristics of women and cars is a common promotional technique. The 1933 Buick Series 90 Limousine, formerly owned by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, is also on display. The description which accompanies the vehicle includes links to further information not only of the car, but also the lovely queen.
Popular culture connections include the custom car created for the film The Late Show which co-starred Lily Tomlin. The Cars & Stars Trivia video display features stills from famous car movies; unidentified female stars appear in scenes from American Graffiti, The Italian Job, Thelma and Louise, Fast and Furious, and Rebel Without a Cause.
The other category of women on display in the museum are partners of important or famous men. Photos of the founder’s supportive wife Sallie are found on walls and in glass cases. The female partners of rockabilly star Garlin Hackney and American ‘rodder’ Dain Gingerelli are also pictured but not always identified.
While the descriptions that accompany the cars often suffer from TMI [too much information], there were two vehicles that included no information whatsoever. Two midget cars on display had the names of what could be presumed to be the female drivers and/or crew team painted on the sides; however, there was no information about the cars or the women who raced them. Perhaps this was an exhibit in progress; however in its current state it appears as a missed opportunity to include women in the museum’s automotive history offerings.
Midget racer driven by Mary Hall and Carrie Drovo
Unlike the majority of museums, Martin visitors are invited to sit in the most of the cars which provides the opportunity to pose for photos. I found myself behind the wheel of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird convertible doing my best Thelma and Louise impression. This car is sponsored by a woman, but again, there is no information about the particular history of this vehicle so we are left to wonder about the sponsor’s connection to the car.
The vehicles in the Martin Auto Museum are varied and beautifully restored. The museum’s policy of allowing visitors to sit behind the wheel is unique among the museums I have visited. However, the lack of personal stories attached to each car misses the opportunity to connect to museum visitors in nostalgic, engaging, and meaningful ways. And perhaps more significantly, it leaves women out of the driver’s seat.
Earlier this year I received an invitation to speak at the #GirlsWill2024 motorsport initiative sponsored by the Silverstone Museum. The Silverstone Museum, located at the iconic Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, UK, is devoted to the past and present of British motor racing, and includes exhibits, legendary cars, and stories of British racing heroes. It is only fitting, therefore, that a month-long program aimed at increasing gender diversity in motorsport take place at this renowned, racing-centric institution.
To celebrate the growing number of female motorsport fans, the Silverstone has set aside the month of October to promote and bring attention to the rising interest and enthusiasm for women in motorsports. Planned activities and programs include educational and career workshops designed to highlight career possibilities as well as guest appearances from sporting stars and motorsport authors. STEM and racing, as well as sponsorships and driving, are the topics of a talk given by Barbie ambassador and Porsche Sprint Challenge GB driver Caitlin Wood. The varied and exciting roles within Formula 1 are the subject of another day’s program; additional October events include hands-on activities to assess reaction skills, as well as a look at the inside world of Formula 1 ‘from paddock to pitlane.’ Information about eSports, karting, and sports broadcasting is also part of the month’s agenda.
Katharine Worth, a PhD candidate now working as a Collections and Research Officer at the Silverstone, was familiar with my work through our joint participation in the Argetsinger Motorsport Symposium. She asked that I speak on the history of women-only racing [From Powder Puff to W Series: The Evolution of Women-Only Racing] which had been published in a UK volume on the history and politics of motorsport. While I had originally hoped to attend the event in person, a fractured elbow [ouch] prevented me from making the trip. But with Katharine’s technical help, and her consideration for the time difference, I was able to make the presentation virtually without mishap. The presentation went smoothly [I hoped those in attendance could understand me through my Midwest American accent] and I tried to answer audience questions to the best of my ability. I was quite honored to be asked to speak at this event and I only hope it was well received. Such programs are so crucial for raising awareness and enthusiasm for motorsports in young girls. The Silverstone is to be commended for creating and maintaining the impressive and important #GirlsWill motorsport initiative.
