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Motor Cars Come to the White House: Taft Administration

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  • Motor Cars Come to the White House; White House History (Number 28) - Photo 2

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    A chauffeur poses in the Pierce Arrow just outside of the White House garage in 1909.

    Library of Congress

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  • White Model M Steamer Outside the White House Garage

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    A chauffeur poses in the White Motor Company Model M just outside of the White House garage in 1909.

    Library of Congress
  • Motor Cars Come to the White House; White House History (Number 28) - Photo 4

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    President William Howard Taft’s daughter Helen returns to the Pierce Arrow landaulet after a shopping trip on F Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., in 1909.

    Library of Congress

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  • Motor Cars Come to the White House; White House History (Number 28) - Photo 5

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    Alice Roosevelt Longworth seated in the Taft Pierce Arrow landaulet in 1912. The chauffeur is Abe Long. The figure not facing the camera is likely President Theodore Roosevelt.

    Library of Congress

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  • Motor Cars Come to the White House; White House History (Number 28) - Photo 6

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    President William Howard Taft in the White House Pierce Arrow 66 A. P. Touring Car in 1912. This photograph was probably taken while the president was in Boston to address the Republican Club of Beverly, Massachusetts.

    Library of Congress

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  • Motor Cars Come to the White House; White House History (Number 28) - Photo 7

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    1912 model Baker Electric Special Victoria. This two-person automobile was used by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and four other first ladies. It is now in the collection of the Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.

    Collection of the Henry Ford Museum

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About this Gallery

"Henry Ford’s introduction of the Model T in 1908 revolutionized American society by creating an automobile affordable for the masses. To honor incoming President William Howard Taft, an automobile enthusiast, in 1909 Congress appropriated $12,000 for the purchase of the first two White House motor cars . President Taft’s endorsement of the motor car as the official means of presidential transport created tremendous momentum for the automobile industry." — Hillary Mannion

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