Middlesex County - Piscataway - Seeking 1950s NJ Car Culture Artifacts

by Gordon Bond

As I have posted here before, I am curating an exhibit called "Mid-Century New Jersey" that will be at the Cornelius Low House museum in Piscataway from April 2019 to June 2020. It looks at the 1950s from a Garden State perspective. I had posted here looking for artifacts.
One area I find we are a bit thin on is the automotive room. I need physical artifacts to fill it out, including anything pertaining to:

  • Auto racing - programs, posters, trophies, etc.
  • The NJ Turnpike and Parkway - Anyone knows where we could get an old toll booth? Tokens, pamphlets, signs, etc.
  • Car parts - While we can't fit a whole car inside, perhaps we could have a collection of hubcaps, a grill, steering wheels, a fin! Anything iconic from 1950s era cars.
  • Drive-in movies - Posters, speakers, etc.

We are defining "The Fifties" as between the end of the Second World War and the Kennedy assassination, so there is a little wiggle room for especially cool pieces.
If you have anything to lend us or can put me on to other resources, please email me directly at gordon.bond@co.middlesex.nj.us

Thank you!
Gordon Bond
Location: 1225 River Rd, Piscataway Township, NJ 08854, USA

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