American Road Marketing and Publicity Photographs Series
A set of photographs called American Road that was created primarily as a resource to help staff of the Ford Motor Company Archives answer requests for historical photographs that fell under the heading "something about roads."
Biographical / Historical Note
Archivists at Ford Motor Company Archives received numbers of requests for images relating to the history of the Ford Motor Company and the history of the automobile in general. This sometimes led to the creation of artificial (rather than archival) collections....
MoreArchivists at Ford Motor Company Archives received numbers of requests for images relating to the history of the Ford Motor Company and the history of the automobile in general. This sometimes led to the creation of artificial (rather than archival) collections. An example is a set of photographs called American Road that was created primarily as a resource to help staff answer requests for historical photographs that fell under the heading "something about roads." As a compilation, it was intended to cover the general and often vague needs for illustrations depicting Ford Motor Company's place in the development of transportation and travel in America.
LessScope and Content Note
Although entitled American Road, the series is comprised primarily of visual documentation of Ford vehicles in the early 1900s, with additional, although fewer, images into the 1960s. In addition, a number of folders include images of transportation modes...
MoreAlthough entitled American Road, the series is comprised primarily of visual documentation of Ford vehicles in the early 1900s, with additional, although fewer, images into the 1960s. In addition, a number of folders include images of transportation modes before the automobile became prominent. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Topics include early roads, road construction, driving conditions, bridges, various utilizations of the Model T, women drivers, railroads, cityscapes, streetscapes, landscapes, and an occasional portrait. Most of the images, but not all, remain in the original format (prints and/or negatives) in various photograph collections held by The Henry Ford. Researchers should note that some images that were originally part of this series were integrated into the Photographic Prints Vertical File, Accession 1660, under the subject term Automobiles, Contemporary.
LessCollection Details
Object ID: 64.167.1859.0
Creator: Ford Motor Company. Archives
Inclusive Dates: 1903-1964
Size: 1.2 cubic ft. (3 boxes)
Language: English
Collection Access & Use
Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit
Access Restrictions: The series is open for research. Access to negatives requires permission of curator.
Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Digitized Artifacts From This Collection
In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.
Rural Dirt Road, 1920-1940
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Among many other things, Ford photographers documented a variety of road conditions and road building. Before automobiles, horse-drawn vehicles used this rural dirt road.
Object ID
64.167.1859.48
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
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Rural Dirt Road, 1920-1940
What is The Henry Ford?
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Workmen on Mountain Road Construction, circa 1900
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
"Roads of the Pacific" was part of the Ford Exhibit, the most popular attraction at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Visitors rode in brand new Ford V-8s over 14 reproductions of famous roads from around the world. To construct a realistic, immersive experience, crews used reference photographs -- like this one -- to recreate sections of historic and modern routes.
Object ID
P.188.11974
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Workmen on Mountain Road Construction, circa 1900
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Stream Below Mountain Road Construction, circa 1900
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
"Roads of the Pacific" was part of the Ford Exhibit, the most popular attraction at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Visitors rode in brand new Ford V-8s over 14 reproductions of famous roads from around the world. To construct a realistic, immersive experience, crews used reference photographs -- like this one -- to recreate sections of historic and modern routes.
Object ID
P.188.11975
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Stream Below Mountain Road Construction, circa 1900
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
New York State Road Before Improvement, 1910
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In the early 1900s, hard surfaced roadways existed only in cities. Most roads were bumpy dirt paths carved with ruts from the narrow wheels of horse-drawn vehicles and torn up by the tires of heavy automobiles. They became rivers of mud at the slightest turn of weather.
Object ID
P.833.99920.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
New York State Road Before Improvement, 1910
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Cars Parked on Lakeside Road, Michigan, circa 1930
Artifact
Photographic print
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
P.O.19109
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Cars Parked on Lakeside Road, Michigan, circa 1930
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
19th Century Illustration Showing a Path through a Primeval Forest
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
This sketch illustrates the often densely forested 19th-century American interior. Such trails could hardly accommodate a horse and rider, yet alone horse-drawn vehicles. The construction of practical transportation routes - roads, canals, and railroads - would be an immense undertaking in the United States throughout the 1800s.
Object ID
P.O.3810
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
19th Century Illustration Showing a Path through a Primeval Forest
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Ford Model T on a Forest Road, British Columbia, Canada, 1913
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
A monthly publication of Ford Motor Company, Ford Times was distributed worldwide at no cost. Its purpose was to cultivate loyalty among Ford owners and attract new customers. Images like this one from the February 1914 issue of Canadian Ford Times suggested the dependability and freedom that came alongside Ford ownership.
Keywords
Object ID
P.O.3984
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Ford Model T on a Forest Road, British Columbia, Canada, 1913
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Auto Parked near the "Leaning Tower," Pisa, Italy, 1950
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Over nearly 100 years, Ford photographers documented company ventures, personal affairs, and daily life around the world. This photograph shows an automobile parked outside the Cathedral and Campanile (free standing bell tower) of Pisa.
Keywords
Object ID
64.167.1859.68
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Auto Parked near the "Leaning Tower," Pisa, Italy, 1950
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thatched-Roof House Alongside a Road, circa 1930
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
"Roads of the Pacific" was part of the Ford Exhibit, the most popular attraction at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Visitors rode in brand new Ford V-8s over 14 reproductions of famous roads from around the world. To construct a realistic, immersive experience, crews used reference photographs -- like this one -- to recreate sections of historic and modern routes.
Object ID
P.189.11555
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thatched-Roof House Alongside a Road, circa 1930
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
