In the 1930s and especially after the Second World War, American greeting card companies began hiring well-known artists and illustrators to design Christmas cards. Artist-designed cards enticed customers to purchase a company's cards, sometimes sold at a slightly higher price. For the artists, creating holiday cards expanded their artistic expression and provided an avenue for greater name recognition. Designing Christmas cards also supplemented incomes for artists and illustrators when other work became unpredictable. A ready pool of artists found success as production designers, animators, and illustrators in the West Coast film and movie industry — notably at Walt Disney Studios. Along with this studio talent, Walt Disney hired other well-established artists to work on his animation projects. Not only did these artists create classic animated films, but they also designed memorable holiday greeting cards.
Christmas card, 1945. Procession of Children with Candles — "Los Posadas." Artwork by Mary Blair from the Walt Disney Film The Three Caballeros. / THF715961
Mary Browne Robinson [later Mary Blair] (1911-1978) was born in McAlester, Oklahoma. Her family moved to California in the early 1920s, and she attended San Jose State College, where she majored in fine art. A gifted and talented young artist, Blair received a scholarship to the prestigious Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles in 1931, where she aspired to be an illustrator. During the 1930s, she became one of the few women members of the California Water Color Society and exhibited her works throughout the country. She married fellow artist Lee Blair in 1934. As the Great Depression lingered, both turned to Southern California's animation industry to augment their incomes, working for Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, and, most notably, Walt Disney.
Mary Blair went to work for Walt Disney in 1940, following her husband Lee, who had joined the studio a few years earlier. At Disney, Blair created watercolor concept art for new films but was not happy working in animation — she had the artistic ambition of working in commercial illustration. Blair left the company in 1941, only to be rehired to accompany her husband on a research trip Walt Disney planned to Latin America for a Good Neighbor policy tour sponsored by the United States. She flourished on the tour, and Walt took notice of her work. Over the next twelve years, Blair would research and create concept artwork for numerous Disney projects, including The Three Caballeros (1944), Make Mine Music (1946), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). Blair left the company again in the mid-1950s and returned to the work she loved — illustration and advertising design. Her diverse accomplishments encompassed clothing and textile design, children's book illustrations, commercial advertisement and greeting card design, high-end department store window displays, and Broadway and Hollywood film industry projects. Disney never forgot Blair, eventually hiring her to create special project murals and designing "It's a Small World" — a ride experience for the 1964 World's Fair, which later was moved to Disneyland.
Christmas card, 1952. "Christmas Carrousel." Artwork by Richmond "Dick" Kelsey. / THF702987
Dick Kelsey
Richmond "Dick" Kelsey (1905-1987) was born in San Diego, California, and studied art at the Otis Art Institute and the Art Center School in Los Angeles. Kelsey, a noted watercolorist in the 1930s, had works exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute and the 1935 California-Pacific International Exposition in San Diego. He was a member of the American Watercolor Society and California Watercolor Society.
In 1938, Kelsey began working for Walt Disney Studios on several of their animated films: Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi. As one of the art directors for Disney, Kelsey worked closely with the directors, helping to establish the mood, staging, and color of the animated production. He left to serve in World War II but returned after the war and worked on other Disney projects, as a writer for Alice in Wonderland and as a background artist for Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Among his other works, Kelsey assisted in the design of Disneyland, illustrated children's books based on Disney characters and stories, and designed holiday greeting cards. Kelsey, a mentor to other Disney artists, encouraged others to pursue Christmas card design. One artist was Tyrus Wong, whose atmospheric backgrounds for Bambi captured the spirit of the forest that inspired the film's visual style — a style later translated into Christmas cards.
Christmas card, 1955. "Christmas Herald." Artwork by Ralph Hulett. / THF703002
Ralph Hulett
Ralph Hulett (1915-1974) attended high school in Glendale, California, after his family had moved from Illinois, where he was born. The artistically talented student received a four-year scholarship to Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. Like many who attended Chouinard, Hulett became a member of the California Watercolor Society, exhibiting and selling his works through local galleries. Many of his works depict scenes of California and Mexico. Hulett also was a member of the American Watercolor Society and exhibited in its annual New York City shows.
Walt Disney Studios hired Ralph Hulett to work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while he was still attending Chouinard, which became a full-time role after his graduation. Throughout his lifelong career at Disney, Hulett created backgrounds for several of the Studio's famous animated shorts and features, including Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and The Jungle Book. In the 1940s, Hulett began creating Christmas cards for greeting card companies — notably Designers Showcase and California Artists — turning out hundreds of holiday designs over the next thirty years.
Eyvind Earle
Christmas card, 1955. "Mailbox in the Snow." Artwork by Eyvind Earle. / THF703008
Eyvind Earle (1916-2000) began working for Walt Disney Studios in the early 1950s as an assistant background painter, designing static backdrops for animated films. His first project was Peter Pan, and he later created some concept art for other films, including Lady and the Tramp. But Earle's lasting impact came when Walt Disney tapped him for the overall production design for Sleeping Beauty, including its styling, background, and color. The film's backgrounds were lush, detailed, and enchanting — a departure from previous Disney projects — and are now a highly acclaimed animation achievement.
