"Park and Shop" Board Game, 1960

The Henry Ford marks its 90th anniversary in 2019. In celebration, The Henry Ford's curators have taken a decade-by-decade look at how our collections have grown -- through significant additions and evolving philosophies. This set looks at some of the objects and archives collected during the 1990s.

America's cars symbolize mobility, but they spend 95 percent of their time parked. Storing cars is a longstanding challenge, and every solution brings new problems. Parking lots and structures transform urban and suburban landscapes, parking meters and tickets exasperate city drivers, and residential garages have moved from the back yard onto the house itself. There are as many as a billion parking spots in the United States -- one heck of a lot.

Board games have engaged Americans in friendly competition for two hundred years. Reaching their height of popularity from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, board games remain a widespread leisure activity. Colorful graphics and a playful purpose belie their cultural significance, but a closer look reveals important shifts in American society.

We're celebrating our 90th birthday by looking, decade by decade, at significant additions to our collection. During the 1990s, we acquired the 1906 "Old 16" race car, a 1969 tomato harvester, and a Lost in Space lunchbox, among others.