Lewis Reed As Chauffeur
To be a successful motorist in the early 1900s, you needed to have mechanical skills. Alternatively, you simply hired someone who did. Rather than learn to do it themselves, wealthy people employed private chauffeurs not only to drive, but also maintain and repair their large, expensive automobiles. Chauffeurs would be in charge of everything to do with the owner’s motor vehicle including repairs, maintenance and cleaning: this meant that early personal chauffeurs had to be skilled mechanics. Lewis Reed worked as a chauffeur early in his life, receiving some of his training at the Pierce-Arrow factory in Buffalo, New York, whose cars he is pictured with below.
Pierce-Arrow was one of the most prestigious makers of luxury automobiles in the early 20th century. Their models could easily cost ten times the price of a standard touring car.
Chauffeur Lewis Reed (left) in the 1914 photo above poses with an unidentified family and their Pierce-Arrow Model 48.
Two ladies with parasols are sitting in the landaulet section of an early Pierce-Arrow limousine, while chauffeur Lewis Reed tends to the motor. The rear portion of the limousine is partitioned from the driver with a glass shield, and covered by a convertible top, which you can see is currently in the lowered position behind the ladies.
1928 Dodge Brothers Standard Six
This 1928 Dodge Brothers Standard Six was a vehicle from Reed Brothers private collection of automobiles. It fell into the hands of Lee Gartner over 40 years ago from an upper Montgomery County, Maryland used car dealer at the price of $100. In dealer ownership for over forty years, this vintage car was restored and maintained over the years by Reed Brothers Body Shop and Service Department.
The history of the Dodge Brothers marque began in 1914. During their first year they introduced the ‘Old Betsy’ known for its reliability and durability. A total of 249 examples were created during the company’s first year. The name ‘Dodge Brothers’ was used from 1914 through 1927. In 1928 it was acquired by the Chrysler Corporation and its name was changed to ‘Dodge’.
The Standard Six carried an $835 factory price and was powered by a 6-cylinder; L-head engine rated at 27.34 hp. The fully restored 1928 Dodge was proudly displayed on the showroom floor, and for many years served as a wonderful conversation piece. It had only 46,504 original miles on it and still ran well until it was sold in 2012.
Gaithersburg: Then & Now
The website “Gaithersburg: Then & Now” authored by local historian Shaun Curtis has placed a link to “Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915-2012” blog under the Local Historic Sites & Information section of their website. Reed Brothers would like to acknowledge and thank “Gaithersburg: Then & Now” for sharing the link to our blog on their website.
The book, “Gaithersburg” by Shaun Curtis, is part of Arcadia’s popular Then & Now series which offers a special view of American life, placing historical images side by side with contemporary photographs to chronicle the area’s past.
Highlights of Gaithersburg:
• What started as a small website (www.shauncurtis.com) has resulted in the publication of this book
• Includes many old popular Gaithersburg landmarks – the Shady Grove Music Fair, the Gaither Theater and the Washingtonian Motel
• Illustrates how Gaithersburg has developed from an agricultural powerhouse into a science and technology powerhouse
The book is available at area bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Historic Photo
The following photograph taken by Lewis Reed is from the “Wheelmen (and associates), 1890s-1910s” blog post by the Montgomery County Historical Society’s official blog, “A Fine Collection”.
A bicycle race at the Rockville fairgrounds, circa 1915. Photo by Lewis Reed; glass negatives donated by the Reed and Gartner families.
With photography for a hobby, one that began even before automobiles were around Montgomery County, Lewis Reed had amassed a large library of photographs of buildings, farm carts drawn by oxen, and other historic spots in Montgomery County. Lewis Reed’s daughter, Mary Jane Gartner, recently donated her father’s photograph collection of 280 glass plate negatives to the Montgomery County Historical Society. The glass plate negatives from Lewis Reed’s Collection are a great example of early photographic techniques which were in common use between the 1880s and the late 1920s.
1st Dodge TV Commercial
Here`s the very first 1955 Dodge commercial video presented by Lou Crosby from the Lawrence Welk premiere show!
Books
Related Resources
Copyright Notice
Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
Recent Comments