Christmas card, 1942. An early card design by Eyvind Earle for Earle and Ball, Inc. / THF702955
Earle, however, was a recognized artist and Christmas card designer well before he went to work for Walt Disney — and remained so after he left the company in the 1960s. When Earle was ten, his father challenged him to read fifty pages of a book or create a painting a day; Earle did both. His artistic skill developed, and by fourteen, Earle had his first one-artist show. During the Depression, at twenty-one, he biked and painted his way across the United States. In 1939, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased one of his works for its permanent collection. It was also in the late 1930s, during the lingering Depression, that Earle began creating artwork for holiday cards. Earle and his mother printed the cards by hand for the first year. Over the next few years, he teamed up with friends and formed companies to sell his holiday design products — first Monroe and Earle, then Earle and Ball. His design relationship with the later company lasted until he was drafted into the Navy in 1943. By then, producing Christmas cards had become a passion — Earle would create more than 800 designs over the rest of his life.
Andy Stupperich is an associate curator at The Henry Ford.
All-new interactives await guests of all ages and abilities in the reimagined Texaco Service Station Experience. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Young visitors to The Henry Ford will find a new group of interactive experiences in the reimagined service garage at our Texaco Service Station. Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, we've been able to redesign and reopen this space that had been closed since 2018. Our Texaco Service Station Experience is more inclusive and accessible than ever before, with activities geared to guests of all abilities and varying age groups.
The new interactives are based on the actual work that took place in automotive service garages across the United States throughout the mid-20th century. Each activity is rooted in Model i, The Henry Ford's signature learning framework focusing on the actions and habits of innovators. Six concepts are highlighted in the garage: Diagnose, Assemble, Inspect, Maintain, Repair and Test.
Guests build electrical circuits and find the right tool for the job in the Test and Repair interactives. / Photo by Matt Anderson
“Test” is centered on the electrical systems that power everything from a car's spark plugs to its horn. In this activity, guests make an electrical circuit using puzzle pieces connecting the battery with the horn, headlights and turn signals. Build the circuit correctly and you’ll see these various components work. But if they don't power up as expected, then you can go back to your circuit to find and fix the wrong puzzle pieces. Next to “Test” is the “Repair” station, where visitors discover valve covers with various fasteners. The challenge is to match nuts, bolts and screws with the tools that fit them, whether it's an open-end wrench, a socket wrench or a flathead or square screwdriver.
Guests can perform routine maintenance tasks like checking tire pressure or oil level. / Photo by Matt Anderson
The “Maintain” activity contains three routine maintenance tasks familiar to any driver: checking tire pressure, oil level and battery charge. Guests push down on a T-handle plunger and watch a tire pressure gauge as it moves between "low" and "high." When the center of the gauge lights up, you know you've got it right. Pull on a dipstick to check engine oil and you're rewarded with an amusing slide whistle glissando. And in a nod to the growing popularity of electric vehicles, guests can charge a pair of EV batteries using a paddle charger inspired by the type used with the General Motors EV1.
The basic workings of a four-stroke internal combustion engine are shown by this cutaway model. / Photo by Matt Anderson
The "Inspect" area includes an interactive that might appeal to adults as much as to children. We've created a cutaway model of a V-8 engine. Spin the red dial under the crankshaft and you can watch as pistons move up and down and valves open and close. What’s more, colored lights flash in sequence to illustrate ignition and exhaust within the two visible cylinders. As sophisticated as modern internal combustion engines are, most still use the same four-stoke cycle developed by Nikolaus Otto in the 1870s.
Guests assemble major automobile components in this puzzle activity. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Automobiles depend on multiple systems that work together to move the car. Young visitors discover some of the more significant ones in the service station's “Assemble” zone. Large puzzle pieces represent things like the engine, battery, driveshaft, muffler and tires on a typical car. Moving these pieces into their proper locations helps to show how they all work together to keep motorists moving down the road.
Youngsters can examine worn tire treads at this interactive station. / Photo by Matt Anderson
The station's "Diagnose" area is where the rubber meets the road. Children are invited to inspect a set of tires, looking for damage like a puncture from a nail or wear to the tread. This activity is a good reminder that today's highly reliable cars and trucks still depend on components that wear out with use and need replacing.
This scaled-down 1964 Ford Falcon replica hangs over the garage, allowing young visitors to see the car's undercarriage. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Visitors might recognize an old favorite returning from the previous version of the Texaco garage. Our scaled-down replica of a 1964 Ford Falcon, which previously sat on the garage floor, now hangs from the ceiling as if raised on a lift. This new placement lets visitors get a look at the car's undercarriage, as well as major components like the drivetrain and exhaust system. It all neatly mirrors the nearby "Assemble" puzzle activity.
Each of these new interactives was conceived, designed and built based on guest feedback and guidance from The Henry Ford's own accessibility advisory group. The activities bring new ideas and educational opportunities to the Texaco garage, and they make more efficient and effective use of the space. We're eager to share the reimagined Texaco Service Station Experience with everyone.
Matt Anderson is Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford.
Detroit Red Wings logo from the Hydrotherapy Room in the players' locker room. Credit: Photograph courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Allison Farrand, photographer.
The Performance team plays a crucial role in an athlete's health and abilities on the ice. The Detroit Red Wings Performance team consists of athletic trainers, physical therapists, a massage therapist, a dietitian, medical doctors, a dentist, and a chiropractor. Their work, aided by various tools, modalities, and nutrition plans, ensures players are both physically and mentally fit for the demands of the game.
