Digital Collections

This desk sat in the Selma, Alabama, home of Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, friends of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During the struggle to win voting rights in the 1960s, King often stayed with the Jacksons. At this desk, King outlined speeches that he would give -- first, composing his thoughts on paper, then committing them to memory.

In this interview, Jeanine Head Miller (Curator of Domestic Life), and Charles Sable (Curator of Decorative Arts) sat down with Kristen Gallerneaux (Curator and Editor-in-Chief of Digital Curation) to share their efforts to restore the interiors and furnishings of The Jackson Home. This article is part of an ongoing series focusing on the history, preservation, and restoration of the landmark Jackson Home experience, slated to open in Greenfield Village in Summer 2026.

On March 15, 1965, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and several of his lieutenants gathered in the Selma, Alabama, home of Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson to watch President Lyndon Johnson address the nation. Dr. King sat in this chair as President Johnson declared federal protection for Black voters. That support would become the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Civil Rights leaders often stayed in the Selma, Alabama, home of Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson during the struggle to secure voting rights in the 1960s. King and several leaders once held a meeting on a bed, which collapsed beneath them. The meeting devolved into laughter. These bricks became the support for the repaired bed.

At The Henry Ford, we often think of the countless stories of innovation that our institution can tell through archival materials—from the automotive parts drawings to the Bill Stumpf and Robert Propst design collections.

At The Henry Ford, we have dedicated teams of craftspeople that create beautiful products in our Pottery, Glass, Weaving, and Print Shops that make up Liberty Craftworks in Greenfield Village. While these artisans use historic techniques, they also do their fair share of innovation. One of the areas in which we have recently expanded is in our offering of products from Liberty Craftworks that utilize recyclable material sourced on-site.

When telephones were first introduced in the late 1800s, people wanting a phone would subscribe to the local phone company’s services and receive a telephone on lease. Using the telephone at this time meant that both caller and receiver were tethered to their respective locations.

Over the years many fun - but dangerous - toys have been marketed to children, only to be discontinued or banned. Remember chemistry sets with toxic materials? Or lawn darts capable of serious injury?