Saturday, November 2, 2019

Touring Washington, DC in the Early 1900's

Here we have two advertising cards. They promote trips to Washington, DC to take place in 1908 and 1910. Join us for the trip of your life! A company called "Carter's" located at 310 Dillaye Building in Syracuse, NY sponsored the "wagonette tours." (These look like horseless carriages. Do those wheels even have tires?) Vacationers used the railroads to get to the big city.

Photos of past sold-out trips are used to advertise to future groups:

1907 Bliss Party Seeing Washington By Auto Bus Tour
Bliss Party Wagonette Tour



The above card is the "Bliss Party." Passengers are loaded onto early open-air buses called "wagonettes."

The above card is available here for purchase.

These tours were still running two years later, with this advertisement:


1909 horseless carriage bus tour
Owego High School Graduating Class
October 1910 Washington DC
Itinerary of Wagonette Tour of Washington DC in 1910

The vertical card is the Owego High School Graduating Class. It certainly looks fun... and a little bit dangerous!