What The Heck Is This Thing #2

What The Heck IS The Thing?

The Lovettsville Museum has quite a few farm and household implements from the 19th and early 20th centuries, which have been grouped together as a look-and-touch interactive display and guessing game of “pre-digital era” technology, with answer cards attached.  Many of the objects truly amaze and confound today’s youngsters, who love to pound the keys on our prehistoric computer, aka our 1913 Underwood typewriter from the old Lovettsville Post Office (today’s Thaiverse Restaurant).  For your consideration and puzzlement, presented here is one of the mystery objects in our exhibit.

 

Can you guess what this object is —

and what it does?  

(Hint: the answer is at the bottom of this webpage.)

Joltmeter_IMG_6996

> SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE ANSWER …
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ANSWER to the “What the Heck IS This Thing #2?” Game

This vintage JOLTMETER is a 1930s gizmo that was used by Chevrolet dealers as an advertising gimmick, to demonstrate to potential car buyers the smooth ride the Chevy automobile suspension could provide over the rutted and uneven, often unpaved, roads of the era.  When Chevrolet introduced their “knee-action” suspension they equipped their larger dealerships with these devices. The Joltmeters were designed to measure the intensity of “jolts” or bumps a passenger would receive while riding in a car over a measured course. The Chevy salesman would use it to “scientifically” demonstrate to a customer that the Chevrolet knee-action suspension gave a much smoother ride than their trade-in car.  These devices are pictured and referenced in the book “Classic Chevrolet Dealerships: Selling the Bowtie,” by Jon Robinson.

Visit our “What the Heck IS This Thing?” mystery objects exhibit and guessing game, on Saturdays between 1:00-4:00 at the Lovettsville Museum, 4 East Pennsylvania Avenue, next door to Lovettsville Town Hall.

If you enjoyed this post, please support our mission to protect and preserve the history and heritage of Lovettsville, the German Settlement, and our unique corner of Loudoun County, Virginia, by purchasing a membership or making a financial contribution.

The Lovettsville Historical Society, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to the Society, and membership dues, are tax-deductible under the Internal Revenue Code.