Celebrating 90 — Collecting through the Decades: 1990s

In the 1990s, collecting objects that reflected social and technological history of the second half of the 20th century increasingly became a focus. This 1960 Park and Shop game — representing a typical shopping center of the era, complete with parking lot — mirrored the rapid suburbanization of the post-World War II era as people moved from cities into the surrounding new suburbs. —Jeanine Head Miller, curator of domestic life

During the 1990s, the museum leadership actively sought to represent more diverse American voices at Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. In response, a collections task force called for an increase in the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the collections. Curators purchased images, like this one, that depicted the lives of African Americans, Jews, and immigrant populations. —Andy Stupperich, associate curator, digital content

In the 1990s curators sought out Arts and Crafts era objects — especially those made by women — such as this charming silver and enameled jam dish and spoon, made about 1905 by silversmith Mary Winlock. Winlock was educated at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the 1890s, and in 1903 she joined the Handicraft Shop, an artist cooperative, where she sold her distinctive enameled silver and jewelry. —Charles Sable, curator of decorative arts

The Henry Ford's collection of mid-20th century design expanded as the century came to a close. In 1992, the Herman Miller furniture company donated a substantial collection of material designed by Alexander Girard, the Director of Design of Herman Miller's textile division from 1952-1973. Girard's incredible eye for color, texture, and whimsy helped transform the aesthetic of the modern movement. —Katherine White, associate curator

A team of engineers designed this large machine to harvest a delicate crop — tomatoes mass-produced and processed into inexpensive canned goods. Tomato genetic research in California made the machine viable but a dealer in Ohio sold it to a northern Illinois truck farming family. Its story is essential to conveying the massive scale required to put canned tomatoes on grocery store shelves. —Debra Reid, curator of agriculture and the environment

In the 1990s, the museum assessed its holdings and developed guidelines for future collecting. The acquisition of pictorial lunchboxes in 1999 reflected a new focus on post-World War II America. Introduced in 1950, pictorial lunchboxes relate to mass media, merchandising, and the Baby Boomer generation. Curators selected lunchboxes representing current events and popular culture, especially TV shows and movies. —Saige Jedele, associate curator

The Henry Ford holds several landmark race cars, but none may be more significant than "Old 16," winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup. The legendary Locomobile was the first American car to win America's first great international race, and it served notice that U.S. cars were every bit as good as their European counterparts. Never restored, "Old 16" looks much like it did at the time of its victory. —Matt Anderson, curator of transportation