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Origins of
The Henry Ford
We are often asked about the origins of The Henry Ford. What was Henry Ford thinking when he built the museum and the village? Why did he build it? What did he hope to accomplish?
Although Henry Ford had developed from a farm boy with a mechanical bent into one of the world’s most powerful and wealthy industrialists, he and his wife, Clara, never forgot the values of the rural life they had left behind. As the inventor of the Model T and champion of the assembly line, Henry Ford was aware of the changes that the automobile and growing industrialization could and would bring to the way of life in rural America. Collecting the tangible evidence of America’s pre- and early industrial history eventually became Henry Ford’s passion. In the early 1900s he began accumulating items associated with his lifelong hero, Thomas Edison.
He started storing a few miscellaneous items picked up through the years in a spare office at the Ford Motor Company’s Highland Park plant as early as 1906-07. By the 1910s, the clocks and watches he had loved tinkering with and repairing since childhood days had grown into a collection. He had also accumulated many other “artifacts” along with inventions and tools that he felt exemplified ordinary Americans’ day-to-day lives.
In 1916, the Chicago Tribune printed a series of three articles based on interviews with Henry Ford, calling Ford “an anarchist” and “an ignorant idealist.” Ford sued for libel for $1 million with the case coming to trial in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, in 1919. In one of the original articles, the Tribune quoted Ford as saying, “history is more or less bunk.” During the trial, the defense attorneys, trying to prove Ford’s “ignorance,” quizzed him on this statement, and Ford responded with, “I did not say it was bunk. It was bunk to me, but I did not say…”
What you could say is, Henry Ford never really believed that “history is bunk.” He believed that the kind of history taught in schools, the history that emphasized kings and generals—and omitted ordinary folks and the tools of everyday life—was useless. As he told his secretary, Ernest G. Liebold, on the way home from the trial (from Accession 65, Oral Reminiscences of Ernest Liebold. Volume 11, p.890):
“We’re going to start something. I’m going to start up a museum and give people a true picture of the development of the country. That’s the only history that is worth observing, that you can preserve in itself. We’re going to build a museum that’s going to show industrial history, and it won’t be bunk! We’ll show the people what actually existed in years gone by and we’ll show the actual development of American industry from the early days, from the earliest days that we can recollect up to the present day.”
After ten more years of collecting, planning, and finally building this dream, the Edison Institute—the original name of The Henry Ford—opened on October 21, 1929. Henry Ford dedicated this institution to his friend Thomas Edison, and celebrated with a grand opening known as Light’s Golden Jubilee, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his invention of the electric light.
Henry Ford created a remarkable collection that tells stories of ordinary and extraordinary people. Some of these people and their ideas changed our lives. Today, our collections both honor and build upon Henry Ford’s legacy.
Further Research
- Bryan, Ford R., and edited by Sarah Evans. Henry’s Attic: Some Fascinating Gifts to Henry Ford and His Museum. Dearborn, MI: Ford Books, 1995.
- Miller, Jeanine Head,…[et al.], and Judith E. Endelman and Wendy Metros, editors. Telling America’s Story: A History of The Henry Ford. Dearborn, MI: The Henry Ford; Virginia Beach, VA: Donning Co. Publishers, c2010.
- Upward, Geoffrey C. A Home for Our Heritage: the Building and Growth of Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum, 1929-1979. Dearborn, MI: Henry Ford Museum Press, [1979].
- Watts, Steven. The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century. New York: Alfred A.ding this dream, the Edison Institute—the original name of The Henry Ford—opened on October 21, 1929. Henry Ford dedicated this institution to his friend Thomas Edison, and celebrated with a grand opening known as Light’s Golden Jubilee, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his invention of the electric light.
Related Content
Artifacts Related to Origins of The Henry Ford
Aerial View of Greenfield Village, 1939
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Henry Ford's Edison Institute was ten years old when this aerial photograph was taken in 1939. Greenfield Village grew considerably in its first decade. Notable additions included the Sir John Bennett store, added in 1931, and the Wright Cycle Shop and Wright Home, completed in 1938. All three buildings are visible near the center of the photo.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.44984.A
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Aerial View of Greenfield Village, 1939
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.
