July, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



241 



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Some Automobile 

 Accessories 



By Elizabeth Lounsbery 





51 k^ooco&oooo^J Ml 



HE accessories of the automobile have grown 

 apace in design and number with the 

 progress of development in motor-vehicles 

 until now there is almost nothing left un- 

 thought of by the ingenious designer whose 

 devices have done so much to add to the 

 comfort of the occupants and the adornment of the machine. 

 One of the most attractive of these accessories is the 

 leather case illustrated upon this page, a case 

 so carefully planned, that it takes up very little 

 room in the car and yet contains innumerable 

 articles so necessary in these days of touring to 

 every motorist. A clock with an eight-day 

 watch movement is inset in the center of the 

 case and so arranged that it may be rewound 

 without removing it. The dial numerals are 

 very large and can be seen from any point in 

 the car at a glance. A mirror, protected from 

 dust by a leather cover is included, and also 

 "leak-proof" bottles for aromatic salts. 

 A writing pad, card case, fountain pen, and 

 pencil have also their place in this case, while 

 the remainder of its space is taken up with 

 compactly arranged cases holding various 

 other useful articles. 



Perhaps no automobile accessory is more 

 interesting than the flower holder. These 

 automobile vases may be had in a great va- 

 riety of forms and materials, but the ones of clear glass, 

 either plain or cut, are in preferable taste to the more orna- 

 mental vases. Like the amphora-holders of ancient times, 

 the automobile vase-holders are so arranged as to permit 

 the vases to be removed 

 quickly and thoroughly 

 cleaned. The vase shown 

 by the illustration at the 



upper left hand corner of this page, is distinctly Empire 

 in style, the decoration being exquisitely engraved upon the 

 glass. The mountings are silver. The vase shown in the 

 upper right hand corner is simpler and less expensive, but 

 very attractive. 



An interesting little automobile accessory which is really 

 novel (the idea of one of our clever American women 

 sculptors) is the little bronze "Speed Imp," of grotesque 

 personality, here illustrated. This may be bolted 

 on to the radiator cap of the car, from which the 

 ^^ "Imp" grins sardonically at the passer-by and 

 appears to encourage the man behind him at the 

 wheel, to greater speed. He is so arranged that 

 into the holder which he is gleefully clasping 

 with arms and legs, may be inserted the staff 

 of a pennant. 



To St. Christopher motorists have assigned 

 the duties of standing as patron saint of auto- 

 mobilists, taking as he does all travelers under 

 his protection. Therefore the automobile 

 owner has encouraged the pretty conceit of 

 wearing a St. Christopher medal. Although 

 the idea is comparatively new to our country 

 the faithful traveler of two hundred years 

 ago treasured his St. Christopher medal, 

 little dreaming that the dawn of a new era 

 would find the saint concerned with a mode 

 of travel not even anticipated in the wildest 

 dreams of the traveler of olden times. Many of these St. 

 Christopher medals are works of art in the true sense of 

 the word, being stamps from dies cut by some of the fore- 

 most medalists of the time. The automobile medal bids 



fair to become a fetish in 

 France. American artists 

 are also designing and pro- 

 ducing medals of this sort. 



Speed-Imp" 



St. Christopher Meda 



Leather automobile touring case 



St. Christopher Meda 



