Boyce MotoMeter Owl Head

[Liisa]

Hi, I’m new on this forum. I have had this Boyce MotoMeter Owl Head hood ornament for along time.  Looking for information about it. 

[keiser31]

24 minutes ago, Liisa said:

Hi, I’m new on this forum. I have had this Boyce MotoMeter Owl Head hood ornament for along time.  Looking for information about it. 

Here is some information....

[31nash880]

That is cool. I want one.

[Walt G]

 Two different items  by two different companies at approximately the same era of manufacture.  So there will be two different answers.

Boyce was located east of New York City on long island in an area named Long Island City. As of a few years ago the building that they produced their motometers in was still standing and not totally unrecognizable from later renovations. There was also an Owl Lite that would strap to the radiator cap of a car that was an accessory as well.  One of these is on the Packard of an acquaintance who lives in California , and is a Grand Poobah at a fundraiser at a golf course that the trendy set refers to by one name even though it has two.

[K8096]

Here’s one a friend has on a Model A.   The eyes light up at night.   

[wayne sheldon]

Boyce manufactured and sold most of the Motometers most people are familiar with. A few other companies made similar temperature measuring meters for automobile radiators ("Arrowmeter" was one). "Motometer" (spelled at least three different ways) was a trademarked name and Boyce used different spellings in advertising at various times.

Boyce, as well as several other companies made and sold a wide variety of items to dress up the common Motometer. These included diving girls (or men), various birds, airplanes, various dogs, club insignias, and many other things. 

And by the way? Your owl's head is on the wrong side of the Motometer. It is supposed to be on the front of the Motometer, NOT covering the thermometer on the back! While somewhat decorative, the primary reason for a Motometer is to keep an eye on the engine's temperature! Automobiles in those days did not come with a temperature gauge. While engines were usually fairly reliable, the engines temperature could give early warning of potentially serious (or expensive!) problems. The thermometer is SUPPOSED to face back so that the driver can see it from his seat! And one does NOT cover that part of it up with artwork!

I stressed that last part because so many people today insist on putting their Motometers on backwards!

[Hans1]

The Owles Head appears to be installed correctly. 

 

Another note: All of my Motometers have two "face plates" a front and a rear, and in between them covering the circular hole is "ising glass". 

 

The translucent quality  allows on comming headlights to illuminate the circle and see the red  liquid in dark light conditions.

 

Very very  very seldom see automobiles with Ising glass in place.  Should be a demaret.

 

 

 

 

[wayne sheldon]

Hey there Hans1,

I cannot tell if the OP's owl's head is mounted on the Motometer or not (given the angles of the photos), however it is on the wrong side. K8096's photo shows it the right way. 

The whole purpose of the Motometer is to be able to read the thermometer! Putting the owl's head over the thermometer makes that impossible regardless of headlamps or light refraction though crystals or anything else!

 

The following rant is not aimed at any poster on this thread! Just at the hundreds of people out there that do not get it!

 

There are indeed two faceplates inside most common Motometers. Another very common mistake is people put one faceplate under the front glass showing the name (Boyce or marque name), and the thermometer markings plate on the back side of the Motometer COVERING the thermometer such that the thermometer CANNOT be seen to be read! THAT is WRONG!

I have said this many times here, and other places. BOTH faceplates go on the front side of the Motometer! The name/marque faceplate should face forward toward the front of the Motometer. The thermometer markings faceplate should be behind the name/marque plate facing to the back of the Motometer toward the driver's seat of the car. In that way, the thermometer markings can be seen as reference points for the thermometer, and the thermometer itself can be seen as the plate is supposed to be in front of, or ahead of, the thermometer. BOTH faceplates are installed TOGETHER! Many people insist on putting the thermometer between the two faceplates! THAT is WRONG! I don't care how many hundreds of people assemble them that way! I don't care how many hundreds of photos are scattered around the internet showing them that way. It always was wrong. It will always be wrong.

 

Also Hans1, You are quite right about that translucent disc does belong between the two faceplates! SOME of them were a sort of isinglass. I suspect mostly earlier ones from the early 1920s had the isinglass discs inside. I have had a few with those. A lot of them, I suspect most from the mid through the late 1920s had wax paper discs inside between the two faceplates! I have had more of those, and even have kept a few original such wax paper discs just for "show and tell". The wax paper ones had the Boyce name and some minor information printed on them which when they were assembled was turned so as to not show in the sight hole in the faceplates. The sight hole is the warning zone suggesting that the motor is too hot! The translucent disc is supposed to help highlight that.

Over the years of use, most of the translucent discs have developed a hole in the area exposed to sunlight and UV. Sometimes just moving the disc around slightly can put a nice area of the disc in the window (sight hole). Sometimes there isn't a big enough area left without the printing on it to use the original disc that way. In those cases, I simply use a fresh piece of wax paper borrowed from my kitchen. It has the right look!

Thank you Hans1!

 

Again, the real main purpose of a Motometer is to be able to read the thermometer and monitor the engine's temperature! ANYTHING, whether added for decorative purposes, or in how the Motometer is assembled or installed that hinders the DRIVER from seeing the Motometer and its thermometer from the driver's seat is not correct!

 

That should be enough out of me for today?

[Hans1]

Thank you, Wayne Sheldon, I have have enjoyed your many responses for some time.

The kindness in your often detailed missives have enlightened myself and I am sure many others.

 

One further thought, the note from Liisa seems to show two seperate motormeters, to me.

 

Looking at the first meter the lower base flange and the brass screw threads seem to display a marked difference in wear, corrosion when compared to the owl head side shown.

 

In addition the owls head view shows the tall black protrusion not shown in the other view. This version may show the bulb base, where others of this type have shown a much thicker owl body with bulb enclosed.

 

It just might mean she used singular terms when she may have shown two different meters.

 

Thank you again for your often shared knowledge.

 

Hans