Aerial View of Henry Ford Museum under Construction, Late October or Early November 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Henry Ford commissioned architect Robert O. Derrick to design the museum building for his Edison Institute. By late October 1929 the front portion of the building, inspired by Philadelphia's Independence Hall, was sufficiently completed to host the institute's Light's Golden Jubilee dedication banquet. Construction wasn't fully finished until the mid-1930s.
Keywords
Object ID
EI.1929.P.O.5826
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Aerial View of Henry Ford Museum under Construction, Late October or Early November 1929
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.
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison at Dedication of Menlo Park Glass House, Greenfield Village, 1929
Details
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison at Dedication of Menlo Park Glass House, Greenfield Village, 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison posed with a pair of light bulbs at the dedication of the Menlo Park Glass House, newly relocated to Greenfield Village, on June 6, 1929. The building was a surviving structure from Edison's Menlo Park laboratory complex. It was given to Ford by General Electric -- the corporate descendent of Edison's electricity-related companies -- in 1928.
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Incandescent lamps (Lighting device components)
Relocated buildings and structures
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931
Henry Ford (Organization). Greenfield Village
Object ID
P.O.5611
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison at Dedication of Menlo Park Glass House, Greenfield Village, 1929
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.
Panorama of Menlo Park Compound Construction Site, Greenfield Village, 1928-1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
1928-1929
Summary
In 1928, Henry Ford commissioned a painstaking reconstruction of Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory for Greenfield Village. Researchers referenced photographs and reminiscences from Edison's early employees, and crews incorporated salvaged materials and original structures from the laboratory's long-abandoned New Jersey site. Construction was completed by October 1929, when Ford dedicated his museum and village as the Edison Institute of Technology.
Creators
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Henry Ford (Organization). Greenfield Village
Object ID
P.ECP.107
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Panorama of Menlo Park Compound Construction Site, Greenfield Village, 1928-1929
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.
Pictorial Map of Edison Institute Museum & Historical Greenfield Village, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
1934
Summary
This 1934 map illustrated Greenfield Village's layout five years after the Edison Institute's dedication and one year after the village opened to the public. Many buildings had already been added, and streets had been named. The steamboat Suwanee was shown at the top center, but the circular Suwanee Lagoon would not be dredged until 1937.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
EI.1929.P.A.8972
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Pictorial Map of Edison Institute Museum & Historical Greenfield Village, 1934
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.
Henry Ford, Herbert Hoover, and Thomas Edison in Greenfield Village, October 21, 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
On October 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted an elaborate celebration in Dearborn, Michigan, to honor his friend Thomas A. Edison. Known as Light's Golden Jubilee, the date marked the 50th anniversary of Edison's invention of a practical incandescent lamp. The day's festivities began with Edison's arrival -- escorted by Ford and President Hoover -- at Smiths Creek Station in Ford's Greenfield Village.
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931
Object ID
P.LGJ.22
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford, Herbert Hoover, and Thomas Edison in Greenfield Village, October 21, 1929
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.
Nighttime Lighting Rehearsal at Henry Ford Museum, Preparing for Light's Golden Jubilee, October 18, 1929
Details
Nighttime Lighting Rehearsal at Henry Ford Museum, Preparing for Light's Golden Jubilee, October 18, 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Henry Ford hosted the Light's Golden Jubilee to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the incandescent electric lamp and officially dedicate the Edison Institute of Technology (Ford's village and museum in Dearborn, Michigan) to his dear friend, Thomas Edison. This photograph shows a nighttime lighting rehearsal in preparation for the gala on October 21, 1929.
Place of Creation
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.1234.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Nighttime Lighting Rehearsal at Henry Ford Museum, Preparing for Light's Golden Jubilee, October 18, 1929
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.