One of the ways training staff does this is through sleep pattern analysis of data from a player's Oura Ring. The Oura Ring provides round-the-clock insights into sleep, fitness, and stress for wellness and helps determine a player's recovery and stress levels.
This data, an example of which is shown here, helps the performance team optimize recovery and energy with the ability to adjust conditioning based on the player's needs. Credits: Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Lisa McDowell, dietitian.
Players are instructed on best practices for the best sleep environment at home and when traveling for road games. One of the most important factors in maintaining quality sleep is optimizing circadian rhythm. Players need approximately eight to ten hours of sleep with two of those hours coming from Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep and two to three hours coming from deep sleep. A poor night's sleep results in higher injury risk, slower speed and reaction time, lower testosterone, and impaired glycogen stores. Athletes recover physically during the deep sleep phases as growth hormone and testosterone are released for recovery. REM sleep allows for emotional recovery which is crucial to maintaining a player's peak mental health.
With frequent time zone changes and schedule shifts, a player's sleep routine is often impacted. To offset these disturbances and post-game adrenaline, the performance dietitian provides products such as tart cherry juice, chamomile tea, kiwi, nuts and magnesium, which are crucial for a great night's sleep. Drinks like ginger/turmeric shots and berry protein shakes accelerate recovery and reduce oxidative stress. Magnesium supplements and magnesium-rich foods also promote muscle relaxation and stress reduction.
Another key ingredient for an athlete's peak performance levels is arriving on game day well rested, hydrated, and fueled. Each player's nutrition plan is specific to them and based on genetics, body composition, blood work, metabolism, and personal preferences.
Each player can participate in a sports performance blood work panel and genetic testing. Body composition is also measured, and the goals are included as part of the nutrition plan. We are what we eat, and every choice matters; each player's nutrition routine is individualized to optimize performance, endurance, recovery, and overall health.
Sample meal plan for breakfast and protein shake. Credits: Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Lisa McDowell, dietitian.
Sample meal plan for lunch and afternoon snack. Credits: Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Lisa McDowell, dietitian.
Sample meal plan for dinner. Credits: Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Lisa McDowell, dietitian.
Sample meal plan for a night-time snack. Credits: Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Lisa McDowell, dietitian.
Attention to recovery after the game is part of the strategy to optimize the next day's performance. A hockey game typically lasts approximately two and a half hours, so restoring glycogen is paramount for back-to-back games. Most athletes can store enough muscle glycogen to fuel an entire game. Topping off glycogen stores before puck drop is one way to achieve this, through food choices that maximize metabolic efficiency and blood sugar stability.
Nutrition plans often include types of food referred to as "superfoods," examples of which are shown in the chart above. As the slide says, these foods help decrease inflammation and support hormones through naturally occurring bioactives. Credits: Courtesy of Detroit Red Wings. Lisa McDowell, dietitian.
On a similar note, nutrition plans are modified for illness and injury. Specific protocols for problems involving soft tissue, bones, concussions, gastrointestinal infections, and others are used by the performance team when helping players recover. These protocols also provide evidence-based micro and macro nutrients to accelerate healing and reduce days off the ice.
From a nutrition perspective, recovery begins as soon as the game ends. The minute the players begin to drink their recovery shakes and ginger/turmeric shots, the body begins the process of muscle repair. Food is provided as soon as the players have an appetite to eat (within an hour) to allow for optimal glycogen repletion and muscle protein synthesis. Certain bioactives found in food also help with recovery signaling by mitigating inflammation.
You can see other examples of the tools and modalities mentioned here at the HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever exhibition now through January 5.
A special thank you goes out to massage therapist Britta Ottoboni and team dietitian Lisa McDowell of the Detroit Red Wings. They not only provided input on this blog but also made significant contributions to the Performance Team display in the HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever exhibition.
Written by Cory Nummer, Curator, Curation & Collections, Ilitch Companies.
Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, America was legally ruled by segregation—the separation of citizens based on race and ethnicity. These laws, both formally written into law and local, societal norms, often were based on the historic Black Codes (or Code Noire in French-speaking Louisiana), which dictated how African Americans were to interact with whites: from where one was able to buy a house or allowed to live generally, to stepping off the curb when passing whites on the sidewalk. These laws became known colloquially as “Jim Crow” laws.
An interesting artifact in the collection of The Henry Ford is a “Jim Crow” cookie cutter (circa 1840-1870) dating from the earliest years of transition in forms of racial oppression / THF169389
Who Was Jim Crow?
He was a folk character popularized by white minstrel performer Thomas D. Rice and popularized in 1828. Jim Crow laws, put in place by local and state governments across the country, enforced racial segregation in public spaces and life. Stereotypes were popular ways of maintaining and promoting racial hierarchies and spreading distrust of “The Other” within white U.S. society. The Jim Crow stereotype became a popular form of not only diminishing African American cultural practices and physical differences to people of European descent but also normalizing thinking of them as lesser people.
The most sinister aspect of Jim Crow was how embedded it was in the everyday life of every American. Given that the music of the time was established in the minstrel scene, it isn't surprising that songs were rife with references to Jim Crow, like the sheet music seen here.
Music Sheet, "Jimmy Crow," 1834-1837 / THF98689
Navigating These Spaces
It is critical to note that African Americans did not take kindly to Jim Crow—the figure, or the laws. They consistently resisted, creating their own resources, businesses, and economic systems within their own communities. One of the most important tools used by African Americans to navigate, literally and figuratively, was The Negro Motorist Green Book. Published between 1936 and 1966, the “Green Book” contained advertisements and details on hotels, restaurants, and other destinations that catered to Black visitors. The spaces were oases for Black travelers who could go hundreds of miles without safe places to stop and rest.
