Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928

THF267107 / Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
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Artifact Overview

September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

27 September 1928

Subject Date

27 September 1928

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

EI.1929.P.188.5501

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 in

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    Artifact

    Cornerstone of Edison Institute Signed by Thomas A. Edison, September 27, 1928

    The cornerstone commemorates the dedication of The Henry Ford. It suggests a union of nature (Luther Burbank's spade) and technology (Edison's signature and footprints). That unity is borne out by the block itself, made from Portland cement refined from blast furnace slag at the Ford's Rouge plant--a great example of Henry Ford approaching industry like a good farmer, denying the concept of waste.