Henry Ford and Clara Ford, Thomas Edison and Mina Edison in Menlo Park Laboratory before Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1929
Details
Henry Ford and Clara Ford, Thomas Edison and Mina Edison in Menlo Park Laboratory before Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the incandescent electric lamp, Henry Ford hosted the Light's Golden Jubilee in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford chose the occasion to dedicate Greenfield Village to his friend, Thomas Edison. During the festivities, Ford, Edison and their wives posed for this photograph in Greenfield Village's detailed reproduction of Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Incandescent lamps (Lighting device components)
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931
Edison, Mina Miller, 1865-1947
Henry Ford (Organization). Greenfield Village
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.1264
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford and Clara Ford, Thomas Edison and Mina Edison in Menlo Park Laboratory before Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1929
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.
Henry Ford Greeting Arriving Guests before Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
On October 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted an elaborate celebration in Dearborn, Michigan, to honor his friend Thomas A. Edison. Known as Light's Golden Jubilee, the event marked the 50th anniversary of Edison's invention of the first practical incandescent electric lamp. This photograph shows Henry Ford greeting a number of distinguished invited guests.
Keywords
Object ID
2013.0.4.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford Greeting Arriving Guests before Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1929
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.
Light's Golden Jubilee and Dedication of Edison Institute by Irving Bacon, Painted 1945
Artifact
Oil painting (Visual work)
Date Made
1945
Summary
Henry Ford planned the dedication of his museum complex to coincide with the 50th anniversary in October 1929 of Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent lamp. Surprisingly, there were no photographs taken of the Light's Golden Jubilee banquet so, in the mid-1930s, Ford asked his staff artist, Irving Bacon, to capture the event in this panoramic painting, which took over a decade to complete.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Incandescent lamps (Lighting device components)
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931
Object ID
46.79.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Henry and Clara Ford
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Light's Golden Jubilee and Dedication of Edison Institute by Irving Bacon, Painted 1945
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.
Invitation to Light's Golden Jubilee Celebration and Edison Institute Dedication, Dearborn, Michigan, 1929
Details
Invitation to Light's Golden Jubilee Celebration and Edison Institute Dedication, Dearborn, Michigan, 1929
Artifact
Invitation
Date Made
1929
Summary
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the incandescent electric lamp, Henry Ford hosted the Light's Golden Jubilee in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford chose the occasion to dedicate the Edison Institute of Technology to his dear friend, Thomas Edison. Many celebrities accepted invitations to the gala, including President and Mrs. Herbert Hoover, Orville Wright, George Eastman, Marie Curie, and Will Rogers.
Keywords
Object ID
EI.52.5
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Invitation to Light's Golden Jubilee Celebration and Edison Institute Dedication, Dearborn, Michigan, 1929
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.
Henry Ford Watching Thomas Edison Sign Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5524
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford Watching Thomas Edison Sign Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
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.
Cornerstone of Edison Institute Signed by Thomas A. Edison, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Cornerstone
Date Made
1928
Summary
The cornerstone commemorates the dedication of The Henry Ford. It suggests a union of nature (Luther Burbank's spade) and technology (Edison's signature and footprints). That unity is borne out by the block itself, made from Portland cement refined from blast furnace slag at the Ford's Rouge plant--a great example of Henry Ford approaching industry like a good farmer, denying the concept of waste.
Place of Creation
Object ID
28.376.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Cornerstone of Edison Institute Signed by Thomas A. Edison, September 27, 1928
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.
Thomas Edison, President Herbert Hoover and Henry Ford at Smiths Creek Depot during Lights Golden Jubilee, October 21, 1929
Details
Thomas Edison, President Herbert Hoover and Henry Ford at Smiths Creek Depot during Lights Golden Jubilee, October 21, 1929
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
On October 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted an elaborate celebration in Dearborn, Michigan, to honor his friend Thomas A. Edison. Known as Light's Golden Jubilee, the date marked the 50th anniversary of Edison's invention of a practical incandescent lamp. The day's festivities began with Edison's arrival -- escorted by Ford and President Hoover -- at Smiths Creek Station in Ford's Greenfield Village.
Keywords
United States, Michigan, Dearborn
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931
Object ID
EI.1929.P.O.5344
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison, President Herbert Hoover and Henry Ford at Smiths Creek Depot during Lights Golden Jubilee, October 21, 1929
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.