Guidebook, "Negro Motorist Green Book, 1937 Edition, Complimentary Issue", page 6-7 / THF99199
Guidebook, "Negro Motorist Green Book, 1937 Edition, Complimentary Issue", page 12-13 / THF99202
Fighting Back
Combatting Jim Crow took organization from several different African American-led and allied groups. The oldest of these is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in 1909 when the premiere of The Clansman placed the Ku Klux Klan into a celebratory national light. The button below is from the Civil Rights Congress, a labor-based collaboration concerned about cases of racial injustice, particularly as it affected Black Americans in the South. These groups, working at the national and legal levels, often were supported by coalitions and individuals on the ground—who usually took the risks of violence head-on. Together, communities challenged the power of Jim Crow and chipped away at its power until they forced change everywhere.
“I Won’t Live with Jim Crow: Civil Rights Congress” button, circa 1948 / THF1619
Amber N. Mitchell is curator of black history at The Henry Ford.
Chrysler cars, like this 1927 Imperial Sportif from The Henry Ford’s collection, were honored at this year’s Old Car Festival. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Automotive enthusiasts, history lovers, and folks just looking to have a good time descended on Greenfield Village on September 7-8, 2024, for Old Car Festival, our annual celebration of early American motoring circa 1900 to 1932. Nearly 750 cars, trucks, motorcycles, fire engines, and bicycles gathered for the show favored with sunny skies and fall-like temperatures. Attendees enjoyed good food, entertaining music and programs, and the incomparable kinetic energy of all those early gas, steam, and electric vehicles motoring through the village.
This 1930 Chrysler Series 70 was among the vehicles highlighted in Detroit Central Market. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Each year at Old Car Festival we honor a specific make or model, or we celebrate a significant anniversary. Considering that Walter P. Chrysler introduced the first Chrysler-badged cars in 1924, the Chrysler Centennial was an obvious choice for our 2024 theme. Chrysler got his start as a railroad machinist, but his abilities and industry contacts led to a job as Buick’s production head in 1911. Chrysler grew frustrated with General Motors boss William C. Durant – who enjoyed building corporations more than cars – and left in 1919. Never one to sit still, Chrysler reinvented himself as a turnaround manager, first at ailing Willys-Overland then at Maxwell. Chrysler effectively transformed Maxwell into his own Chrysler Corporation, and within five years he expanded it into a full-line automaker by purchasing Dodge Brothers and introducing mid-priced DeSoto and low-priced Plymouth.
Our operating replica of Henry Ford’s 1901 “Sweepstakes” race car was in Detroit Central Market, alongside a separate copy of its 2-cylinder, 539-cubic-inch engine. / Photo by Matt Anderson
We honored Chrysler the man as much as Chrysler the company with a display in Detroit Central Market that covered all phases of his career. Several Old Car Festival participants kindly lent their own cars to the exhibit including a 1913 Buick 31, a 1920 Overland 4, a 1925 Maxwell 25-C, and various Chrysler models from 1927 to 1931 (including The Henry Ford’s own 1927 Chrysler Imperial Sportif). The special display was rounded out with a 1931 Plymouth PA and a 1932 Dodge Brothers DL.
Narrated pass-in-review sessions provided a moment in the spotlight for participating cars, like this 1923 Studebaker Big Six. / Photo by Matt Anderson
For those who preferred to let the action come to them, Old Car Festival included several pass-in-review programs on Saturday and Sunday. Attendees could grab a seat in the bleachers and listen as experts like Andrew Beckman, archivist at the Studebaker National Museum, and Derek Moore, curator of collections at the Lane Motor Museum, provided commentary on passing vehicles. Folks interested in pedal-powered transportation could listen as bicycle historian Bill Smith narrated programs featuring high-wheel and safety bikes from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century.
The corner of Maple and Post hosted a Ford Model T pickup and Model A roadster alongside a 1925 Franklin sedan and a 1931 Chevrolet pickup. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Beyond pass-in-review, the weekend included two special presentations in Martha-Mary Chapel. Bob Casey, retired curator of transportation at The Henry Ford, spoke about Fred Zeder, Owen Skelton and Carl Breer, the “Three Musketeers” who designed the first of Walter Chrysler’s eponymous cars – and many more thereafter. Andy Dervan, a volunteer with our Benson Ford Research Center, presented on Ford Times, Ford Motor Company’s promotional magazine published from 1908 to 1917. Meanwhile, roadside America historian Daniel Hershberger literally set up camp near Scotch Settlement School where he presented on early auto camping throughout the weekend.
Acetylene lamps like those on this 1911 Metz lit the way during the Saturday evening gaslight tour. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Saturday evening brought its own special magic with a concert of period music by the River Raisin Ragtime Revue, and the ever-popular gaslight tour in which cars ignited their vintage acetylene lamps and paraded through the twilight. The evening festivities concluded with a Dixieland-style parade to the exit gates led by the Tartarsauce Traditional Jazz Band. Additional weekend music offerings included ragtime piano performances, blues from Rev. Robert Jones, vocal pop from the Village Trio and the Greenfield Village Quartet, and selections from the Masters of Music band and the Village Strings.
