Automobile Dashboard Pad
notes: label: Description
content: In the 1930s, Dr. Claire L. Straith, a Detroit plastic surgeon who treated automobile accident victims, began a one-man campaign to eliminate head and facial injuries caused by steel dashboards, protruding knobs, and other car interior hazards. He installed lap belts in his own car, and he designed and patented a dashboard crash pad. This example is the only remaining pad that Straith owned. In the 1940s, he unsuccessfully marketed an add-on dashboard pad that could be ordered by mail. Padded dashboards became standard equipment in 1949 Chrysler cars and in all cars by 1968.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: See more items in
content: Road Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Janet Straith Husband
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2008.0073.01
label: catalog number
content: 2008.0073.01
label: accession number
content: 2008.0073
objectType: label: Object Name
content: automobile dashboard pad
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (part: attaching chains material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: foam rubber (inside material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (inside framework material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/2 in x 20 in x 1 in; 21.59 cm x 50.8 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: part: attaching chain: 5 1/2 in; 13.97 cm
label: Measurements
content: part: attaching chain: 4 in; 10.16 cm