Auburn History in Focus is inspired by the museum’s extensive archival photograph collection and highlights the Auburn Automobile Company’s close connection to its hometown in the early 1900s.
During this period, the company created striking promotional images by photographing its cars around the city of Auburn, often in front of distinctive homes and buildings owned by company executives or local business leaders.
These photographs showcased not only the vehicles but also a strong sense of pride in the city’s architecture and identity. In 2025, the museum reimagined these historic scenes through a modern lens, recreating them in full color using vehicles from the collection and generous local owners.
We worked in collaboration with photographer Allana Coulter. She is a Fort Wayne-based photographer with nearly 30 years of experience, specializing in portrait, automobile, and landscape photography. Her passion for photography began in high school and has stayed with her ever since. She has made it a priority to give back by supporting other nonprofits using her photography to help promote their missions and tell their stories. One of the highlights of her career has been participating in this project. Recreating historic images, exploring the stories behind Auburn’s beautiful homes and classic cars, and helping preserve shared heritage has been both an honor and a joy. She has always had a deep appreciation for historic homes, which is one of the reasons she also became a licensed realtor. For Allana, photography has always been about more than just capturing a moment. It’s about preserving history, building connections, and helping others see the beauty in the world around them—whether through a camera lens or while touring a home full of stories waiting to be told.
✨This project was made possible with funding provided by Indiana Humanities.
✨Cost is FREE with admission to the museum.
(Exhibit will be actual photos from our archives, compared to photos reimagined today)
You may also like the following events from Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum:
- Next month, 2nd August, 11:00 am, Highlights Tour - Gordon Buehrig, Car Designer in Auburn
- Next month, 3rd August, 12:00 am, Driving Experience - Gingerman Raceway in South Haven
- Next month, 16th August, 09:00 am, Cars & Coffee - August 16 in Auburn