Small engines, including the one powering this early 1930s Maytag washing machine, were demonstrated at the Ford Home. / Photo by Matt Anderson
Automobile engines weren’t the only featured powerplants. Once again in 2024, the Early Engine Club put together a farm power expo at the Ford Home. Antique hit-and-miss engines, a Ford Model T powering small machines, and even a Model T converted into a tractor demonstrated the internal combustion engine’s abilities beyond motorized transportation. At the nearby Bagley Avenue Workshop, our own presenters regularly demonstrated a replica of Henry Ford's "Kitchen Sink” Engine, which powered Ford’s early ambitions toward automobile manufacturing.
This 1916 Ford Model T, still running and still in the same family 108 years later, won a Curator’s Choice award. / Photo by Matt Anderson
As is a longstanding tradition, this year’s Old Car Festival included several cars that were judged for vehicle class awards based on authenticity, quality of restoration work, and care with which each car was maintained. First-, second-, and third-place prizes were awarded in eight classes, and one overall Grand Champion was selected for the festival. This year’s Henry Austin Clark, Jr., Grand Champion Award went to a 1932 Chevrolet Confederate Phaeton. We also presented two Curator’s Choice Awards to the best-preserved unrestored vehicles. Winners included a 1913 Oakland Model 40 Touring and a 1916 Ford Model T Touring. The complete list of our 2024 Old Car Festival award winners is available here
Old Car Festival is a tradition. This photo and banner are from the 1956 show, attended by a 1924 Dodge Brothers Series 116 that was here again in 2024. / Photo by Matt Anderson
We like to think that history comes alive in Greenfield Village every day, but rarely are the sights, sounds and smells of the past so fully resurrected as they are with the veteran motor vehicles of Old Car Festival. It’s an experience to savor year after year.
Matt Anderson is curator of transportation at The Henry Ford.
Pattern, Paint, and Peacocks: An Introduction to the Whimsical Art of the Pennsylvania Germans at The Henry Ford
New Year’s Wish for Jacob Grimm and Family, 1784, made by Daniel Schumacher (active 1728-1787), worked in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties. 61.148.1 / THF237518
The Pennsylvania Germans, popularly known as the Pennsylvania “Dutch” (a corruption of the German word “Deutsche,” which literally means German) were a vibrant immigrant community active in southeastern Pennsylvania in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. By 1790, they made up about forty percent of the population and vied with those of British ancestry as the largest ethnic group. Even in urban areas, such as Lancaster and Philadelphia, the Germans were a sizeable minority.
Within the community itself there was great diversity, although many immigrated from the Palatinate area of southwestern Germany and approximately ninety percent were Protestants, with only ten percent Catholics.
What is remarkable about their legacy is their flamboyant, whimsical, playful, and highly imaginative folk art. They loved to decorate just about every type of household object, from small-scale items like ceramics to large-scale pieces like furniture, with instantly recognizable images. These artists are the most renowned among folk art collectors for their illuminated manuscripts, including marriage and birth certificates, family registers—essentially any type of recorded document. These pieces are called Fraktur.
The Compositions:
Confronted Lions and Birds, 1800-1820, made by Daniel Otto (active c. 1792-1822) Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, pen and ink and watercolor on woven paper, 00.3.3038 / THF119526
This Fraktur by Daniel Otto features a stylized central flower where everything on either side balances completely. This symmetry is the hallmark of folk art in general, and Pennsylvania German art in particular. Also note the whimsy or playfulness in the lions—they hardly look ferocious. This is yet another characteristic of Pennsylvania German art.
Decorative Motifs:
A New Year's Wish for Jacob Grimm and Family, circa 1775, made by Daniel Schumacher (active 1728–1787), worked in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, 82.114.5 / THF305642
Notice that this piece, essentially an 18th-century New Year’s card, is symmetrically arranged around the text in the center. The highlight is the angel at the top. What is remarkable are the floral elements on either side. Tulips and stylized flowers are iconic design elements that appear in virtually every piece of Pennsylvania German art.
Another good example is this ceramic storage jar:
Storage jar, made between 1785-1796, made by George Hubener (1757-1828) Limerick Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 59.134.1 / THF177128
At the center of this jar, we find another peacock—which are in fact the 'confronted birds' in the second image above. Here, peacocks stand on the branches of a tree or bush. Notice that on either side, the floral branches terminate in tulip blossoms. Like peacocks or other stylized birds, the tulip is a motif frequently seen in Pennsylvania German folk art.
Reverse side of Storage jar, made between 1785-1796, made by George Hubener (1757-1828), Limerick Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 59.134.1 / THF177132
When we look at the reverse side of the jar, we see a variation of the image on the front. Of course, everything is arranged symmetrically, but instead of a bird at the center, we find a tulip blossom in its place. The space where the tulips were on the front side is now filled with abstracted floral elements.
The same use of symmetry is visible in this image of confronting peacocks:
Confronted Peacocks, 1800-1820, made by Daniel Otto (active c. 1792-1822), Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, pen and ink and watercolor on wove paper, 29.2085.1 / THF119532
Plate, dated 1818, made by Andrew Headman, (active about 1756-1830), Rockhill Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 56.54.1 / THF191114
This large plate, used primarily for decoration, is once again highly ornate, with a stylized star at the center. This is surrounded by a circle of triangles in red and green, which in turn is circled by a symmetrical row of ubiquitous tulips.
