Antique Automobiles

In Dover’s very first colouring book, and one of the first designed specifically for adults, Clarence P. Hornung, one of the great portraitists of early automobiles, presents 43 drawings of early cars for you to color to your own fancy. Ranging from a Ford runabout of 1901 to a Chevrolet coupe of 1919, they include many classic cars: Studebakers (electric and gas), Cadillacs, Stevens-Duryea, Reos, Packards, Pierce-Arrow, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and others. You can color them in many ways — a realistic attempt to recapture the period, or you can let yourself go into whatever style you like best.

Who Will Benefit from this Activity?

Art therapy provides an invaluable contribution to the care of people with dementia, whose language skills have been impaired, by allowing them to express their feelings and increase self-esteem through the language of art. Art therapy may be undertaken through drawings and colourings, through creating collages of magazine images, or through objects of coloured or textured figures and shapes. Engaging in art allows friends and family to connect with their loved one who has dementia, in a non-threatening and failure free way, when the ability to communicate in the traditional manner has been lost.

This book is suitable for everyone, although it may be most enjoyed by people in the moderate to later stages of dementia.  The outcome of the activity may vary depending on the person’s ability, however for people with dementia, it is important to remember that when participating in the activity, the focus should not be about the activity itself, but the quality and enjoyment of the interaction.  It is the enjoyment of the activity that will contribute to their overall sense of happiness and well-being.

 If you need help choosing an appropriate activity for someone affected by dementia, click here to view our guidelines.