Robert Boyer and Henry Ford in a Soybean Field, 1936

Summary

Chemist Robert Boyer, pictured here with Henry Ford, oversaw a series of experiments at Greenfield Village's Soybean Laboratory. The undertaking resulted in a plastic-bodied car. Henry Ford had a strong interest in plastic automobile parts. Always partial to projects combining industry with agriculture, Ford hoped plastic made from soybeans might be developed into a safe, strong substitute for traditional metals.

Chemist Robert Boyer, pictured here with Henry Ford, oversaw a series of experiments at Greenfield Village's Soybean Laboratory. The undertaking resulted in a plastic-bodied car. Henry Ford had a strong interest in plastic automobile parts. Always partial to projects combining industry with agriculture, Ford hoped plastic made from soybeans might be developed into a safe, strong substitute for traditional metals.

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

15 October 1936

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.188.17751

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 10 in

Width: 8 in

Related Content

Connect 3

Discover curious connections between artifacts.

Learn More