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Washington, D.C., 1913. "Winston Hotel car." Parked, it would seem, in front of the Hotel Winston, First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. View full size.
Nothing quite so bracing as the wind in your face in an open car, especially when it's so cold the motor needs a blanket. On second thought, I'd rather walk.
If you must put the fire escape smack dab in the front of your nice hotel, might as well try and make it look nice. I presume the, what was that name again, oh yes, The Winston Hotel is no longer with us.
From the leafless trees, it's Winter and cold: keeping the motors' oil warm would make hand-cranking the engines a lot easier.
Let's see, an etched W in every ground floor window, a brass plaque on the masonry, a painted sign on the left side wall, a large, lighted "HOTEL WINSTON" over the main entry, a smaller Hotel Winston in the archway and the two Hotel Winstons above each of the smaller front windows. How much 'ya wann'a bet that every day at least one joker doesn't walk up to the desk and ask: "Is this the Hotel Winston?"
Since neither car is parked directly opposite the hotel entrance, how is the poor viewer to apprehend which car belongs to the Winston?
Many and vexatious are the intellectual challenges faced by the dedicated Shorpy visitor!
We look for a "painless dentist" or the person-in-window in the street scenes. I like to think there's a Model T on every street. Because of the all-brass headlights and sidelamps I tend to think this is an early 1913 or a 1912 with the accessory front doors added.
You always gave your horse a warm blanket on a cold winter day, so why not your horse(less) carriages?
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