Furniture:
German American Wardrobe 1790-1800 59.80.1 / THF118499
Like all the examples we’ve seen, this wardrobe is decorated with flowers—some naturalistic, some stylized. It also uses reds against greens, like the plate above. Although called a wardrobe, or Schrank in German, it likely was used in a public room, like a parlor or dining room, where it was meant to impress guests. Of all the examples of Pennsylvania German folk art in the Museum’s collection, this is by far the largest and most impressive.
The Spreading Influence:
Album Quilt, probably made in southeastern Pennsylvania (perhaps in Chester County), circa 1850. One corner of this quilt carries an applied fabric strip with the inked inscription "Anne D. Morrison." 2016.22.1 / THF166494
By the middle of the 19th-century, the design vocabulary of the Pennsylvania Germans spread well beyond their community, encompassing the entire region. For example, we know that this “Album” quilt that utilizes the Pennsylvania German aesthetic was used by Anne Dawson Morrison (1798-1866), a prosperous Philadelphia Quaker.
These objects are just a small sampling of the large folk art collection of The Henry Ford. To see more, please go to https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/.
Charles Sable is Curator of Decorative Arts at The Henry Ford. Many thanks to Rachel Yerke-Osgood, Associate Curator at The Henry Ford, for editorial preparation assistance with this post.
Greeting card created by famed Michigan artist Gwen Frostic, circa 1980 / THF719491
Born in 1906 in Sandusky, Michigan, Sara Gwendolen Frostic lived a many-faceted life. An unidentified illness contracted while still an infant—later assumed to be a mild case of polio, although it also may have been a fever that resulted in cerebral palsy—left Gwen with some physical differences; still, Gwen never considered herself disabled. After her family moved to Wyandotte in 1917, Gwen was exposed to both the sophisticated atmosphere of urban Detroit, and the lush botanical splendor of her family's garden. These two influences would be reflected throughout Gwen’s life, as she became both a successful businesswoman and a well-known advocate for nature.
Despite attending Michigan State Normal College and Western State Normal College (now Western Michigan University), Gwen left school without completing her degree, opting instead to create a metalworking business in her parents’ basement. Gwen’s talent soon drew attention: the Detroit YMCA asked her to teach metalworking classes, Clara Ford commissioned her to make two copper vases, and Monsanto requested that she create a piece for their 1939 World’s Fair display.
Greeting card created from linoleum block carved by Gwen Frostic / THF719495
When World War II redirected the supply of copper that Gwen had been using for her metalwork, she turned to linoleum block printing. Using a press that she disassembled and reassembled to learn how it worked, Gwen began printing commercial letterhead, stationery, and business cards; in between commercial jobs, she sketched her own nature designs and carved them into linoleum blocks. By the war’s end, Gwen was living in the back of her print shop—a set-up that she would continue in for the rest of her life. The business for which she would become most known— Presscraft Papers—had been born.
“Merry Christmas!,” 1955 / THF716787
After the death of her father in 1954, Gwen moved to Frankfort in northern Michigan, setting up a small shop downtown. In addition to selling her nature prints to the summer tourists who came to the scenic bayside town, Gwen developed a mail order trade that exponentially grew her business. In 1957, Gwen wrote her first book, My Michigan. Its style became one that she would use in all her subsequent publications: prose that is almost poetry, printed on thick, deckled paper, alongside charming natural elements printed from Gwen’s linoleum blocks.
For a woman who rarely wanted to talk about herself, her books are perhaps the closest revelation of who Gwen was: an intense thinker, enamored with the natural world around her, with an uncomplicated, pragmatic, yet optimistic view of the world.
On April 26, 1964, Gwen opened the new home of Presscraft Papers: a multi-level store built of trees, rocks, and a sod roof, set amidst a 40-acre swamp property along the Betsie River in Benzonia, Michigan. The main floor of the shop overlooked the print room, where visitors could see the Heidelberg presses that produced the stationery the store sold. On the second floor, carefully concealed from public view, was Gwen’s apartment, featuring two large screened-in porches and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the property’s pond.
The Heidelberg presses (foreground) and handcarved linoleum blocks (back wall) used to print Gwen’s designs, 2024 / Photo courtesy of Rachel Yerke-Osgood
Despite being tucked in what many would consider to be the middle of nowhere, Gwen’s business thrived. By the 1980s, Presscraft Papers had made Gwen over a million dollars, as visitors flocked from across the state, across the country, and around the world. In addition to her business success, Gwen also received numerous awards and special recognitions. In 1978, May 23 was declared Gwen Frostic Day in Michigan. In 1986, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Rather than resting on her laurels, Gwen continued to create new designs and tend to her business well into her 90s.
In 2001—one day before her 95th birthday—Gwen passed away. Her shop remains, though, little changed from when Gwen herself lived and worked there. Much as the ducks still flock to the pond Gwen loved so much, visitors continue to flock to the store. While many come to shop, others come simply to drink in the tranquility of their surroundings and the charm of Gwen’s designs.
Gwen Frostic Prints, home of Presscraft Papers in Benzonia, Michigan / Photo courtesy of Rachel Yerke-Osgood
This, then, is the legacy that Gwen Frostic carved for herself as she carved her linoleum blocks: a gifted artist, a determined woman, and a devout lover of the natural world.
