Weatogue Garage, Weatogue, Conn. 2K

Weatogue Garage, Weatogue, Conn. 2K

Image of an early 20th century modern commercial automobile service garage. This image is part of a series made by one of the three Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company photographers assigned to cover New England or upstate New York. The quest for images that would be saleable as postcards resulted in the documentation of small towns and small town life at the turn of the 20th century. As the photos were shot, the glass plates were sent back to Belfast, Maine, and processed into postcards at the printing plant on High Street. The Eastern photographer has paused to capture a classic American building type, new for the 20th century: the commercial garage. Born of the automobile culture, and rather than being a garage carved out of an old barn or warehouse, the design of a dedicated, single-story masonry structure with large industrial windows for good light and ventilation would become a familiar sight in towns across the country, an adjunct to the related car dealership-cum-showroom new building type. As in this one, the business had a proper office space in one corner, separate from the large interior mechanics' bays. The name of the business is posted on a large sign integrated into the facade's decorative gable. Other signeage, "Battery Service/ Electrical Service", and logos "NRA Gas & Oil/ Chevrolet" logos are incorporated into the design of the building's windows. Additional signs for "Oakland Pontiac/ Goodyear Tire/ Authorized Buick Service/ AAA/ and GMC" are tastefully grouped together on a signpost between the building and the road. The carefully landscaped property exudes pride and quality service. A wood frame garage belonging to the business can be seen at the far left.