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Cartoons Poking Fun at the Ford Soybean Car, 1941

THF103653 / Cartoons Poking Fun at the Ford Soybean Car, 1941
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Artifact Overview

In the 1930s, chemists doing research at Ford's Greenfield Village laboratory discovered that soy-based plastics could be molded into thick, hard sheets. The scientists created prototypes of automobile body parts, like trunk lids. Soon, they envisioned a car with a complete soy-plastic body. Henry Ford unveiled this experimental vehicle in 1941. The "Soybean Car" was abandoned with the U.S. entry into World War II.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

1941

Creator Notes

Original cartoons drawn by Will B. Johnstone.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.D.1224

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: 8.25 in
Width: 10.25 in

Inscriptions

Handwritten in image, lower right corner: To Henry Ford / with best wishes and / compliments of / Will B. Johnstone / Sept 2 1941
Cartoons Poking Fun at the Ford Soybean Car, 1941