Percival Lowell's big red car : the tale of an astronomer and a 1911 Stevens-Duryea / William Lowell Putnam.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Putnam, William Lowell, III, 1924-2014.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Lowell, Percival, 1855-1916.

Duryea automobile--History.

Duryea automobile.

Lowell Observatory--Museums.

Lowell Observatory.

Museums.

Lowell, Percival, 1855-1916--Homes and haunts--Arizona--Flagstaff.

Lowell, Percival.

History.

Arizona--Flagstaff.

Physical Description:

vii, 175 pages : illustrations, 1 map ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, [2002]

Summary:

This is the story of one car -- a 1911 Stevens-Duryea Model Y "Big Six" -- and its famous owner Percival Lowell, the American astronomer best known for his studies of Mars and mathematical prediction of the discovery of Pluto. The narrative follows the vehicle, a product of Frank Duryea -- of the pioneering Duryea brothers -- through its time with Lowell and through subsequent owners to its present status as a moving landmark of history.

Important developments in the early history of the gasoline-powered automobile are traced to establish the context in which this remarkable vehicle was created. The community in which the Duryea brothers labored, in short lived teamwork, and their role in the evolution of the automobile industry are discussed. The text also provides an intimate look at the life of one of America's most important astronomers.

Contents:

I. A Horseless Carriage? 7

II. The Earliest Automobiles 13

III. The Duryeas, Stevens and Automobile Manufacturing in Springfield 28

IV. The Stevens-Duryea 40

V. The Great Race 50

VI. The Brave New World of Automobiles 59

VII. The Motoring Lowells 72

VIII. Big Red's First Trip 84

IX. At Home in Flagstaff 98

X. Highways 119

XI. Big Red's Contemporaries 134

XII. Beyond Lowell's Death 141

XIII. Big Red Comes Home 162.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0786412348

OCLC:

48065958