Henry Ford and Co-Workers at the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit, Michigan, 1892-1893

01

Artifact Overview

In 1891, Henry Ford left his small lumber business to work for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. By early 1894, he would be promoted to chief engineer. In this photograph, Ford stands in the doorway on the right. During his time at the Edison Illuminating Company, Henry Ford - along with some of his coworkers - also built his first horseless carriage, the Quadricycle.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

1892-1893

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.925

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 in
Width: 10 in

Inscriptions

Handwritten in ink on verso: Taken at the State Street entrance to the engine room of the Edison Illuminating Co. of Detroit, Michigan which was located on the S.E. corner of State St. ad Washington Ave. Taken in 1892 or 1893. JWB /. Identification of numbers on print front: No.1-Burt Pettit 2- 3-John A. Ash , Chief Engineer. Died about 1928 or 1929 4- Patrick Cunningham 5-Edward Thomas 6-John Dixson 7-Henry Ford 8-Sandy Sharp 9-James Sullivan 10-William Brown 11-August Newman Employed by Alex Y. Malcomson, Coal Dealer 12-Gus Schultz Employed by Alex Y. Malcomson, Coal Dealer 13- 14-Henry Waldo. also a Malcomson Coalman No 2 and 13 are brothers but names unknown 11-28-32 J.W.B.
Henry Ford and Co-Workers at the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit, Michigan, 1892-1893