Stearns Radiator Emblem
notes: label: Description
content: This radiator emblem belonged to a Stearns automobile that was manufactured by the F. B. Stearns Company of Cleveland, Ohio between 1901 and 1929. Stearns produced a variety of vehicles throughout its history, but has a claim to fame as the first American company to license the Knight engine for production in its vehicles in 1911. Charles Yale Knight invented a new, quieter engine that used sleeve valves instead of the poppet valves commonly used. Many companies during this period licensed Knight Engines and used knight imagery to advertise their engines. This Stearns radiator emblem has an image of a knight with sword and shield standing above a banner that reads “STEARNS.”
label: Description
content: Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
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: Radiator Emblems
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: See more items in
content: Road Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Hubert G. Larson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.325528.226
label: accession number
content: 260303
label: catalog number
content: 325528.226
objectType: label: Object Name
content: emblem, radiator
label: Other Terms
content: emblem, radiator; Road; Automobile