Cleveland Car. ca. 1900.

Artist: MISTI (Ferdinand Mifliez, 1865-1923)
Size: 20 3/8 x 58 1/2 in./51.8 x 148.5 cm
Condition: A-/ Horizontal fold.
Printer: Imp. P. Vercasson, Paris
Reference: Ref: PAI-LXXVII, 291
Key Words: Art Nouveau; Automobiles

Cleveland Car. ca. 1900.
Elmer E. Sperry of Cleveland was instrumental in establishing the electric street railway in that city. His early inventions in the 1890s included the electric arc lamp and electricity-operated mining equipment, with which he made a fortune. He built his first electric carriage in 1898 and in 1899 he contracted with the Cleveland Machine Screw Company to manufacture his automobile for him. The resulting Cleveland Car had lamps operated by push button and a single lever for controlling the movement of the automobile. The lever was moved sideways to indicate direction, pushed downward for speed, and pulled upward to remove the current and apply the brakes. The car was ultimately known as the "Sperry” in the United States and was exported under the name "Cleveland Car.” Misti, in this two-sheet poster, shows an evening ride in the electric car beneath a midnight blue sky filled with shooting stars.