MTFCA Forum

No date, photo locates the business at Capital and "A", but I'm having trouble visualizing the location. I believe Rich Eagle has an original tire cover with the Bonneville Auto imprint.

Well, that is more than I have ever found about Bonneville Auto. Would that put it across from White Star Laundry? Lynn E. had a tire cover I copied, and the dash tag came from the Ashton dump (North) as I recall. Here is a cover from closer to your place. I'll do some more digging on the location.
Thanks
Rich

This was in a Blake Avery on Idaho Falls collection but doesn't look like the same building. Perhaps they moved or maybe it isn't Idaho Falls at all. It was that Lincoln, Fordson era. There are lots of IF photos but not much on A street.
Rich

It doesn't "feel" like Capital and A to me. Historic photos are very often mis-labeled. Like you, I'm Not sure that other building is Idaho Falls. Fairly early "automobile row" and equipment dealerships located on the west bank and out West Broadway. Joe gave me a copy of the bill of sale for the Model T his dad bought from Bonneville Auto in 1924. Dealer history can be a compelling subject, especially when the buildings are still standing !

Rich - how did you get the graphics on the tire cover? I have a design I would like to put on an existing cover on my '14 Touring.

Paul

Hi Paul. I traced the lettering onto tracing paper and then used transfer paper to copy it onto a cover I made. Then, lettered it on with artist acrylic paint. It is tedious but it worked. I did a second one for the fellow who let me copy his original.
I made a Dunlop cover too but don't have a photo.
Rich

Thanks Rich, I wonder how the originals were done? For small dealers a local sign painter might have been employed but at larger ones there must have been some sort of printing process. How far back does the silk screen process go?

Paul

I'll bet Rich B. has a good idea how those were printed. Silk screen was around but block printing may have been done more.
Rich

Screen printing would have been the practical choice for such items that would have been ordered in quantity, and that process would yield the best results. I don't know anything about block printing on materials such as the tire covers were made of. Surviving examples are a treat to see !

I have a design in mind taken from some original 1914 newspaper ads found at the Klamath County Museum. Consulting with the folks there it was determined that there would be no phone number or address as everyone knew George Biehn in this small town. The type in the tire cover design was selected as a close match to the original faces in the ad. This is wholely my own imagination here, I have never seen even a picture of a tire cover from this agency.

The question now is how to transfer the design onto the existing tire cover? Any ideas?

Paul

Paul, if you have a local sign shop, consult with them. If there's a mechanic there over 60 he can probably give you some ideas.