Research Guide: Glidden Tours

Answer

 

The original Glidden Tours were a type of road race held in the early 20th century to promote highway development and travel in the United States. They were named after American telephone pioneer, automobile enthusiast, and financial supporter, Charles J. Glidden. These tours even helped inspired the first commercial airplane reliability tours in 1925.

The Glidden Tours were revived in 1946 and continue today with vintage automobiles traveling predetermined routes with designated stops along the routes for participants to show off their vehicles. Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village has been used in past tours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

Archival

  • Acc. 1708 Automotive Related Programs Collection
    • box 14 Series IV Commemorative Programs;1946 The Glidden Tour, 1946 Revival
    • box 32 Series VI Touring Events and Rallies
      • 1946 The Glidden Tour, 1946 Revival, Detroit, MI
      • 1954 Ninth Annual Revival of the Glidden Tour, Sponsored by the Veteran Motor Car Club of America, September 18-25
      • 1954 Ninth Annual Revival of the Glidden Tour, Sponsored by the Veteran Motor Car Club of America, September 18-25
      • 1907 Fourth Annual Tour of the American Automobile Association and Contest for the Glidden and Hower Trophies, 28 July 10-24 Note: Missing at least one page at the end.
      • 1908 The Great Arrow: Fifth Annual Reliability Touring Contest of the American Automobile Association, Including the Contest for the Glidden and Hower Trophies, July 9-22 Note: Includes list of hotels and garages with their guaranteed rates for 1908 to members of the American Automobile Association, in all cities of the United States and Canada having over 10,000 inhabitants
      • 1910 A.A.A. Year Book, Seventh National Reliability Touring Contest for the Glidden and Chicago Trophies
         
  • Acc. 91.1.1769 E-M-F, Flanders and Studebaker Photographs
    • Most photographs depict the use of the E-M-F 30 as the official vehicle chosen to perform a path finding tour in 1909. The tour went from Detroit to Denver via Minneapolis and Kansas City, and was sponsored by AAA and Charles J. Glidden
       
  • Acc. 1764 Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Papers
    • box 2  Glidden, Charles, circa 1902 to 1908 and 1950s
       
  • Acc. 1774 Henry Austin Clark Jr. Photograph Collection
    • box 50
      • Tours - Glidden Tours 1905-1911 and undated (9 folders)
      • Tours - Glidden Tour Revivals 1946-1954 (7 folders)
    • box 51
      • Tours – Glidden Tour Revivals 1954
        • Automobiles 101-150
        • Automobiles 151-200
        • Automobiles 201-257
        • General (5 folders)
    • box 52
      • Tours – Glidden Tour Revivals 1954 
      • Tours – Glidden Tour Revivals 1956-1965 (7 folders)
      • Tours – Glidden Tour Revivals 1968
        • Automobiles 1-50 (Includes Old 16)
        • Automobiles 51-100 
        • Automobiles 101-150
        • Automobiles 151-200
        • Automobiles 201-250
        • Automobiles 251-300
      • Tours – Glidden Tour Revivals 1970-1978 and undated (5 folders)
    • box 58 Personalities - Glidden, Charles J.
    • box 83 Glidden Tour 1947 and 1949
    • box 84 Glidden Tour 1951 and 1953
    • box 85 Glidden Tour 1954 and 1956
    • box 86 Glidden Tour 1956 (2 albums)
    • box 87 Glidden Tour 1957 and 1966
    • box 88 Glidden Tour 1966
    • box 122
      • Glidden Tour, 1905
      • Glidden Tour, 1906
      • Glidden Tour, 1908
    • box 149 Automobile Tours - Commemoration of the 1946 Revival of Glidden Tour
    • box 150 Automobile Tours – Glidden Tour 1905
    • box 151 Automobile Tours – Glidden Tour 1906
    • box 152 Automobile Tours – Glidden Tour 1906
    • box 153 Automobile Tours – Glidden Tour 1906
    • box 154 Automobile Tours – Glidden Tour 1946
    • box 223 Events and Races - Glidden Tour, 1905-1949
    • box 227 Automotive Prints - Glidden Tour, 1950
    • box 228 Automotive Prints - Glidden Tour, 1954 and 1956
       
  • Acc. 1130 Model T Scale Drawings
    • Drawing of Model T (1909) Touring car. Drawings made Nov., 1972, by a Mr. John Mitchell of Ford Design Center for scale model trophy for a Glidden Tour award.
       
  • Engineering and Blueprint Aperture Card Collection
    • Drawer 1 - Auto racing—1911 Glidden Tour
    • Drawer 3 - Ford, Henry II - Trophy for Glidden Tour
       
  • Acc. E.I. 266 Old Car Festival & Sports Cars in Review
    • box 9 Glidden Tour, 1959
       
  • Acc. E.I. 165 Special Events Records
    • box 1 Glidden Tour, 1953
      ​​​​​​​
  • Acc. E.I. 235 Public Relations
    • box 5 Glidden Tour, 1953
    • box 17 Old Car Festival; Glidden Tour, 1967

  • Acc. 833 General Photographs Series
    • box 430 Glidden tour (1 folder; microfilmed)
       
  • Acc. 506 Mills, Edmunds and Nevins and Hill Series
    • box 48 Glidden tour, 1962 (photos)
       
  • Acc. 1660 Photographic Vertical File Series
    • box 73 Firestone, Harvey, 1868-1938 – Automobile Racing – 1946 Glidden Tour
       
  • Acc. 2009.103 Phil Harms Collection Photographic Negative Database
    • 792-4 Marmon Touring cars, Glidden Tour

Ford News

  • A History of Automotive Highway Transportation, 7:6L:7:1-4
  • Motoring  1903 History of Automotive Transportation (1903- Glidden tour), 7:20L:7:1-4
  • A History of Automotive Highway Transportation (1904), 8:3L:7:1-2
  • A History of Automotive...Transportation: Close Of An Eventful Year, 8:5:4+:2-3
  • 1905 History of Automotive Transportation (Glidden Tour), 8:12:88:2-3
  • 1906 History of Automotive Transportation (Glidden Tour),8:14:112:1-2
  • 1907 History of Automotive Transportation (Glidden Tour), 8:16:136:1-2

Vertical File

  • Glidden, Charles J.

Objects

Audio Visual (materials may be restricted due to format, please contact reference staff in advance for access)​​​​​​​

Books

 

  • Last Updated Dec 02, 2024
  • Views 1135
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