Page 48 - CulturalAdventures3 final

Seal Cove Auto Museum is automotive fun f a ages

By L ri Eschholz

Phot s courtesy of Seal Cove Auto Museum

1910 White steam car: This is a 1910 White steam car and is the
only White MM automobile left in existence. A similar car was
one of the first automobiles to be used at the White House. This
was much more expensive and complex compared with the Stan-
ley, Locomobile, Victor and other similar steamers. The typical
small steam carriage used about one gallon of water per mile,
while the larger and more powerful White achieved about ten
miles to a gallon due to its steam condensing system.

A short 20-minute drive from Bar Harbor will take you to Tremont and the Seal Cove Auto Museum, which promises something to de-
light everyone in your family. For the kids there’s exploring and riding in historical automobiles, and scavenger hunts, while adults
can dig deeper into the history of automobiles in the museum’s exhibits.
Seal Cove Auto Museum started as the private collection of Richard Paine, a car enthusiast who spent his life building his world-class
collection of early Brass Era (1895-1917) automobiles. The museum houses over 50 vehicles including motorcycles and motorized
bikes as well as vehicles on loan. Exhibits include historical information about changes in car design as well as how the automobile
changed everyday life.

This summer’s special exhibit is “Engines of Change,” which explores how the automobile influenced the women’s suffrage movement.

Left:
Speakeasy: Every March, during
its off season, the Museum harkens
back to the days of the early auto-
mobile with one of its signature
events – the Speakeasy! A 12-piece
band plays tunes of the time and
people cut a rug, often in period
costume (which is welcome but
not required). Food, drink and
charity blackjack round out this
fun evening.

Above:
1907 Holsman: A vehicle often referred to as a “High Wheeler: developed
to appeal to the agricultural communities of the Midwest. The appearance,
wheel-base, wheel track, and other features purposely mimic the horse drawn
vehicle with which these communities were familiar. It has a two-cylinder,
air-cooled engine, two speeds forward, and rope drive.

Left:
Early Steam Car: This is identified as a 1900 Skene steam carriage although
there is the possibility that it is a Rand; in either case it would have been built
in Lewiston, ME and it is a rare vehicle. The term, “Steam Carriage,” is illus-
trative of the fact that in 1910 the proper descriptive name for four-wheeled
self-propelled vehicles was in flux; this car is displayed at the museum in the
company of two other New England Steam Carriages: a 1900 Locomobile
from Bridgeport, CT, and a 1901 Victor from Chicopee Falls, MA. These
earlier steam carriages have the boiler under the seat.
46