Conestoga Wagon in Henry Ford Museum, circa 1941

THF716708 / Conestoga Wagon in Henry Ford Museum, circa 1941
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Artifact Overview

Irving Bacon, a Ford Motor Company employee and Henry Ford's personal artist, created pen-and-ink drawings to illustrate guidebooks for the Edison Institute Museum and Greenfield Village (now The Henry Ford) when they officially opened to the public in 1933. An illustrated souvenir guidebook helped visitors navigate the exhibits and grounds. Ford also used these drawings in other company publications.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Drawing (Visual work)

Subject Date

circa 1941

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

EI.174.122

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cardboard
illustration board

Technique

Drawing (Image-making)

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 15 in
Width: 20 in

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    Conestoga Wagon, circa 1840

    Conestoga wagons first appeared in Pennsylvania's Conestoga River valley about 1750. Designed for freight, the Conestoga's curved body tended to keep the load in the center, rather than shifting it toward the rear. The Conestoga's popularity peaked in the first half of the 19th century -- before railroads replaced it for hauling agricultural products and manufactured goods.