Launch of the Benson Ford Freighter as it Hits the Water, April 26, 1924
THF736233 / Launch of the Benson Ford Freighter as it Hits the Water, April 26, 1924
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Artifact Overview
Henry Ford had two ore freighters built in 1924 and named them after his grandsons, Henry Ford II and Benson Ford. The ships plied the Great Lakes, transporting raw materials and finished products to and from Ford's River Rouge manufacturing complex. This photo shows the Benson Ford being launched at the Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse, Michigan.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
26 April 1924
Subject Date
26 April 1924
Place of Creation
Collection Title
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
64.167.833.P.37398
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 7.5 in
Width: 11.938 in
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Related Content
SetHenry Ford II and Benson Ford: Ore Carriers of the Great Lakes
- 23 Artifacts
In 1923, Henry Ford ordered two 600-foot-long lake freighters to transport raw materials — iron ore, coal, limestone, and other bulk products — to and from his massive River Rouge manufacturing complex. Ford named the motorships after his grandsons, Henry Ford II and Benson Ford. By the summer of 1924, both freighters were plying the waters of the Great Lakes, becoming workhorses for Ford Motor Company for more than fifty years.