Recently I drove to downtown Detroit to visit one of my favorite museums. The Detroit Historical Museum is a popular destination for school groups, families, and native Detroiters. I have been going to the DHM since I was a kid in the Detroit Public Schools; I even shot a commercial in The Streets of Old Detroit – the museum’s ‘most beloved exhibit’ – back in my advertising days. As stated on its website, the DHM’s mission is ‘Chronicling the life and times of the Detroit region, safeguarding its rich history.’ Although it is not technically a ‘car’ museum, it is an institution that highlights the Detroit auto industry as an important contributor to the region’s history and culture. While the typical automotive museum is constructed around a vast and impressive collection of cars, the Detroit Historical Museum focuses on the influence of the automobile on the city, the people, and the culture. As a museum of ‘place,’ it is less about the cars than the community that gave birth to the American auto industry.
Two signature exhibitions feature Detroit’s connection to the automobile. America’s Motor City has three main objectives – to examine how cars built Detroit, to look at how metro Detroit built cars, and to reflect on how and why Detroit became the motor city. Much of this is related through stories of individuals who lived and worked in the region. Detroit’s car culture is also an important part of the exhibit. Displays and information reveal the personal connection Detroiters have to cars.
Detroit: The Arsenal of Democracy focuses on how Detroit became a center of wartime production, retooling its auto factories to produce aircraft and other war materials.
Women’s representation in the Detroit Historical Museum is found primarily in the role of workers. Although the museum recognizes that women were ‘all but absent’ in the first half of the auto age, a conscious effort has been made to include women’s contributions in the factory, and as part of automotive families. My grandfather was one of the thousands of Polish immigrants who came to Detroit during the early 20th century to work at Dodge Main. The exhibit features the stories of immigrant families – photos and artifacts tell the stories of the men and women who came to Detroit for the promise of jobs and the hope of a better life.
There are many photos of women working in the factories in gender segregated workspaces. There are also stories of the daughters of early auto workers who as adults became employed by the auto industry in some capacity. Women’s acceptance as factory employees is also reflected in photographs of recreational activities, such as a plant female softball team. The images of female factory workers suggest that there were certain ‘female’ characteristics – small hands and attention to detail – that were valued by auto makers, even though women’s contributions have remained relatively unknown. Other female representation included posters and photographs of the Detroit Auto Show and other events, as well as other promotional materials, photos, and advertising.
As I have discovered, auto museums of ‘place’ provide a greater opportunity to incorporate women into the region’s automotive history. Auto history is not just about old cars and famous men; rather, it is about the community and the collective culture that developed around the automobile.
Last week I made a trip to Dayton, Ohio to visit America’s Packard Museum. Housed in a former Packard dealership, the museum claims to have the largest collection of Packard autos and memorabilia in the world. The Packard Car Company which the Dayton museum celebrates originated in Detroit; the Packard Automotive Plant, now under demolition, was a massive structure that occupied 38 acres in the downtown area. Packard was known for its production of luxury automobiles; owning a Packard was a visible sign that one had ‘made it.’ The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899; the last came off the line in South Bend, Indiana in 1958.
The mission of the APM is “to educate present and future generations about the Packard Motor Car Company, its products, and philosophies.” The museum is one I would consider ‘old style;’ there is little tech and the display cards appear to be somewhat old. However, like many other automotive museums, the placards include a couple of short historical “bites” that place the automobile in a particular time and place. Glass cases containing women’s fashion pieces also serve as a period reference.
Despite its somewhat old fashioned exhibition style, the museum has made some attempt to include representations of women. This is accomplished primarily through stories on placards, as well as hood ornaments, unidentified photographs, and promotional materials.
The Packard hood ornament is perhaps the most visible female representation. Hood ornaments, sometimes referred to as motor “mascots,” were used to identify an automotive brand and differentiate it from others. Hood ornaments on Rolls Royce and Packard models, for example, often served as symbols of luxury. Packard featured three distinct hood ornaments on its vehicles – the cormorant [a flying bird], Adonis [representing youth and beauty], and Nike, the Winged Goddess of Victory. In Mascots in Motion, Steve Purdy writes, “Packard’s goddess of speed mascot, created by Joseph E. Corker and patented in 1927, is based on a sculpture of Nike in the ancient city of Ephesus. Colloquially the ‘Donut Chaser,’ she first adorned 1926 cars. […] Designer Corker replaced her laurel wreath with a wire wheel. […] In Greek lore the laurel wreath was given to the victor of a competition or conflict.”
