Cook aboard the Ford Motor Company ship "Benson Ford," April 1945
THF114998 / Cook aboard the Ford Motor Company ship "Benson Ford," April 1945
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Artifact Overview
Henry Ford had two freighters built in 1924 and named them after his grandsons, Henry Ford II and Benson Ford. The ships traveled the Great Lakes, transporting raw materials and finished products to and from Ford's Rouge manufacturing complex. In its early years, the Benson Ford carried a crew of 36 -- officers, engineers, oilers, sailors, cooks, and other specialists.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
14 April 1945
Place of Creation
Collection Title
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
64.167.833.P.81666.16.A
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: 11 in
Width: 8.125 in
Keywords |
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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.