Modified Screwdriver Used in Automobile Customizing, 1957-1969

01

Artifact Overview

Larry and Mike Alexander used this modified screwdriver at their Detroit, Michigan, custom car shop. The "A Brothers," as they were commonly called, were Detroit's standout car customizers of the 1950s and '60s.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Hand tool

Subject Date

1957-1969

Creator Notes

Screwdriver manufactured by H. D. Smith & Company in Plantsville, Connecticut .The Alexander brothers modified it, probably in the 1950s.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2011.212.8

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Larry and Mike Alexander.

Material

Steel (Alloy)
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 11 in
Width: 1.25 in
Length: 1 in

Inscriptions

Stamped into metal: THE H. D. S. & CO. / PAT. AUG 25 03 / "THE PERFECT HANDLE" / MADE IN PLANTSVILLE, CONN. USA
Modified Screwdriver Used in Automobile Customizing, 1957-1969