Rachel Yerke-Osgood is an associate curator at The Henry Ford.
Self Portrait by Lillian F. Schwartz, circa 1979 / THF188557
On October 12, 2024, The Henry Ford was saddened to receive news of Lillian Schwartz's passing. Lillian was a visionary multimedia artist — an early adopter, innovator, and life-long learner in creative computing and digital art. At Bell Laboratories, she held the role of "resident visitor" from 1968-2002, where she created her celebrated films and videos. At the Labs, she described herself as a "morphodynamicist" and "pixellist." Max Mathews — director of Bell Labs' Acoustical and Behavioral Research Center — supported and advocated for Lillian, calling her "the brightest genius" he had ever met. Arno Penzias, a Nobel laureate for his co-discovery of the Big Bang Theory, credited her work as "establishing computers as a valid and fruitful artistic medium." There is no question that Lillian helped to define and expand the boundaries of digital creativity beginning in the late 1960s — a time when the very validity of computer-mediated art was in question.
Left: Lillian Schwartz and Arno Penzias with the Capricious Constellation Sculpture, circa 1984 / THF705948
Right: Custom bedazzled Jordache sneakers made and worn by Lillian, circa 1984 / THF191767
In 2021, thanks to a generous donation by the Schwartz family, the Lillian F. Schwartz and Laurens R. Schwartz Collection found a permanent home at The Henry Ford. This collection contains thousands of objects documenting her life and art practice, spanning her childhood to late career. Lillian's expansive career is represented through her iconic films and videos, 2D artwork and sculptures, personal papers, computer hardware, and film editing equipment.
Since this acquisition, staff at The Henry Ford have been diligently conserving, restoring, organizing, digitizing, and interpreting this collection to improve accessibility and ensure ongoing recognition for Lillian's contributions. In 2023, I was honored to be deeply immersed in this collection while curating Lillian Schwartz: Whirlwind of Creativity. This retrospective exhibition provided a holistic portal to her life and artistic practice. Many of the exhibit's early "analog" and 2D works showed a clear lineage to the aesthetic values seen in her film and digital art that would follow.
Exhibition view of Lillian Schwartz: Whirlwind of Creativity, which was open at The Henry Ford from March 2023-March 2024. Image by Staff of The Henry Ford.
Since acquiring this collection, The Henry Ford has collaborated with major museums, institutions, and educators by providing loans of her work for exhibitions, film festivals, and public programs — ensuring the continuation of her presence and legacy at a global scale. Notably, The Henry Ford has provided loans to international venues including: Venice Biennale, LACMA, ZKM Centre for Art & Media, Mudam Luxembourg, Tate Modern, Buffalo AKG, the Computer History Museum, and many more.
Left: Lillian and Jack J. Schwartz, circa 1946 / THF704695
Right: Lillian Schwartz with a Flowering Plum Tree in Japan, 1948-1950 / THF705897
Lillian was born in Cincinnati in 1927 to Russian and English immigrant parents. Her large family faced economic challenges and, as Jewish people, became the targets of antisemitism. In 1944, Lillian applied to join the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps — a program designed to address the WWII nursing shortage. Lillian struggled with nursing people but enjoyed mixing medicines, painting murals in the children's ward, and making sculptures from plaster supplies intended for broken bones. Here, Lillian realized she was an artist, not a nurse. During this time, she met her future husband, Jack Schwartz, a doctor in training. They were married in 1946. In 1949, Lillian and her newborn son Jeffrey traveled across the Pacific Ocean by U.S. Army transport ship to be reunited with Jack, who was stationed at a hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. Just weeks after this journey, Lillian contracted polio and was quarantined; she worked diligently for months to overcome the worst of her paralysis, but upon her return, she continued to face health issues, which she referenced in her work.
Many of Lillian's earliest paintings have childhood, motherhood, and family themes. Other times, they reflect traumatic events that Lillian faced. Left: Lady with Foot,' 1962 / THF190937
Right: After Polio,' circa 1950 / THF193129
In October 1968, Lillian received news that her kinetic sculpture — Proxima Centauri — had been selected by curator Pontus Hultén for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, "The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age." It was a breakthrough moment in her career.
Lillian met the scientist Leon Harmon at the MoMA opening, and he invited her to visit his workplace, Bell Laboratories. This fateful meeting led to Lillian's introduction to the people, equipment, and software integral in creating her first computer films. In her unpublished memoir, Lillian recalls: "When I first saw Leon Harmon at the opening reception of the 'Machine' exhibition, he was on his hands and knees peeking under the pad that covered the mechanism that triggered my sculpture to move up and down. When he looked up, he saw me standing in front of his computer-generated nude [Studies in Perception I (Computer Nude)]."
Lillian Schwartz with ‘Proxima Centauri’ Globe, 1968-69. The globe that Lillian used was originally designed to be a municipal streetlamp cover. / THF705911
Studies in Perception I (Computer Nude) by Leon D. Harmon and Kenneth C. Knowlton is considered to be the first ‘digital nude.’ It was shown in the same MoMA exhibit as Proxima Centauri / THF188553
Lillian's youngest son and frequent collaborator Laurens remembers how he and Lillian "explored trash in the Bowery, bringing back wire, motors, and a globe that had been a streetlamp cover. But Lillian also created new tools and media. In 1960, she convinced the owner of a plastics factory to let her use it at night, moving rods to shape abstract [sculptures]. She built kinetics using metal frames lit inside to highlight the colors and movement of liquids through tubing and receptacles she bought from a medical supplier."
