Jax Stumpes: Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum (10/8/2016)

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum (10/8/2016)

Saturday, October 8, 2016
A day trip to Buffalo, NY for Tamiko's Homecoming at University at Buffalo, but first a stop at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum. Housed in a former Mack Truck dealership building with a new addition, this museum displays the collection of James Sandoro, Jr and his wife, Mary Ann.

Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum

The emphasis is on transportation vehicles built in Buffalo.

Banner on the museum

Early hub caps

Klaxons/electromechanical horns and early car horn;
with two boa constrictor horns

The bicycle collection; they are getting ready to
formalize the bicycle display

Pierce-Arrow hood ornaments

In the 1870s the George N Pierce Company produced household items, including metalwork such as bird cages. When bicycles were in demand, they began building those, and introduced innovations such as the cushion frame and coaster brake. In 1901 the company produced its first automobile, and manufactured bicycles and motorcycles until 1915. In 1906 they moved from downtown to a new factory on Elmwood Avenue at Great Arrow Avenue, and in 1908 it became the Pierce-Arrow Company to manufacture larger luxury automobiles. Success continued as they produced trucks for World War I. The auto industry was hit hard during the Great Depression. In 1928 Pierce-Arrow was sold to Studebaker, who went bankrupt in 1933, and the company was sold to Buffalo investors. They went bankrupt in 1938.

Pierce-Arrow pinstriper's tools

Collection of oil cans

Ceramic medallion from the Elmwood Avenue plant

1902 Buffalo Stanhope, built by the Buffalo Electric Carriage Company

I was fascinated by the display cases,
with an adjustable cross bar and
side loop bars on each side

1913 Baby Peugeot; it's really small!

1941 Crosley, made in Cincinnati

1931 Pierce-Arrow Model 43 Roadster

Automobile display including a 1934 Pierce-Arrow V-12,
an all weather town brougham

Artist rendering of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed filling station

The founder of this museum took an amazing step in raising money (millions of dollars) to purchase the rights to a design of Frank Lloyd Wright that had never been built, and then build it! Because there is so much copper in the design, the building is protected within a larger new addition.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed filling station in poured concrete and copper

Trying to get the whole of the Frank Lloyd Wright filling station

Gravity assisted fuel dispensers

Designed for the company Tydol, whose name you can barely discern
in a sign that would have been the first neon sign in Buffalo

Steps to the ladies' room and waiting room

A peek into the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed
waiting room, including furniture and lamps

Having never designed a filling station before, Frank Lloyd Wright apparently had included fire places in this station, below the gas holding tank! Since the Tydol owners could not afford the cost of the design ($1,750 when their budget was $700!), and it was never built, the quirks in the design that would not have worked were never ironed out.

The Playboy, built by the Playboy Motor Car Company in Buffalo;
the company lasted from 1947-1951 before going bankrupt;
the name was then taken by Hugh Hefner for his magazine