The Rouge as Seen by Diego Rivera

44 artifacts in this set

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The staff at The Henry Ford

See the Ford River Rouge Plant as Diego Rivera might have seen it, in photos dating from Rivera's time in Detroit and the five preceding years. These views inspired the Detroit Industry frescoes at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Detailed Description

Criss-crossed Conveyors at Ford Rouge Plant, 1927

Photographic print

In 1927, Ford Motor Company commissioned Charles Sheeler to do a series of documentary photographs of its River Rouge industrial complex near Dearborn, Michigan. The conveyors moved coal and coke to the pulverizing building and screening stations. Coke made from coal was used in the steelmaking process of the blast furnaces. This vigorous photograph shows Sheeler's ability to form a compelling image from a complicated scene.