Wilson's 1919 Pierce-Arrow Limousine

What it is

This is a photograph of a black 1919 Pierce-Arrow automobile with white-wall tires and a folded-down top. It is displayed indoors on a gray floor behind silver posts and rope, with American flags in the background. The car is the Pierce-Arrow 'Series 15' that Wilson used as president. It is kept in Staunton, Virginia, his hometown, at his library. The photograph was taken on a phone by the uploader, a modern visitor.

Why it matters

Cars were a new part of presidential life in the early 1900s. This vehicle shows how Wilson traveled while in office and after he left it. Keeping the car in Staunton links the object to the community where Wilson grew up, and it helps visitors connect his public career with ordinary daily life.

Look closer

• What details of the car and the display suggest how it was used and how it is cared for today?
• Why might a museum keep a president's car instead of a document or a speech?
• What does a photograph of an object leave out that you would learn by seeing it in person?