"Mowtron Mower" Sign, 1974
01
Artifact Overview
"Mowtron...Mows while you Doze!" The American Marketing and Sales Company stressed computerized operation to encourage adoption of its autonomous lawn mower. The machine followed signals emitted by a transistorized guidance system, eliminating the need for homeowners to dedicate valuable time to lawn care. Built-in features like sensitized bumpers eased safety concerns, though sales fell far short of the company's dreams.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Sign (Declaratory or advertising artifact)
Date Made
1974
Creators
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
2020.131.14
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Metal
Color
Multicolored
Dimensions
Height: 17.25 in
Width: 47.25 in
Length: 0.125 in
Inscriptions
on front:
MOWTRON / AUTOMATIC / LAWNMOWER / Phone / "MOWS WHILE YOU DOZE"
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Artifacts
ArtifactMowtron Mower, Used as a Display Model, 1974
"Mowtron...Mows while you Doze!" The American Marketing and Sales Company stressed computerized operation to encourage adoption of its autonomous lawn mower. The machine followed signals emitted by a transistorized guidance system, eliminating the need for homeowners to dedicate valuable time to lawn care. Built-in features like sensitized bumpers eased safety concerns, though sales fell far short of the company's dreams.
03
Related Content
articleLawns: The Deep Roots of an American Passion
A quintessential icon of modern American suburbia, the “lawn” has roots as deep as America itself.
articleMowtron: The Mower That “Mows While You Doze”
An autonomous lawn mower on sale to the public in 1971? Learn more about the ahead-of-its-time Mowtron, from our collections.
articleTinkering Toward a New Standard: Norman Swanson’s Revolutionary Lawn Mowers
The technological improvements Norman Swanson developed remain standard on many lawn mowers sold today. Learn how he changed the mowing industry on our blog.