As automobile travel for leisure surged in the 1920s, states saw a new marketing opportunity. They began converting utilitarian license plates into promotional tools to compete for tourist dollars, advertising natural wonders and local industries on a medium that traveled across the country.
Without a central institution like a 'Smithsonian of License Plates,' the physical history of their design and evolution is preserved primarily in the private collections of hobbyists. These amateurs act as de facto archivists for a niche but revealing slice of American material culture that official institutions often overlook.
When the Sons of Confederate Veterans sued Texas for rejecting their specialty plate, the Supreme Court sided with the state. The decision classified these plates as 'government speech,' granting the government the right to choose which messages it endorses, unlike general-issue plates that citizens are compelled to display.
The first advertising license plate featured a giant potato. This innovative but polarizing design was detested by many Idahoans, especially those in non-potato-growing regions, who found the association an embarrassment. The state abandoned the design after just one year due to the public backlash.
The recurring legal battles over license plates stem from their unique dual nature. They are government-issued documents displayed on private vehicles, creating a contested space where both the state and the individual driver can lay claim to the message, forcing courts to define the boundary between personal and government expression.
The first state-issued license plates weren't cheap, stamped metal but were made of heavy, fragile porcelain, resembling fine china. This material choice reflected the automobile's status in the early 1900s: a delicate and expensive status symbol for the elite rather than a practical vehicle for the masses.
When George Maynard, a Jehovah's Witness, was jailed for covering New Hampshire's 'Live Free or Die' motto, his case reached the Supreme Court. The ruling established the principle of 'compelled speech,' affirming the government cannot force citizens to display an ideological message on their private property.