The Motor Museum.
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H.H. the Duke of Teck, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., Speaks at the Crystal Palace.
Many of our readers will be interested to peruse a full report of the proceedings at the Crystal Palace on Thursday last ; they can do so in the current issue of " The Motor " (dated the 17th inst.). The collection is a thoroughly representative one, but it unfortunately so far contains 110 commercial vehicles, other than one of the first London electric cabs. The late King Edward travelled in this particular cab, from Marlborough House to Buckingham Palace and back, in November, 1897, when Prince of Wales.
The principal contents, taken in chronological order, are 1861, Crompton steamer; 1861, early steam tricycle; 1892-4, Bremer ear 1894-5, Catinstadt Daimler; 1895, first Vi olseley tar, J. IL Knight. car, Holden motor-bicycle; 1895-6, Clarke wheel and engine; 1896, first Lanchester car, French Bailee; 1897, second Wolseley. London electric cab, second Eanehester car, Clement car, Arnold-Benz car, early Panhard car ; 1898, early Darracq eat, English-built Bollee; 1899, early Turgan car, Star dogcart, Benz ear, De Dion qoadricycle, first Argyll car, llenaux tricycle, English Daimler car; 1900, third Wolseley car, Marshall dogcart, Sturmey cyclecar, second Albion car, Ariel quadricyele, old French Serpollet, early Renault, Cleveland electric ear, steam tricycle ; 1901, Dela.haye car, Gardeer-Serpolla steamer, Minerva bicycle, White steamer. The Trustees have various additional offers tie;ore them, and it is probable that the collection will be enlarged periodically.
The Opening Luncheon.
Mr. Edmund Dangerneld aare a luncheon, to mark the occasion of the transfer of the collection to the Crystal Palace, and to meet H.H. the Duke of Tech, chairman of the Trustees of the Motor Museum, Sir David L. Salomons, Bart., vicechairman, and Sir David Burnett, Bart., representing the Crystal Palace Trustees. The Duke paid a long visit of inspection to the Canadian Court and the Court of :litusie, iii which the collection is shown, before the luncheon, and, following the loyal toasts, he announced the transfer of the collection in a speech which we report verbatim.
The Duke of Teck's Speech. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: Itaffords me much pleasure to be here, on the occasion of the official transfer of the Motor Museum collection of historical motorcars, motorcycles and accessories to the Crystal Palace.
I recall with interest the fact that I accepted the invitation to become chairman of the Motor Museum Trustees. while I was chairman of the Ito,yaI Automobile Club, which position is now occupied, and not for the first time, by Mr. Arthur Stanley, who is with us to-day. By universal consent, all of us are indebted to the originator of the idea, Mr. Dangerfield, and we are also not indifferent to the expense which he has borne in securing and maintaining intact the collection to date.
It is gratifying to me to know that the efforts of the Trustees have resulted in the preservation of vehicles which might otherwise have been lost for all time, and I also hope that certain gaps which arc known to the Trustees to exist in the collection will soon be filled, now that there is ample space at our disposal.
We are indebted to the Acquisition Committee of the Crystal Palace, and more particularly to the -Earl of Plymouth and Sir David Burnett, for the satisfactory manner in which the negotiations for this transfer were conducted, although I am aware that the details were really settled between Mr. Husey, on behalf of the Palace authorities, and Mr. Shrapnell-Smith, on behalf of the Motor Museum Trustees.
It is a matter for all-round congratulation that we have already been able to excel, both in point of numbers and representative character, any other similar collection in the world. That is a satisfactory position, but. I feel sure that, with the co-operation which we now enjoy, it will be possible, before many months are past, still further to excel the collections that exist in France. Germany, or any other country. Possibly an eraof international rivalry in respect of these early cars and cycles will now he witnessed. Be that as it may, no collection can possibly be ac.commo-dated in a more suitable or more historic building than the Crystal Palace. I now formally declare that the Motor _Museum collection is in future to be vested jointly in the Trustees of the Motor Museum and those of the Crystal Palace, and that. it will be open to visitors to the Palace from this afternoon.
The Future of the Crystal Palace.
Mr. Dangerfield, who presided, then proposed the toast of " The Future of the Crystal Palace." He recalled that thc• Duke of Teck had accented the chairmanship of the Trustees by sending a wireless telegram from Port Said when on his way home from the Durbar in 1912. He mentioned the fact that the Trustees had not accepted other proposals for the transfer of the collection, for one or other of several reasons. They thought that nowhere could the old relics be exhibited to better advantage than where they were now placed, and he was pleased that they had Droved to be the first permanent attraction under the new regime of the Crystal Palace. Mr. Dangertield then proceeded to make various suggestions as to the future of the Crystal Palace, and dealt particularly with the necessity for a programme of continuing and topical interest. He specifically suggested the securing of the latest aerial machines, and above all any which had performed some imprecedented feat. He caused much laughter, when, after insisting that it was important that the exbibits should be topical all the time, he remarked that "1111111CSP3 TT and other friends of theirs were very interesting gentlemen, but the public interest in such subjects waned somewhat." Sir David Burnett, acknowledging the toast, said it was particularly gratifying to him to know that prosperity for the Crystal Palace had been brought a little nearer realization by the collection of motors which had been placed under the control of the future Trustees of the Crystal Palace, jointly with the Trustees of the Motor Museum. It had brought to his mind—which he had never realized before—how soon one could become antique. The Trustees of the Palace wished to achieve the wish expressed by Queen Victoria when she opened the building in 1854, that the Crystal Palace should long continue to elevate and instruct, as well as amure and delight, the minds of the public.
Other speeches were made by Mr. Ernest I. Husey, M.V.O., the Hon. Arthur Stanley, M. P., Mr. W. Joynson-Hick*, and Sir David L. Salomon, Bart. Mr. .ShraputIL Smith is Hon. Sec for the collection.