Indian Motorcycle Collection Finds A New Home
Museum of Springfield History in Springfield, Massachusetts
Nov 10, 2009
The newest museum on Springfield’s famous Quadrangle opened to the public on October 10, 2009. Commemorating the history of this manufacturing city is a series of exhibits that include:
- Indian Motocycle Co. (1901-1953)-The Esta Manthos Indian Motocycle Collection is one of the largest in the world.
- Rolls Royce of Amercia (1919-34)- a 1925 Silver Ghost Picadilly Roadster and 1928 Phantom I are examples of the British car company’s Springfield production line.
- Duryea Motor Wagon Co. (1893-96)-an exact replica of the original 1893 car is displayed. Duryea is recognized as being the first American automobile manufacturer.
- Knox Automobile Co. (1899-1914)- a three-wheeled Knox of 1899 and a four-wheel Knox Tourine of 1904 are shown.
- Atlas Motor Car Co. (1907-13)- a 1910 Model H Atlas is one of the lesser-known automobiles of the period.
- Granville Aircraft Co. (1929-34)-known for producing the fastest race planes of the era. A 3/4 non-flying replica of a Gee Bee R-1 and an original “Zeta” are suspended from the atrium ceiling.
The Esta Manthos Indian Motocycle Collection
This formerly was the privately owned Indian Motocycle Museum housed in the old Hendee factory from 1974 to 2006. This exquisite collection of bicycles, motorcycles, toys, memorabilia, artifacts, and archives was donated to Springfield Museums in 2007. www.thunderpress.net/MONTH_ARTICLE-pdfs/2009/0509/SpringfieldMus/SpringfieldMus.shtml
Entering the section of the museum that’s devoted to Indian, a visitor is first presented with an exact replica of “Reitwagen,” the first motorcycle with a gasoline engine built in 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. George Hendee was the U.S. bicycle racing champion and manufactured a line of safety bicycles under the brand name Indian, so the second stage with examples of early bicycles is a perfect prelude to The Founders case.
In 1901 Oscar Hedstrom George went into partnership with George Hendee to manufacture motorcycles. Hedstrom called his product a “motocycle” and so Indian Motocycles became a trademark and brand name (there is no “r” in the company trademarked brand name). The Founders Case features Hendee’s famous high-wheeler bicycle, Hedström’s personal motorcycle, and memorabilia. Successive exhibits are open platforms representing different stages in the company’s history.
The first spotlights a 1913 V-twin and a 1917 opposed-cylinder “Model Zero.” Backdrops provide interpretive history accentuated with reproductions of vintage advertising and broadsides while the motorcycles are positioned to allow close inspection.
Stanley Cornell’s 1912 racer has dual drive chains, no brakes, and original board-track tires. It introduces the racing era and the original shipping case for the bike is coupled with the blow-up of a vintage photo of a race encampment.
As one would expect, numerous models are represented and include the Indian Scout, Scout Junior, and Scout 101. The Indian Four and Indian Chief models along with sidecars and a Servi-Car are displayed. There’s WWII Model 841, the opposed twin-cylinder military motorcycle with shaft-drive that was made to counter the German BMW and the Papoose that was designed for paratrooper use.
Surprises are the 1945 Model D Eliason Motor Toboggan. Fitted with these first snowmobiles were powered by Indian V-twin engines from 1941 to 1945. Next is a yellow1949 Scout with retractable outboard skis. There are two Silver Arrow outboard motors that were produced by the Indian Motocycle Company in 1929-30. www.thunderpress.net/MONTH_ARTICLE-pdfs/2009/0309/IndianMotorcyc/IndianMotorcyc.shtml
The X4 is a beautifully restored roadster, the only surviving example of the experimental Indian automobile. The V-twin engine and transmission from the X1 is displayed in front of the car and recently it was discovered that the X4 was built on the chassis of the X1. The X4 was driven for decades by one of the engineers who developed it, thus proving its viability.
The big V-8 aircraft engine is the only surviving example for the 1910 Hendee “V” Aero Motor. Hendee Manufacturing had an aeronautics department and is historically known to have manufactured this V-8 and the Hendee Rotary Aero Motor, patterned after the Gnome rotary engine but with patented cylinder mounts. One of these V-8 engines was fitted into a plane flown by Glenn H. Curtiss at the Harvard-Boston Aviation Meet in September 1910. museumhistorystudies.suite101.com/article.cfm/glenn_h_curtiss_museum_in_hammondsport_ny
Motorcycle brands other than Indian are also displayed. The intense rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian is staged, but period machines such as Excelsior and Pope also grace the exhibit. Yet, this portion of the museum is a celebration of an iconic American motorcycle company that was a cornerstone of this manufacturing city for more than a half century.
Location
The Museum of Springfield History is located on 21 Edwards Street, directly across the street from the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, the Springfield Science Museum, George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, and the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. Open Tuesday through Sunday 11-4.
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