Massachusetts License Plate
date: label: date made
content: 1910
notes: label: Description
content: This Massachusetts license plate was registered to William Gray and used on his Winton Auto in 1910. Massachusetts was the first state to issue license plates to motorists, beginning in 1903. The commonwealth began putting the date on the plate in 1908. In 1907, Massachusetts became the first state to require drivers to take a driving test. In 1928 an embossed codfish was added to the plate in what was an early example of the now common phenomenon of decorative plates.
label: Description
content: The plate is marked MASS.730/1910 on front, and “The Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Company” on the back.
place: label: referenced
content: United States: Massachusetts
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
label: See more items in
content: America on the Move
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: Exhibition
content: America On The Move
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of WIlliam C. Gray
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1981.0631.01
label: accession number
content: 1981.0631
label: catalog number
content: 1981.0631.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: License Plate
label: Other Terms
content: License Plate; Road
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: enameled iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 5 1/2 in x 10 in x 1/4 in; 13.97 cm x 25.4 cm x .635 cm