BABCOCK

H. H. Babcock Co. (1909-1913)

Watertown, New York

This is a Babcock radiator emblem (c1911-1913)     sam
Size: 62mm wide 32mm high      MM: Unknown

H. H. Babcock Company was a well known horse drawn buggy builder when it decided to produce its first high wheeler automobile in 1909. This was an 18 hp two-cylinder buggy runabout, which was followed by conventional four-cylinder automobiles from 1910.

Babcock also built two-cylinder 1500-pound capacity delivery vans from 1911. All Babcock motor vehicle production was discontinued by the end of 1913 but the Company continued to build motor vehicle bodies for other manufacturers, mainly for trucks.

Emblems

The first Babcock high wheelers did not carry a radiator emblem but did display small name plates similar to the Babcock plate shown below:

This is a Babcock nameplate (c1909)     mjs
Size: 55mm wide 18mm high     MM: None

Early two-cylinder Babcock vehicles displayed a brass "Babcock" script attached to the radiator core, see highwheel and conventional wheeled Babcock examples shown below:

Babcock Model A with radiator script (1909)    auta5p

Babcock tourer showing radiator script (c1910)   dpl

This Babcock radiator script continued in use on some models up to the end of production in 1912:

This is a Babcock radiator script (1909-1912)    ms
Size: Unknown

The Babcock four-cylinder models carried a radiator emblem most likely from about 1911, although I cannot confirm this date. The following original photo of a highwheel Babcock touring model with a radiator emblem is dated c1912 but may be earlier.

Babcock highwheel tourer with radiator emblem (poss 1911)  dpl

The same radiator emblem is seen on the following near original surviving Babcock Model H seven-passenger tourer, which also has a radiator script:

Babcock Model H tourer with radiator emblem & script (1912)  bonhams

Babcock Model H radiator emblem (1912)   bonhams

This is the red and white enamel Babcock radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Babcock radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Babcock radiator emblem (c1911-1913)   sam
Size: 62mm wide 32mm high    MM: Unknown

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproduction Babcock radiator emblems, see example shown below:

This is a reproduction Babcock radiator emblem     ms

The Babcock name was also displayed on the hubcaps, see examples shown below:

Babcock Model H hubcap (1912)   bonhams

This is a Babcock hubcap (c1909-1913)   dkc