Packard advertising frequently featured women as a means to associate the automobile with luxury, status, and class. An ad for the Dietrich Convertible Sedan reads, “Cultured women instinctively recognize and appreciate fine work – whether it be the decorator’s, the modiste’s, or the motor car designer’s.” The entire ad equates women’s “good taste and discrimination” to the Packard’s reputation as a car of good quality and distinction. Although the Packard theme line reads, ‘Ask the Man Who Owns One,” women were often called upon to express the finer qualities of the automobile. Promotional material often incorporate women to demonstrate the automobile’s distinctive features, particularly those assumed important to female Packard drivers. As a beautifully illustrated Packard brochure states, “handy space is provided for Milady’s accessories.” There are also a number of photographs in the museum that feature women behind the wheel – while many are unidentified, famous women in Packards also make an appearance.
There are a number of cars on display with women-centered stories. The 1934 Super Eight Sport Phaeton on the showroom floor – in the unique shade of “Orello” (a combination of orange and yellow) was originally purchased as a birthday gift for the daughter of Herbert and Agnes Greer. Apparently the 16-year-old “hated the color” so it is not known how much she actually drove the automobile. Another interesting story is that of a 1934 Super Eight Club Sedan owned by Mrs. Maude Gamble Nippert, the daughter of the inventor of Ivory Soap. She always drove the car herself, and as a firm believer in the hereafter, stipulated upon her death that the car was to be regularly maintained to be ready for her return. Each of these car stories are important reminders that the automobile often held a special place in a woman’s life, whether as an object of opposition or devotion.
As I made my way through the exhibits, searching for female images in printed material and photographs, I was reminded how auto museums have the ability to incorporate women into automotive history if they look beyond the male-defined definitions of what is significant. I’m not sure what leads to the absence of female representation – is it a lack of relevant donations or is it because both donors and archivists have limited notions of exactly what constitutes women’s automotive history? But I am encouraged that museums such as the Packard have taken the first step in expanding the idea of what automotive history is, through the incorporation of women’s stories, influences, and contributions as part of the company’s automotive heritage.
I took a trip to South Bend, Indiana this past weekend to visit the Studebaker Museum. The museum is part of a larger complex which includes The History Museum, an institution dedicated to preserving the region’s heritage through exhibits and educational programs. The Studebaker Museum’s mission also focuses on the region, as it shares the story of the automotive and industrial history of South Bend and the greater area ‘through the display and interpretation of Studebaker vehicles along with related industrial artifacts.’ The museum not only features an impressive display of Studebaker vehicles, but special exhibits call attention to other aspects of automotive manufacture and culture. My visit to the museum was planned around one of these exhibits – the ‘Family Hauler’ display featured a collection of station wagons from a wide variety of automotive manufacturers. Center stage was a 1957 Chevy Nomad, one of my personal favorites [particularly since we have a 1956 model stored in our classic car garage].
Although the focus of the museum is on a specific area and the automobile it produced, it appeared that a conscious effort had been made to include the influence of women in the Studebaker industry and automotive culture. This was achieved primarily in four areas: women as automotive workers, women as icons of style, women as Studebaker drivers, and women as members of charitable organizations with industry affiliations.
The women who worked at Studebaker were featured in photographs and interactive displays throughout the two-story museum. Photos of female factory workers in the 1920s revealed that although women were valued employees, they worked in a gender-segregated environment. Although other museums often feature photos of factory men and women working side-by-side, I suspect that wasn’t a common practice in any automotive workplace during the years [1897-1966] of Studebaker production. The museum also features a number of photos of women employed in clerical positions. As the caption to a 1952 photo of a female clerical worker reads, ‘many people who worked at Studebaker did not build vehicles. The company employed hundreds of clerical workers, like this woman processing production orders.’ Another display focuses on sisters Elizabeth Hahn Mast and Rosa Hahn who worked as administrative assistants, and, as the caption reads, ‘connected to the company in many ways including many that extended outside of their offices.’ Exhibits that featured women as union members were also in evidence.
