Henry Ford's First Violin, 1880-1900

Henry Ford began restoration of his Dearborn, Michigan, birthplace in 1919. He repaired or replaced the farm buildings and filled the small, white clapboard house with original or similar furnishings he remembered from his boyhood. He dedicated the restoration to the memory of his beloved mother, Mary Litogot Ford, who died in 1876. In 1944, the house and outbuildings were moved to Greenfield Village.

Henry Ford loved music-especially the fiddle tunes he enjoyed at the country dances of his youth. As a young man, Ford bought this inexpensive fiddle and learned to play it a bit. Though he was never able to play as well as he would have wished, Ford's love of the fiddle and rural dance music remained with him throughout his life.

This week on “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation,” you’ll learn about Henry Ford's impressive violin collection.

To commemorate the 150th birthday of our institution's founder, Henry Ford, we've just assembled 17 digital collections of artifacts that represent major themes in Henry’s life. Learn more and check them out on our blog.