Champion Egg Case Machine, 1900-1925

The Henry Ford marks its 90th anniversary in 2019. In celebration, The Henry Ford's curators have taken a decade-by-decade look at how our collections have grown -- through significant additions and evolving philosophies. This set looks at some of the objects and archives collected during the 2010s.

Eggs are familiar. They're available nearly everywhere Americans shop for food and appear daily on menus at homes and restaurants across the country. What's less familiar is the story of their rise from products of the family farm to a major agricultural commodity. This group of artifacts helps document that story, revealing important developments in egg production and distribution and exploring consumers' evolving relationship with eggs.

"Combines" combine the major tasks of grain harvest: cutting and gathering the crop, threshing and separating the kernels from the chaff, and disposing of the straw. The Massey-Harris Model 20, introduced in 1938, culminated over 100 years of mechanical improvements. One driver operated the self-propelled machine, which reduced the need for hired help during the labor shortages of World War II.

We're celebrating our 90th birthday by looking, decade by decade, at significant additions to our collection. During the 2010s we acquired a functional Apple 1 computer, significant materials from La-Z-Boy, and a first generation GM self-driving car.