Notable in the category of Studebaker workers was a display featuring Helen Dryden, an artist and industrial designer who lent her talent to automotive interior and instrument panels design. An advertisement for the 1936 Studebaker President reads, ‘In its singularly beautiful, lavishly roomy interior, the genius of that famed industrial designer, the gifted Helen Dryden, has been expressed in fine fabric, beautifully tailored, and in fittings of advance motif that are of impeccable good taste.’ The mention of Helen Dryden by name – as a female in the masculine auto industry – was certainly unusual for automotive advertising of the time.
Promotional materials for higher end vehicles often feature women to lend an aura of style and class; those included in the Studebaker were no exception. And like many other museums, there are female mannequins throughout the museum adorned in the fashion of the day, to place the vehicles in a particular era as well as to suggest the type of woman who would be associated with a Studebaker automobile. Women were prominently featured in advertising for the Studebaker Lark, a compact car produced from 1959 – 1966. Although the ads didn’t specifically refer to the automobile as a ‘women’s car,’ the vehicle’s smaller size and lower price point suggested it was an appropriate vehicle for the woman behind the wheel.
There are also many photographs of driving women, most unidentified, on the museum walls and in display cases, suggesting that the Studebaker was enjoyed and appreciated by men and women alike.
There are also a number of items that refer to the Mary Ann Club, which was a social organization for the women who worked in the Administration Building. As noted in the literature, the Mary Ann Club ‘became one of South Bend’s most prominent charitable organizations.’
The special Family Hauler exhibit featured a number of advertisements from multiple car manufacturers; most featured women as the primary drivers. This conflation of women with the ‘family vehicle’ became solidified during this era; it was picked up by minivan and SUV manufacturers in subsequent decades to describe the perfect vehicle for ‘soccer moms.’
Other references to women include Studebaker women with influence, goddesses in the form of hood ornaments, and stories featuring female Studebaker owners. Encouraging signs included an interactive display narrated by the female programs and outreach manager, as well as a special section in the gift shop devoted to women and automobiles.
I found my visit to the Studebaker Museum to be both educational and enjoyable. In the context of my current project on the representation of women, the Studebaker Museum demonstrates how – through small additions and attention to female contributions – women can, in fact, be incorporated into the history of the automobile.
The Pontiac Transportation Museum is the newest entry into the Southeastern Michigan automotive museum collective. Housed in a former elementary school in Pontiac, Michigan, it will officially open to the public in mid July 2024. As a member of the MotorCities National Heritage Area, I was able to attend a private tour and presentation this past Wednesday evening. The museum will be constructed in stages; while phase one is currently complete, there are three more phases scheduled to be developed over the next few years. Our group not only toured the completed section, but were also offered a ‘sneak peek’ at what’s to come.
Pontiac factory workers
The Pontiac Transportation Museum is an institution of both place and auto manufacturer. While the museum tells the story of the auto maker’s rise and fall, it also endeavors to connect to the community and is involved in energizing its development and revitalization. As noted in a story in the Detroit Free Press, the intent of the museum is to reflect the ‘place, people, and its stories.’
Restroom Photograph
As a new museum with limited artifacts on display, I did not expect to find many representations of women in the automotive exhibits. My first encounter with such images was in, of all places, the women’s restroom, which displayed three oversized color photos of women driving Pontiac vehicles from the late 1950s and early 1960s. I was later told by one of the tour guides that much consideration was given to the restroom as ‘that is what is most important to female visitors.’ I had to squelch a guffaw.
Woman’s car story
Other representations in the museum included advertisements, photographs, and promotional materials. There were interactive displays which featured photos of women in various decades of the automaker’s history as drivers, consumers, and workers. As was mentioned during the tour, the majority of vehicles on display are donated and are primarily ‘one owner’ cars. There were a few automobiles with female donors that included stories of how the car was acquired as well as personal automotive histories. While touring one of the yet-to-be developed sections, our attention was brought to three Pontiac Firebirds specifically developed for the female market. As our guide explained, the Skybird [blue] was offered from 1977-78, the Red Bird for 1978-79, and the Yellow Bird in 1980.
