Lewis Reed Photo: Old Car Wreck
This photo taken by Lewis Reed in the early 1920s was not picked for its shock value, but for the history it contains of an era long since gone. During the 1920s a drivers license wasn’t needed in most states. It was the wild west when it came to driving. Poorly maintained roads, uneducated drivers, and speeds approaching 40 mph was the perfect combination for some really bad accidents. The photograph sure hits home with just how fragile those early cars were.
Tags: 1920s car wreck, automobiles, cars, early photography, lewis reed photo, old car wreck, reed brothers dodge, vintage car wreck, vintage photography
About Reed Brothers
I am a co-owner of the former Reed Brothers Dodge in Rockville, Maryland. Lewis Reed, the founder of Reed Brothers Dodge was my grandfather. We were a family-owned and operated car dealership in Rockville for almost a century. I served in the United States Air Force for 30 years before retiring in the top enlisted grade of Chief Master Sergeant in July 2006. In 2016, I received the Arthur M. Wagman Award for Historic Preservation Communication from Peerless Rockville for documenting the history of Reed Brothers Dodge in both blog and book format. This distinguished honor recognizes outstanding achievement by writers, educators, and historians whose work has heightened public awareness of Rockville’s architectural and cultural heritage, growth and development.2 responses to “Lewis Reed Photo: Old Car Wreck”
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A Warm Welcome to our Blog!
My name is Jeanne Gartner and I am the author of this blog. Lewis Reed, the founder of Reed Brothers Dodge was my grandfather. We were a family-owned and operated car dealership in Rockville, Maryland for almost a century.
Reed Brothers was franchised as a Dodge dealership in October 1915; less than one year after the first Dodge automobile rolled off the assembly line. Lewis Reed and his brother Edgar, were the first to sell Dodge cars in Montgomery County Maryland. Reed Brothers is recognized as the oldest dealership under the same family ownership in Maryland, and one of the oldest in the entire nation.
The blog highlights an historic timeline that showcases the company’s history, how Reed Brothers Dodge came into being, and how the company overcame the inevitable changes and challenges throughout almost a century of being in business.
Lewis Reed was also a well-known photographer in Montgomery County. The blog provides a century of knowledge and information extending beyond the automobile. There are 200+ posts that gives a snapshot of what life was like more than 100 years ago.
Business longevity is something to celebrate and share. I created this blog for readers to gain insight into our history and look back at what contributed to its success.
I look forward to sharing our family business history with you.
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Even for that era, the passenger compartment looks to be relatively intact. That picture seems to imply the car ran in to a ditch and tore its wheels and suspension loose.
That is very possible, Bradley. The majority of my grandfather’s photos are more than 100 years old and, unfortunately, are lacking labels which requires quite a bit of research and sometimes guesswork on my part. Thanks for taking the time to visit and leaving your comment!