Boston Adventures: A Trip into the Past

When Diana proposed a Saturday afternoon trip to visit the Larz Anderson Automobile Museum in Brookline I immediately said YES!

Notwithstanding the fact that I love car museums, this one in particular brings back strong memories from my growing up years.  When I was around 8 years old I started working at my father's drug store in Roxbury and would drive to work with him from our home in Newton.

Our home in Newton, Mass

Our route took us past the Larz Anderson Estate.  I remember visiting the museum and attending car shows on the grounds. However, its been over 55 years since my last visit.

Larz Anderson Auto Museum entrance

View of the museum, the former coach house

The museum (photo above) is located in what was the stables and what later became the coach house. The building is impressive.  The main house was torn down in 1950.  From the photo it appears to have been located on the hill atop the estate with I suspect a magnificent view of Boston.

Photo of the Anderson mansion

This of course begs the question: Who was Larz Anderson?  Wikipedia classifies him as a wealthy American businessman who served as Ambassador to Belgium and then briefly (13 days) to Japan at the end of the Taft Administration.  Born in France to wealthy parents from Cincinnati in 1866, he went on to marry Isabel Weld Perkins (1897), the heir to estate of William Fletcher Weld, a Boston shipping magnate.  At age 5 she inherited $17,000,000 ($400 million today) making her the wealthiest woman in America.  Both families have relatives who were prominent in the American Revolution.

Isabel willed the 64 acre estate to the Town of Brookline upon her death in 1948.

Look to the west from the museum

Looking north to Boston from the top of the hill

Now to the museum.  While I will let the photos do most of talking I want to speak to what made this museum unique.  The museum bills itself as "America's Oldest Car Collection" and today houses 19 of the 32 vehicles purchased by the Andersons.

These are stored on the ground floor and in all cases are not restored.  They are in the condition that they were at the time of their retirement to the carriage house.  I queried the docent, John, as to why these valuable cars were not restored.  He explained that the museum, a non profit, does not have the funds needed to do restorations (literally millions) and that the vehicles are used for historical research. He also explained why many are painted grey.  Larz Anderson had his staff (which once numbered over 200) paint them so they would not look so "grand."

The museum was open to the public in 1927. It has some of the most readable and interesting descriptions of the vehicles and artifacts that I've ever seen.

Docent John poses for a photo

Turn of the century oil cabinet common to wealthy car owners
Early vehicles used considerable amounts of oil

Antique gas pump with 17 9/10ths gas price

Speaking of memories.  Notice the price of 17 9/10ths cents on the antique gas pump.  I actually remember paying 16 cents a gallon back in 1959.  The time value of 17 cents is $4.09 today.  So the gas I purchased yesterday for $3.59 was a relative bargain.

1907 Fiat

Original Anderson vehicles painted grey

1918 Packard Twin Six in the "garage"

1903 Gardner-Serpollet

 

1905 Electromobile

The display at street level as you walk into the museum is completely different.  Here you find beautifully restored vehicles many of which are on loan to the museum set in context with fashion and events of the time.

The car on the left is a 1938 Packard 12 Custom Landaulette once owned by Isabel Anderson

Amazingly interesting vehicle information

Model T Ford

Antique bench that formerly resided in an early car dealership

Early electric car

Modern electric car
Fisker Karrma, the world's first PRODUCTION plug-in electric automobile

Why is a new 2012 Fisker Karma on display here?  Well it turns out that production was suspended in November 2012 due to financial difficulties with about 2,450 Karmas built since 2011.  We were told that the owner donated it due to his inability to get service.

And of course, Kodi, our official Social Director, made new friends.

Diana and Kodi chat with new friends

They hold car rallies at the museum on weekends.  Below is a schedule of events.

http://larzanderson.org/events/lawn-events/2014lawn/

Written by Les.