Yellow Bird
While there weren’t a lot of examples of women’s relationship to cars on the floor, the slide presentation provided a philosophy of the museum that was very much geared toward diversity and inclusion. As is noted on the museum’s website, ‘a very significant part of the PTM’s mission involves educational outreach to the community – particularly STEAM-related education in Pontiac primary, secondary, and vocational schools.’ The museum is positioning itself as not just a collection of cars, but as a source for Pontiac’s social history; i.e. how the car manufacturer affected the city in which it existed as well as the people who drove its cars and made its products. The presentation also made note of the PTM’s ‘female empowerment mission’ and included photographs of visiting girls and women’s groups as well as influential women within the industry.
Girl Power
Living in the auto-rich area of Southeastern Michigan has provided me with unique opportunities to not only visit a number of automotive museums, but to attend special events such as this private tour of the soon-to-be-opened Pontiac Transportation Museum. I look forward to watching the PTM’s progress over the next several years.
During a recent trip to the west coast we made a stop at the California Car Museum in Sacramento. As one of the volunteers told us, the museum began as one individual’s collection of every early model produced by Ford. While the museum has reinvented itself over time to incorporate other makes and models in its collection, many of the original Fords remain. The collection – while inclusive – is very much a museum of place. Among the historical artifacts exists a strong undercurrent of California Car Culture.
1984 Pontiac Grand Prix
This was very evident in the special exhibit taking place during our visit. ‘Rucas y Carruchas’ is an extraordinary collection of female-owned lowriders, accompanied by photographs, videos, artwork, and numerous stories of women’s involvement in lowrider culture. The individual vehicles are spectacular, ranging from first ‘pedal’ cars and lowrider bicycles to massive 50s era Chevys and 80s Pontiacs that have been restored and reconfigured to reflect the personality and character of the owners. Each car is accompanied by a story, relating how the car was acquired, the significance of the design and décor, and the modifications added to make each vehicle one of a kind. The narratives speak of family, community, friendship, heritage, and the meaning of lowriders to the women who own them.
1954 Chevy Bel-Air
Much emphasis is made on the importance of passing down this culture to daughters, who often start off with bicycles and move on to cars after obtaining their driver’s licenses. There are videos, posters, magazine articles, clothing, and a variety of artifacts that demonstrate the vast reach of lowrider culture in the community and the importance of the vehicles to individual and cultural identity. I was extremely fortunate to have caught this exhibit while in town as it will be replaced by another at the end of the month.
The general collection of the museum includes many of the ‘usual’ female automotive references; i.e. Bertha Benz, Amelia Earhart, the selling of electric cars to women, and the contributions of automakers’ wives to company success. However, ‘Rucas y Carruchas’ brings attention to how museums with limited artifacts are often able to create exhibits – whether from their own collections or through loans from other sources – to commemorate women’s achievements or to celebrate a certain moment in women’s history, automotive or otherwise. Such special exhibits are often put together during March to commemorate Women’s History Month. The 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage [2020] was also an occasion for these notable displays, although the pandemic did postpone or reduce many of them. However, as special exhibits, the items often disappear once the ‘event’ passes; consequently, women’s contributions to automotive history remain unacknowledged and unknown.
This exhibit is also unusual in that it features the automotive involvement not only of women, but also that of women of color. Although many museums have made efforts to include notable women in automotive history in their collections, very few have endeavored to feature this important yet underrepresented group. The only other instance I encountered was at the Automotive Hall of Fame – the spectacular “Achievement” exhibit included the contributions of African American women. As these exhibits demonstrate, although often rendered invisible, women of color have been important contributors to automotive history and culture in a number of significant ways.
1967 Chevy Impala
I was extremely lucky to come across ‘Rucas y Carruchas’ during my trip to California. Not only was it an educational and enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, but it brought attention to the importance of special exhibits as unique demonstrations of women’s unrecognized participation in automotive culture.
