Photo Detroit Fruehauf Trailer Allied Van Lines GMC Matson Cartage Racine WI
Photo Description This striking vintage image captures a General Motors Truck pulling a streamlined Fruehauf trailer for Allied Van Lines Inc. Parked proudly in front of a Fruehauf Trailer Company building at 1538 (street number visible). The tractor unit is clearly marked "General Motors Truck, " denoting it as a GMC from the late 1930s or early 1940s. The trailer bears the Allied Van Lines insignia and service details for the Matson Cartage Co. Based in Racine, Wisconsin, with a call sign Jackson 1000. " The Allied Van Lines logo on the truck door displays "Racine Storage & Trans. Map and vintage moving van artwork, reinforcing the national scale of their long-distance moving operations. The background reveals not just the Fruehauf Trailer Co. Signage, but also a faded advertisement for Delco Benzol, a fuel product once marketed by GM's Delco division, distributed here by the Lindsay-McMillan Co. Further grounding the location in industrial and automotive history. The visible Smith Brothers Commercial Photographers stamp in the corner ties the photo to the Detroit-based firm known for documenting the evolution of American transportation and industry. Item Description Original 8" x 10" photograph pulled from a Fruehauf Trailer Company salesman sample catalog, containing hundreds of original photographs, most stamped by Smith Brothers Commercial Photographers of Detroit, Michigan. This particular photo features glossy finish, vivid detail, and would look excellent when framed.
The photo was removed from a vintage album and shows some glue and paper residue on the back, along with minor backing thinning from removal. None of these issues affect the visual appeal from the front.
This photo comes from an estate just outside of Detroit, near the heart of Fruehauf's early operations. Photo Size: 8" x 10" Finish: Glossy Condition: Minor backside glue/paper residue and slight thinning from removal; displays beautifully from the front. History of Fruehauf Trailer Company The Fruehauf Trailer Company was founded in 1914 in Detroit, Michigan, by August Fruehauf. Originally a blacksmith, Fruehauf created the first semi-trailer when asked to design a way to haul a boat behind a Model T Ford. The company expanded rapidly, supplying trailers for the military during both World Wars and developing innovations such as bulk tank trailers, refrigerated trailers, and container chassis.
History of Smith Brothers Commercial Photographers Smith Brothers Commercial Photographers were a professional photography firm based in Detroit, Michigan, operating from the Arcadia Building at the corner of Woodward and Stimson. Active primarily in the mid-20th century, they specialized in industrial and commercial photography, documenting automotive, transportation, and manufacturing industries at a time when Detroit was America's industrial powerhouse. Their work, often commissioned by major corporations like Fruehauf, captured vital advertising and marketing imagery used for catalogs, sales brochures, and promotional materials. Keywords for Search Optimization Fruehauf Trailer Company, Smith Brothers Photographers, Detroit Michigan history, vintage trucking, Allied Van Lines, Racine Wisconsin movers, GMC vintage truck, General Motors Truck, Fruehauf catalog photo, industrial photography, salesman sample photo, original 8x10 glossy photo, semi trailer history, transportation memorabilia, Delco Benzol sign, Lindsay McMillan Company, 1930s moving truck, Detroit truck history, vintage semi-trailer, commercial photographers Detroit, estate find Detroit, historical trucking photo.