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Toledo, Ohio, circa 1910. "Riverside Park and boat house." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Electric cars were preferred by the gentler sex because they didn't need to be crank-started. A feature that, alas, is not mentioned the the advertising of modern electrics.
The bank-presidentish dog between the girl and the woman seems art directed to pick up their clothing colors, white on the girl's side, black on grandmother's. All extremely elegant.
Electric cars in 1910 cost 2-3x a gas one and got 100 miles to the charge. Just like today's electric cars.
Progress.
[Well, yes. Top speed of these primitive electrics was around 20 mph. - Dave]
In August of 1888 Bertha Benz got sick and tired of Carl always messing
with his Motorwagon and never doing anything about promoting it for
possible sales. So, she got the kids and swiped it to drive to mom's house
(wink-wink) about 60 miles away in Pforzheim. Along the way she made
the best out of getting all the attention possible. And she did! This distance
was unheard of. So, a lady driver put Carl Benz on the map, so to speak.
There is a Bertha Benz Memorial Route in Germany, and to this day, people
would like to own a "Benz."
As Vance Packard noted in 1959: "The primary function of the motor car in America is to carry its owner into a higher social stratum."
Somehow I never thought of women driving back then, but it looks like she was "shutting 'em down," ha. Don't know how you do all this great stuff, but I'm sure glad you do. Just love it!
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