It’s been a while since I have attended the Popular Culture Association Conference. With the conference going online for two years due to COVID, and cancelations in subsequent years because of air travel complications, I have missed out on the opportunity to present at this annual gathering of nerdy pop culture students and scholars. This gathering in Chicago was almost a no-go as well. Because the session day and time was changed after hotel and plane reservations were made, the majority of presenters, including the Vehicle Culture area chairs, bailed, leaving just two of us to present to each other. Fortunately I was able to move my presentation to a session centered on Libraries, Museums, and Archives. The change, as it happens, turned out to be fortuitous. The many in attendance were attentive, asked lots of good questions, and most importantly, provided helpful feedback. I ran into one of my former BGSU cohorts, had a nice conversation with the BG School of Cultural and Critical Studies chair, and was approached by a respected publisher who expressed interest in developing my project into a book.
Although it was a quick trip – I drove into Chicago Friday afternoon, presented Saturday morning, then headed back home in time for dinner, it was well worth the trip [and the sleepless before-presentation night]. I don’t know how many more PCA conferences I have in me, but I enjoyed the opportunity to be surrounded by young and enthusiastic scholars who are making important and interesting contributions to the field of popular culture studies.
Unidentified women in Ford automobile – Ford Piquette Street Plant Museum
I am a native Detroiter, and have spent the majority of my life in car-centric southeastern Michigan. I grew up during the Golden Age of car culture, and spent part of my past life writing car commercials. Once I entered graduate school as a senior citizen, my motor city background and aging second wave feminism led me to the relationship between women and cars as a research focus. My subsequent projects have considered how women negotiate membership in historically masculine automotive spaces as well as how women’s connection to cars is represented in popular culture.
My current project centers on the representation of women in automotive museums. As a historically masculine space, I was interested in whether any effort had been made by automotive museums to integrate women into automotive history. As museums in general have slowly and often stubbornly moved toward a social history model, I was curious as to whether institutions devoted to the automobile had bought into the current museum trend or if they continued to reflect primarily male preferences and influence. As Jennifer Clark writes, ‘motor museums are conservative in style, with an influential – and overwhelmingly male dominated – collecting and visitor base’ (280). The answer to the either or question is, of course, is ‘yes’. Some museums have embraced the new direction while others have dragged their feet. Yet looking closely one can observe female influence and interaction with the automobile in most museum settings. As noted in previous blogs, female representation within the museum falls into categories which reflect women’s various roles in automobile culture. What follows are the three remaining themes I have developed in my observations of 12 automotive museums.
Consumers
‘Clean, Quiet, and Easy to Operate’ – Gilmore Museum
Women as consumers and drivers are presented in museums through photographs, advertisements, and the cars on display. Much attention is given to the connection between women and electric cars; electrics were advertised as appropriate for women for their cleanliness, quiet, and ease of operation. More than one museum mentions that Henry Ford purchased an electric for his wife Clara – whether Mrs Ford actually preferred the electric or it was acquired to keep her close to home is hard to say. However, the Piquette also features photographs of women driving the gasoline-powered Model T, which suggests women may, in fact, preferred the power and range such a vehicle provided. One of these photographs includes a caption that notes that, although women were routinely ignored by the auto industry, Ford recognized them as an important market for reliable, inexpensive cars.
Nash advertisement – Wisconsin Automotive Museum
Women’s role as consumer is most evident through the promotional materials displayed at almost every museum I visited. Exhibits at the Wisconsin museum, for example, include post war advertising which features women as Nash consumers, test driving automobiles, and speaking with car dealers. At the Henry Ford, which focuses on car culture rather than particular automobiles, women are very much present as consumers, drivers, workers, and influencers. They are introduced as early proponents of bicycles and the Model T as well as the minivan. They are represented in promotions about style, design, and safety. Women’s changing roles in advertising – as objects, symbols, moms, and adventurers are also addressed.
Agents
Clara & Henry Ford – Ford Piquette Street Plant Museum
Women – as individuals who make things happen – was an understated but underlying theme in many of the automotive displays. Wives of industry innovators – including Clara Ford and Bertha Benz – were often silent but important partners and contributors to their spouses’ success. Clara Ford worked with her husband on what was to be known as the ‘Kitchen Sink Engine Model’ as she helped with its testing in the Ford family kitchen. Bertha Benz not only invested her inheritance in her husband’s business, but through her cross country trip, brought the Benz-Patent Motorwagen worldwide attention and got the company its first sales. The tour of the RE Olds Transportation Museum begins with a focus on the Olds family and homestead. Much of that is devoted to Metta Olds, the wife of the company founder. The artifacts on display – photos, family trees, furniture, personal items, clothing, and a book focused on the couple suggests that Metta was very much a silent partner and supporter of her husband and his business. While ‘the woman behind the man’ is somewhat of a cliché, the attention to wives of industry founders within multiple museums suggest they were significant contributors to early automotive history.
