0 Our Year in Review

by Nancy DeWitt
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

What a year! Each one just gets better and better, and 2013 was full of accomplishments. Most notably, we had our best year ever for attendance and gift shop sales. Based on direct feedback and on-line comments, our visitors were very pleased with their museum experience. In fact, their reviews on TripAdvisor earned us the top ranking for Fairbanks attractions for the second year in a row! It's never too late to submit your review, which you can do by clicking on this link.

Other highlights from 2013 include:

• We hosted a number of school field trips at the museum and offered rides in the Snow Flyer to almost 50 children during Tired Iron week.

• Historic fashion consultant Abigail Cucolo joined our staff for several months and accomplished a whirlwind of projects. She led fashion tours, wrote blog posts, organized our storage room, cataloged over 700 items into a database, repaired garments, and added over 30 new outfits to the galleries. She also curated our "Beauty and the Bird" exhibit and created several new displays, including ones on undergarments, Fortuny gowns, and WAVES uniforms.

• Our docents continued to provide valuable support, from educating visitors and providing security during private receptions, to dusting cars and helping Willy with innumerable repair projects in the shop.

• We worked hard to improve the visitor experience and began offering free audio tours with admission. One guest wrote of the audio tour: "Very good and really adds to the experience."

• We acquired J. Parker Wickham's library and now have a wonderful collection of resources for research.

• We participated in the Vernon L. Nash Antique Car Club annual show, Golden Days Show and Shine, and a fairly soggy Golden Days Parade. We were delighted to be selected to carry the winner of the Miss World Eskimo Indian Olympics pageant and her court in our 1919 Pierce-Arrow.

• We added a number of videos to our YouTube channel, which receives about 2,500 views a week.

• We had five articles published in national magazines, including The Bulb Horn, Horseless Carriage Gazette, Air-Cooled News, and The Classic Car. The museum was also featured in articles in Alaska Magazine, The Ruralite, and Old Cars Weekly.

• Our historian attended the National Association of Automobile Museum's annual conference in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was elected to the NAAM board of directors.

• Our manager attended a number of national and regional events, including the Chickasha and Bakersfield Swap Meets, the Scottsdale auctions, and the Hershey Swap Meet.

• With the help of some great volunteers, we got one of Fairbanks's first Dodge automobiles running again and helped drive it to Valdez to commemorate the first automobile trip to the coast. The story is posted here.

• In July we hosted a full house for a presentation about the 1908 Great Race by Jeff Mahl, great grandson of the winning car's driver, George Schuster. He gave a fabulous program and we thank everyone who came (and NAPA for sponsoring the event!).

• We added three automobiles to the Fountainhead Collection, including a 1902 Knox, 1906 Pope-Toledo, and 1910 Schacht. The Pope-Toledo won several awards before we shipped it north, including First in Class (Antiques) at the Kirkland Concours d'Elegance, and Third in Class (A-1 Antiques) and the Ansel Adams Special Award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

• The majority of the museum automobiles got a tune-up and some road time this year. Here are a few out getting some exercise--can you identify them all?

Thank you all for another great year!

Coming to Fairbanks to see the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and other area attractions? Support the museum by staying right here at Wedgewood Resort. All guests receive half-price admission to the museum!

Detail: Our Year in Review

0 Peerless - "All That the Name Implies"

by Nancy DeWitt and Willy Vinton
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

The magnificent Peerless automobile was one of the "Three Ps" of early motoring royalty, alongside Pierce-Arrow and Packard. Originally a manufacturer of clothes wringers, Peerless became one of the most greatly respected luxury car makers of the early 20th Century. The marque’s grandiose slogan, “Peerless—All That The Name Implies,” was appropriate for such a high-quality and stylish automobile. Pictured here is our 1912 Peerless Model 36-K 7-passenger touring car.

Photo by Ronn Murray Photography

Peerless automobiles were produced from 1900-1931. In 1912 they offered five models, each of which could be customized to suit an individual buyer’s tastes. Wealthy patrons paid $5,000 for a Model 36 Touring, which would be the equivalent of over $117,000 today. A peak inside shows just how luxurious these cars were, right down to the brass foot rest.

Our Peerless is powered by a 48 HP, 577.5-cubic-inch T-head six with its inline cylinders cast in pairs.









We have spent a lot of time working to get the Peerless running properly, as well as finishing all the little things that were never completed during its restoration. It should be ready to make an appearance on the streets as soon as the snow pack is gone from the parking lots and the puddles have dried. We have had it out a couple times in the snow, but it doesn't handle well on icy surfaces!

This Peerless once belonged to legendary collector Barney Pollard, and came to us by way of Texas. It's a massive car that rides on a 137” inch wheelbase and stands over seven feet tall. At left, our historic fashion consultant Abigail shows just how big and imposing this car is.

Of the 450 Model 36s produced, only a handful are known to still exist, likely because their cast-aluminum bodies commanded high prices during wartime scrap drives. We are very fortunate to have this one in our museum!

Detail: Peerless - "All That the Name Implies"

0 Volunteer at the Museum!

by Nancy DeWitt

We are seeking more volunteers to help at the museum this summer. Our primary need is for people to greet visitors and share information about the collections with them. Many of our visitors love meeting Alaskans, as well as learning about the automobiles and other artifacts.

No prior automobile knowledge is required, but volunteers should enjoy teaching and speaking in front of people. There are two mandatory training sessions, and volunteers should be able to commit to at least three shifts per month during the summer. Both daytime and evening shifts are available; each typically lasts 3-4 hours. Click here for a volunteer application.

The free training sessions cover the history and organization of the museum, the collections and exhibits, American and Alaskan automotive history, frequently asked questions, and a thorough tour of the museum.

Volunteers can also choose to lead full tours, either for adults, school groups, or both. Additional training will be provided. The school groups visit during the winter season, typically on Thursdays and Fridays.

We also need volunteers who want to do hands-on work with the cars. This can include polishing and detailing vehicles, helping us move them into the shop to prepare for driving, moving exhibits, or actually helping us with the repairs and tune-ups if you have mechanical skills. "Pit Crew" members must attend our two mandatory training sessions and are asked to work several shifts/month.

Lastly, we always have a need for help with tasks such as: moving displays, repairing historic clothing, assisting with special events (like the Midnight Sun Cruise-In), photography and car research.

This year's training sessions are on April 3 and April 10 from 6 to 9 pm. The first class will take place in the Wedgewood Resort Visitor Center, while the April 10 class will be held in the museum. Please contact Nancy at 458-6112 or projects@ fdifairbanks.com to register or if you have questions.

Detail: Volunteer at the Museum!