Ford Model T Automobile Balancing on a Teeter at the 1910 Seattle State Fair

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Artifact Overview

At the 1910 Seattle State Fair, a Ford dealer demonstrated the Model T's ease of operation by balancing one on a teeter, or seesaw. It must have required some dexterous pedalwork to gently rock the car using the left pedal (low and high forward gear) and the middle pedal (reverse). Stunts like this were part of Ford's innovative advertising strategy.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

15 September 1910

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.O.3756

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 in

Inscriptions

At top: The Model T on a Teeter At bottom: At a recent fair in Seattle, Manager Rice, in his FORD car, was the only one who was able to / balance on the teeter. This was owing to the very simple control of the Ford car.