Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
THF267115 / Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into 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. Afterwards, Ford watched his friend and personal hero write his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
27 September 1928
Place of Creation
Collection Title
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5521
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
Width: 11 in
Height: 8 in
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Related Artifacts
ArtifactCornerstone 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.