Historic 1900\'s Empire Tire Sign by R.C. Maxell-Socony Oil & Brandon Inn Garage For Sale
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Historic 1900\'s Empire Tire Sign by R.C. Maxell-Socony Oil & Brandon Inn Garage :
$11500.00
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a historic and early 1900\'s completely original unrestored automotive advertising sign open to collectors of many types of subject matter.First and foremost is that it is a specific advertising for the very early days of the Empire Tire Company including their very distinctive Crown logo and Trademark in the centre. Empire Tire was located in Trenton N.J. and adding to the allure of this was the actual sign maker itself, The R. C. Maxwell Company, also located in Trenton.Empire Tire Company had its name changed from originally being Empire Automobile Tire Company on May 4th, 1909. Empire Automobile Tire Company itself had first been registered under New Jersey\'s Corporation Act on January 24, 1905. A rich and deep turn of the century archived history for this admired tire manufacturer.
Empire Tire stood shoulder to shoulder with Michelin and others along Philadelphia\'s historic \"Automotive Row\" itself dating back to 1906 where the evolution of the heart of the US Automotive car sales industry had it all to offer to the buying public. From Ford, Oldsmobile, Packard and their architecturally exquisite corporate office buildings, Buick, Ford, Oldsmobile, Studebaker, Chevrolet, Cadillac storefronts and showrooms lined the streets and a rich and unsurpassed auto industry history evolved lasting decades to come. Included were Stanley, Hupmobile, Oakland, Hudson Terraplane and so many more with Empire Tire and other famous tire dealers in the centre core of it all along the 800 block of North Broad Street known then itself as \"Tire Row\".You will see within the displayed vintage photos the era and time period where Empire Tire was a dominant enterprise during New Jersey\'s historic manufacturing history for all products related to rubber including automobile and motorcycle racing and consumer retailing. Its corporate Crown Trademark as featured in this sign was regularly displayed in their advertising and storefronts. R.C. Maxwell Company of Trenton, N.J., was one of the earliest enduring outdoor advertising companies and was founded in 1894 by Robert Chester Maxwell. The stencilling of his companies name is quite distinct and clear on the backside surface of the sign.
Of additional historic significance as depicted in one of the photographs I have posted is the association of the Brandon Inn Garage with SOCONY and its marque signage then reflecting the simplest of lettering without logos after the 1911 Federally Ordered split up of this corporate conglomerate. You will see Brandon Inn Garage displayed under the SOCONY logo and note the early 1915 \"car show\" image of the times in front of the Brandon Inn. Many of those historic automobiles and their adventurous owners may have been actual guests of the Inn and had parked their beautiful and treasured cars inside of the garage and perhaps had an Empire Tire or two installed from the known and expected perils and hazards to tires from the rough road conditions of the era. Last but not least is the historic Brandon Inn itself located within Brandon Village Vermont with its rich and varied history dating back to 1786. It has stood in its current rendition since 1892 and remains as an operating Inn to this very day and included in the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly after it was re-built in 1892 as a result of a previous catastrophic fire on Park Street in Brandon, the Innkeepers then annexed the stately and historic adjacent property to the Inn. This was the original private residence of John Howe Jr. a famous American Industrialist who formed not only the Brandon Wheel Company associated with the early railroad industry, but also the world renowned Howe Scale Company in 1857. His former home is now also registered in the National Register of Historic Places and it originally featured a spectacular Queen Anne style barn that was formally used in its early days as a Livery.
Some time shortly after being annexed by the Brandon Inn it was used for the same general Livery purpose but subsequently after the turn of the century as an automotive garage known then as the Brandon Inn Garage.In the early times of automotive production in the United States \"automobile tourism\" flourished for those that were wealthy or fortunate enough to acquire the rarity of a car themselves and tourists would travel to the famous resorts and communities with Brandon Vermont and the Brandon Inn itself among the most desired of these. This sign has been formally authenticated as being part of the Brandon Inn during that time however the Queen Anne Barn that housed the livery and garage over 100 years ago has only recently been torn down and no longer exists on the property. The Brandon Inn Garage was used in its early days as a safe place for the Chauffeur driven cars of their guests to park within.With this one single sign you have something very special to admire and enjoy of the early day of the automobile in the United States from the cars themselves, tires and supplies, Inns and Hotels and the Oil companies that made travelling the nation possible to this very day.The sign measures 37\" wide by 48 1/2\" in height.
It is believed this sign itself dates between 1909 and 1912 and one of a handful originally made that survives in its original condition today.It is the buyers responsibility to conduct their own independent research for any additional authentication as to the historical data of and for this beautiful sign.