Emergency Brigade Picket Line – Sloan Museum of Discovery
Women who served the automotive industry in other capacities were also acknowledged. The Sloan Museum recognizes women’s important role as members of the Emergency Brigade during the 1936 General Motors Sit-Down Strike. As noted in Jalopnik, a popular automotive site, ‘Many think of factory work, and therefore a strike in the automotive industry, as something primarily men would do. But it was the members of the Women’s Emergency Brigade, a paramilitary group of women inside the United Auto Workers union, who proved to be the secret weapon in that group’s triumph over General Motors.’
While not as prominent as the mostly male movers and shakers of the automotive industry, women on the sidelines often created important roles for themselves, as influencers and agents of change in the home, on the factory floor, and on the picket line.
Gatekeepers
Carriage to Cars Exhibit – Sloan Museum of Discovery
Transportation museums often honor those responsible for the preservation, maintenance, and promotion of automotive history. Women have served in these roles; their contributions are found in glass cases, museum walls, and foundations and positions bearing their names. The Dunning Carriage to Cars Exhibit in the Sloan is funded by the Margaret Dunning Foundation. Dunning, known for her love of classic cars, established the foundation to nurture the preservation and teaching of automotive history for all Sloan visitors, but in particular for residents of the county in which the Sloan resides. The exhibit is an important component of the museum’s interactive History Gallery, which intertwines local automotive history with stories of Flint life, employment, neighborhoods, schools, housing, and tourism. Helen Earley, the First Lady of Oldsmobile, was a long time RE Olds Museum employee who created a position for herself as the resident Oldsmobile historian. As a scholar, historian, and archivist, Earley established the Oldsmobile History Center and co-authored two books on Oldsmobile history. The museum ‘board room’ bears her name and her likeness; further information is contained in a glass case hidden holding a few photos and a self-authored obituary.
Many of the museums I visited – Automotive Hall of Fame, Saratoga Automotive Museum, the Henry Ford, Wisconsin Automotive Museum, RE Olds Transportation Museum, Stahl’s Automotive Foundation Museum, to name a few – have installed women as directors, managers, trustees, and other decision-making positions. This is a hopeful sign that continued efforts will be made to incorporate and include the contributions of women – as drivers, consumers, workers, and influencers – into the annals of automotive history.
Saratoga Automotive Museum Officers
The categories provided here represent my initial observations on the representation of women in automotive museums; as I delve deeper I will certainly uncover more. What this examination has uncovered is not only that women are vastly underrepresented in these locations, but that women have, in fact, contributed to automotive history in varied and important ways. As Knibb writes, ‘the absence of women’s history from the permanent galleries of a museum does not necessarily mean that the museums’ collection is weak in objects relating to women’s lives.’
Automotive history has been long been documented as an account of powerful men and male machines. Because women’s relationship to the automobile differs from that of men, and because women are most likely to be judged against male achievements, women’s history with automobiles has been considered less legitimate; consequently, it is less likely to be recorded. As I hope to demonstrate in this project, automotive museums, as collections of objects and artifacts related to the motor car and its industries, provide an important, if not imperfect, resource for the recovering of women in automotive history.
Clark, Jennifer. ‘Peopling the Public History of Motoring: Men, Machines, and Museums.’ Curator The Museum Journal Vol 56 Number 2, April 2013, 279-287.
Knibb, Helen. ‘Present but Not Visible’: Searching for Women’s History in Museum Collections.’ Gender & History Vol 6 No 3, November 1994, 352-369.
Marquis, Erin. “‘Women That Would Gladly Give Their Life’: How The Paramilitary Women’s Emergency Brigade Battled GM At The UAW’s First Big Strike.” Jalopnik 9 Oct 2023
