Letter from Charles Duryea to Henry Ford regarding the Selden Patent Suit Decision, 1911

THF255719 / Letter from Charles Duryea to Henry Ford regarding the Selden Patent Suit Decision, 1911
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Artifact Overview

Henry Ford's 1911 court victory over the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers and its Selden Patent helped establish his status as a folk hero. Plucky Ford Motor Company went up against moneyed special interests and won. This letter, from Charles Duryea, congratulates Ford on his victory. Duryea was an automotive pioneer himself, having formed his first car company in 1895.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Letter (Correspondence)

Date Made

14 January 1911

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

64.167.2.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Ink

Technique

Typewriting

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)
Blue

Dimensions

Height: 11 in
Width: 8.5 in

Inscriptions

text of letter: 14th January 1911 / Ford Motor Co / Dear Mr Ford / My heartiest congratulations! / It was a plucky, hard, and above all an honest fight. / I hope the great American public will awake to the result and / not fail to appreciate the champion of their rights against trust / methods, to the fullest. / Very truly, / Chas. E. Duryea
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