Before the 1920s, New England was the country's largest producer of automobiles, with some 200 manufacturers. Three of these were located along the Charles River - Ford in Cambridge, Stanley in Watertown, and Metz right here in Waltham.

In our Transportation area, you'll learn about the three very different operations of these companies, from Ford's highly-standardized assembly lines to the idiosyncratic Metz company, which marketed inexpensive "buckboard" autos to a wide audience. Some Metz cars were sold to enterprising do-it-yourselfers as kits for $27 (plus shipping, of course).

Our Transportation collection also includes tributes to Waltham's Francis Davis, inventor of the automatic transmission, and to the area's bicycle manufacturing heritage.

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