John & Henri Boggs
Guest Columnist
​Automotive Badges

John & Henri have been collecting car badges for over 40 years.  They attend many shows around the United States, England and France in search of badges and other automobilia.  Their collecting interests also include automotive mascots, radiator emblems and automotive literature.  Their car badge collection now numbers over 2,200 badges and is still growing.  They were major contributors and collaborated on the 328 page book “The World of Car Badges” by Jan Sarnesjo, which was published in 2003 and is the most complete and authoritative guide to car badges on the market. They may be reached at 412-657-1883 or
[email protected]

Some of John & Henri's articles:
Car Club Badges 
​In The Beginning
American Motor League:
The first United States automobile organization was the American Motor League (AML).  The AML was organized at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois November 1, 1895 at the Chicago School of Electricity on Dearborn Street.  The organizations purpose was to promote legislation favorable to the rights of automobile owners, and the promotion of better roads.  The club logo was a wheel with a wing attached to the hub and as of this writing, no large badge has been found.  Due to the club’s short life, the club may have only issued a pin.  While there was a lot of interest and support for the AML, there were other competing organizations being formed in these early years which led to the demise of the AML.  In 1904 the AML merged with the newly formed American Automobile Association (AAA).    
AAA Lackawanna Motor Club Car Badge
The American Automobile Association Lackawanna Motor Club has a Physician Member Topper attached with rivets to identify the AAA club member as a physician. The badge is stamped stainless steel with paint made by Bastian Brothers Co., Rochester, New York and dates from the late 1930s. It is 4.625"x6.125". These AAA badges normally sell for $25 to $45, but with the topper would be $65 to $75.

Medical Profession Badges:
​Dedicated to our Medical Workers!

There was a time in this country when medical profession badges were proudly displayed on automobiles. These badges identified the automobile owner as a member of the medical community. Many factors have led to their demise, including automobile designs and the lack of an appropriate area to display the badges. Medical badges also disappeared due to liability issues. Medical professionals are now protected by the “Good Samaritan” law or act, but that was not always the case. By the time these laws were passed in the 1980s, badges had given way to window stickers if anything at all was displayed.

The badges featured in this article are a small sampling of the medical profession badges that were produced in the past and are by no means all inclusive. Many badges exist for other medical disciplines and offer the collector a wide range of badges in the medical field. We have included price ranges for the badges pictured, but how do you place a value on one’s health and well-being? Invaluable and priceless! 

Thank you to all of the first responders and medical professionals that help and protect us during normal times and especially during this Coronavirus pandemic. They are on the front lines every day and deserve our heartfelt thanks and gratitude.   ​