These photos are located in the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Digital Collections. I’ve posted eight photos below. There are many more “jeep” related photos on the site. See all 124 of them here: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/search/home/page/5/q/jeep
- Keystone Automobile Club Road Patral Service CJ-2A:
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Keystone Automobile Club – Road Patrol Service
- This photo was taken in 1946 in Denmark.
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: This Danish reporter was so bent in following his nose for news, he mounted the stairs of the Parliament building, Copenhagen, here with his Jeep. He was the first buyer of the Danish post war Jeeps sold in this city. It cost him about $2,000.
- 1946 Photo of Surplus Jeeps:
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Willys-Overland Motors, Toledo, Ohio. Some of the 2,700 army Jeeps which will be sold to veterans by the War Assets Administration are shown parked in Atlanta. Sale will begin on June 10, 1946. There have been many complaints from veterans that they buy army surplus material only through dealers. These Jeeps will be sold directly by the W.A.A.
- 1948 Photo of CJ-2A plowing sidewalks in St. Louis, Missouri:
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: STL 46………………………………….NEW YORK BUREAU “OPERATION SNOWPLOW” ST. LOUIS: “SIDEWALK SNOW SCOOTER” IS THE AFFECTIONATE NAME GIVEN BY THE STUDENTS OF ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY TO THEIR SCHOOL-OPERATED JEEP. THE VERSATILE VEHICLE IS BEING USED AS A SNOWPLOW TO CLEAR SIDEWALKS AFTER THE YEAR’S HEAVIEST SNOWFALL, MARCH 11. NY-A-B CREDIT (ACME TELEPHOTO) 3/11/48
- Postcard of Pocket Testament League Jeep Truck in China (FRONT & BACK):
- This 99 year-old Civil War Vet wished he was a little younger so he could fight in WWII:
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Franke E. Ross, age 99 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, fought in the the infantry away back in Civil War days and now he would like to fight against the Nazis. He said, “If I could go back a few years, I’d be figting with you fellows.” He proudly steers a Jeep in front of his home during the pause of a unit there while on the maneuvers of the Second Army in middle Tennessee.
- Customs Inspector checking jeep:
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Ralph Overall, U.S. Customs inspector, inspecting Jeep.
- Jack Hoffman and his CJ-2A (bought with proceeds from the sale of a champion steer):
PHOTO CREDIT: Free Library of Philadelphia .. PHOTO CAPTION: Jack Hoffman, whose champion steer brought him a fortune of $43,005.77 at Kansas City’s American Royal Livestock Show, checks the water in the radiator of his new Jeep. January 1947, Ida Grove, Indiana
The picture of surplus Jeeps in Atlanta helps put in perspective why there still seems to be a fairly large number of WW2 Jeeps around. My other thought is $43k for a steer in 1947, that was a lot of money in 47. He probably had 41k left after Jeep purchase.
Really interesting to see a civil war vet in a jeep. That’s quite a span of experiences.
Danes can be dour…..I wonder if the Jeep cost him $2k, or the Danish, Barney Fife ticket.
Joe: I too had to take a second look when I read about him being a Civil War vet. I had the same feeling while reading Ernie Pyle’s book from the 1935-1940 time span. Some of the people he interviewed were early settlers, civil war vets, and other folks who played important parts in early western history. I REALLY enjoyed his pre-war articles.
Peter: I agree. I thought that was a significant amount for a steer.
Bingo: That would be a hefty ticket!!
43k for a “steer” (not a bull) in 1947 ~ ???
“$100 in 1947 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,126.04 in 2018”
$1,126 – $100 = $1,026
$1,026/100=10.26
$43,000 X 10.26 = $441,180 in today’s dollar.
Since a steer can’t reproduce. With the average weight steer of 2000lbs yielding about 850lbs of meat is;
$441,180/850 = $519 per pound for a steak.
Guess that’s not to bad for rich folks.
But 2k for a Jeep in 1947? That seems high:
2000 X 10.26 = $20,520 for a army surplus Jeep?
Best part of the pics was the Civil War Veteran driving a Jeep!
The free library of Philadelphia has one of the largest automobile brochure collections in the world, second only to that of the AACA in nearby Hershey Pennsylvania. If you’re looking for that uber-rare brochure, chances are ones of these two libraries has it. I made the trip to Philadelphia 20 years ago to obtain a copy of the sales brochure for my 1937 Packard 138CD. It’s definitely in the very rare class of brochures, since they only made 12 of these cars!
Good to know! My cousin lives in downtown Philly, so I now have a couple of good reasons to go to there.
FYI; U$Dollar/Danish Krone exchange rate is 7:1 these days. Y’all wanna fish fer the historic rates, jump in. Catch & release!