Portrait of William Herbert Murphy, Former Detroit Automobile Company Executive, circa 1930

01

Artifact Overview

Detroit lumber merchant William H. Murphy backed Henry Ford's first car company, the Detroit Automobile Company, in 1899. After it failed, Murphy financed Ford's successful 1901 "Sweepstakes" race car. Murphy then supported a second car company, the Henry Ford Company, but parted ways with the firm's namesake when Henry Ford spent too much time designing racers rather than production cars.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

circa 1930

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

P.O.3136

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: 8.125 in

Portrait of William Herbert Murphy, Former Detroit Automobile Company Executive, circa 1930