Irving R. Bacon Papers

Irving R. Bacon worked for Henry Ford as an artist. His work ranged from cartoons in the Ford Times to paintings of artifacts and events at the Edison Institute. His papers include photographs, drawings, and correspondence related to his career with Ford Motor Company and the Edison Institute.

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Biographical / Historical Note

Born in 1875 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Irving Bacon received his early art training from Joseph Gies at the Art School of the Detroit Museum of Art. Much of his early work concentrated on illustrations and cartoons, and often his artwork reflected the influence of his travels to the American West. From 1894 to 1900 he worked as an illustrator at the Detroit Evening News and the Detroit Free Press. He first met Henry Ford through a mutual acquaintance in 1898, when he rode to Royal Oak and back to Detroit on Woodward Avenue in Henry's new automobile. In 1902 he went to New York City to study at the Chase School of Art and to illustrate for Harper's Weekly and McClure's. In 1906 he went to the Royal Academy in Munich and studied under Heinrich von Zugel, a noted animal painter. It was there where Bacon acquired his talent for painting landscapes and portraits. After returning to Detroit in 1910, he once again met Henry Ford, who by this time was a millionaire. Henry became interested in art largely due to the interest and talent of his own son, Edsel. He purchased a landscape scene from Bacon-a painting, which, according to Bacon, was "certainly not a masterpiece." It was after this meeting that Bacon gained permission from Henry to utilize his large estate for landscape paintings.

In 1913 he received a generous gift of money from his friend Harold Wills (a Ford executive), and once again returned to Munich for further study. His stay was cut short, however, due to the start of World War I. Upon returning to Detroit, he realized the need for a steady salary in order to adequately support his wife and six children, so he met again with Henry Ford and soon became an employee of the Ford Motor Company, drawing cartoons for the Ford Times and later, illustrations for The Dearborn Independent. Henry loved Bacon's cartoons, an area of work which Bacon wanted to discontinue. According to Bacon, "That class of work seemed to conflict with my high aims of art. Little did I realize at the time that I was beginning a thirty three year stretch of work for Henry Ford and his great organization that eventually would wean me away from the art world."

Working for Henry at the Ford Motor Company, and later the Edison Institute, Bacon's tasks included painting scenes and portraits that were of great interest to Henry Ford and his Museum and Village. These included portraits of Ford's family and friends, Noah Webster, Luther Burbank, Mark Twain, Dr. George Washington Carver, Stephen Foster, John Burroughs, and others. He was also responsible for creating paintings of the artifacts located at the institute, and he also acted as stage designer for the Museum's theater. His interest in photography and motion pictures led him to become the head of the Photographic Department for several years. Bacon retired from the Edison Institute in 1948, and moved to Miami with his second wife. He died in 1962 at the age of 86.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection is mainly composed of photographs, drawings, and some correspondence related to Bacon's career with the Ford Motor Company and the Edison Institute. The series within this collection are accordingly arranged to the different aspects involved with the work of Henry Bacon. There are five series in the collection, the Golden Jubilee painting, Irving Bacon personal materials, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum, Henry Ford related work, and Dearborn Independent.

Series I, Golden Jubilee painting: This series is comprised of pamphlets, notes, lists, correspondence, and photographs related Bacon’s painting entitled "Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Invention of the Incandescent Electric Light" also known as the "The Dedication of the Edison Institute of Technology." The Golden Jubilee occurred on October 21, 1929. It is arranged by the sub-series Printed material (1929), Correspondence (1936-1937), and Photographs (dates unknown, but assumed to be between 1920-1938). The photographs, which are mainly portraits of the individuals who attended the events of October 21, 1929, were obtained by Bacon in the years 1936-1938, for the purpose of recreating the dinner scene, some seven to nine years previous. Over 400 individuals attended this dinner, ranging from Henry Ford's personal friends to contemporary world business and political leaders. The number of dinner guests eventually included in Bacon's painting numbered 266. The filing arrangement for the Photographs subseries was left in much the same way that Bacon had organized it, which was by seating arrangements. He categorized his filing system according to "Tables," "Arches," and "Individuals Standing" e.g., Table 1, Arch 1, etc.

Series II, Irving Bacon personal materials: In this series are various materials (1907-1957) which apparently were kept for the personal use and interest of Mr. Bacon. A large portion of this series, theater interests, contains materials on early theater and film actors/actresses. The majority of the materials within this series are photographs, unless otherwise noted.

Series III, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum: This series is an assortment of photographs, mixed with notes and sketches related to subjects found at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. Bacon collected photographs of the various subjects in order to study them and eventually create a likeness within his own paintings.

Series IV, Henry Ford related work: This series is an example of yet another type of work that Bacon undertook as an employee of Henry Ford. It reflects the personal interests of Henry Ford. Included are miscellaneous printed materials, photographs, sketches, and maps (photographed). The folders have retained the original titles given by Bacon himself.

Series V, Dearborn Independent: Irving Bacon's artwork created for the Dearborn Independent is found within this series (approximately 1925-1935). These oversized materials consist mainly of sketches, prints, and color drawings.

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Collection Details

Object ID: 84.1.1657.0
Creator: Bacon, Irving R. (Irving Ruben), 1875-1962
Inclusive Dates: 1863-1957
Size: 4.4 cubic ft. and 4 oversize boxes 7.8 cubic ft. (17 boxes) [Collection Survey]
Language: English

Collection Access & Use

Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit

Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research

Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Keywords

Artists (Visual artists)

Painting

Theater

Bacon, Irving R. (Irving Ruben), 1875-1962

Ford, Henry, 1863-1947

Ford family

Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931

Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

Bennett, John, Sir, 1814-1897

Burroughs, John, 1837-1921

Carver, George Washington, 1864?-1943

Ford, Edsel, 1893-1943

Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964

Firestone, Harvey Samuel, 1868-1938

Thumb, Tom, 1838-1883

Digitized Artifacts From This Collection

In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.

Portrait of Horace Mann

Details

Portrait of Horace Mann

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org

Artifact

Print (Visual work)

Date Made

1900

Summary

Horace Mann (1796-1859) was an influential education reformer from Massachusetts from the 1830s to the 1850s. He advocated for free, universal public education (supported by the state) and professional teacher training. Mann believed these and other ground-breaking reforms offered all students the same body of knowledge and an equal opportunity in life, as well as instilling a greater feeling of unity among American citizens.

Creators

Perry, Eugene A. (Eugene Ashton), 1864-1948