To prepare for the exhibit, our conservation team restored several kinetic sculptures that had not been exhibited in decades, including Proxima Centauri and World’s Fair, shown here. / THF370299
The kinetic sculpture referenced in this memory is World's Fair — a mock-up that Lillian created to propose a 70-foot-tall water sculpture for Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. The sculpture was never built at full scale. The spiraling glass tubes in this version were given to her by a chemist planning to throw them in the trash. Lillian imagined how they could be filled with color and light to create the illusion of multiple colors. In her unpublished memoir, she described the process of finding the pigments to meet her vision: "Since I could not find the right green I wanted, I emptied [my husband Jack's] Creme de Menthe from the liquor cabinet. Of course, Jack was not happy. Even worse, I took all the red cough syrup samples from Jack's [medical] office. Not as expensive, but not the right thing to do."
Left: Lillian Schwartz looking through one of her acrylic panels, 1968 / THF706047
Right: Illuminated Light Box by Lillian F. Schwartz, 1966 / THF188459
Lillian also created large cast acrylic resin sculptures. Once the resin hardened, she used a blowtorch to melt and change the plastic, sometimes gluing on extra material or using pigment to add color. She brought many of her sculptures and paintings to life by introducing sound, light, and electronic sensors. She called these works "electric paintings." Even her non-digital and kinetic works — screenprints hung on a wall or sculptures sitting static on a pedestal — clearly show Lillian's desire to create motion, eventually leading to the trailblazing computer films she would make at Bell Laboratories.
Lillian Schwartz photographed at work at Bell Laboratories by Gerard Holzmann, circa 1975 / THF149836
By gaining an invitation to Bell Labs, Lillian was in a rare and privileged position at one of the world's most revered research facilities. On her first day, she was introduced to the large mainframe computers and bespoke software that would lead to her first 2D digital artworks and computer-mediated films. On lunch breaks in the cafeteria, she formed fruitful collaborations with scientists. As she wandered the halls on breaks, she peered through open doors and was invited in for demonstrations of cutting-edge technology. With permission, she scavenged toss-off material from the trash to use in her own work. At night, she attended math, logic, and computer programming courses at the New School.
Digital born (left) and hand painted (right) stills from Pixillation, 1970 / THF701620 & THF701618
In 1969, Lillian received a $250 grant from AT&T Bell Laboratories to begin creating her first film, Pixillation. Given the limitations of 1960s computers, the process was time-consuming and frustrating. After several weeks of work, she had mere seconds of footage, so found creative ways to meet her deadline. She smeared and dropped paint onto glass to create abstract patterns, drawing her finger through the pigment to mimic the pixelated squares generated by the computer. She used a microscope to photograph growing crystals. She reshot the computer footage on an optical bench, adding color and motion. A soundtrack by Gershon Kingsley was added, which was crucial in and of itself for being composed on a new electronic instrument — the Moog synthesizer. By 1970, Pixillation was finally complete. Today, this film continues to be hailed as a masterwork of experimental film with its hypnotic and chaotic blend of computer-born and hand-painted imagery. Many awards and many films followed, a selection of which are visible in our Digital Collections.
Left: Advertisement for a screening of Lillian’s work / THF628917
Right: A view of one of Lillian’s films, currently undergoing restoration. Photo by Kristen Gallerneaux.
Lillian saw computers as exciting tools full of possibility, but her peers also described her as having a healthy sense of "technological ingratitude." In her most playful and impatient moments, she sought out the limitations of technology — embracing its glitches, feedback, and happy mistakes. She described this impulse: "…the machine had to keep pace with me — just as I learned that I had to grow with the machine as its scientifically oriented powers evolved."
In her 2013 oral history with the Computer History Museum, she shared a potent memory that foreshadowed her later life as a filmmaker: "My story was as long as the pavement in front of my house. [...] When I had drawn as far as I could, I ran back to my house, sat on a step and looked at the pictures in my head to see the rest of the story." Lillian will be missed immensely, and we at The Henry Ford are honored to be stewards of her legacy.
Kristen Gallerneaux is the Curator of Communications & Information Technology at The Henry Ford.
Further Resources:
Designed decades ago, the Aeron Chair remains a wonder of ergonomics.
Even while seated, people tend to crave motion. Chairs that move — by rocking, reclining, rolling, revolving or otherwise — are often the most comfortable chairs because they respond to the body. This principle was one of many incorporated into the study of ergonomics, or the science of designing products and environments for compatibility with the human body.
In the 1960s, ergonomics began to gain traction with industrial designers. Bill Stumpf came of age as a designer during this period and became interested in ergonomics in the late 1960s while a postgraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He studied existing ergonomics research by designers as well as the work of scientists, doctors and medical researchers. Stumpf applied these scientific principles in the design of his first office chair for the Herman Miller furniture company. Called the Ergon Chair (short for ergonomic), it debuted in 1976 as the first truly ergonomic office chair.
Perhaps the best-known ergonomic office chair, the Aeron Chair, was also designed by Stumpf in partnership with Don Chadwick. Office workers spend hours seated at a desk, mainly since the rise of personal computers, and office chairs before the 1970s often did more harm than good to their inhabitants. Stumpf and Chadwick endeavored to design an ergonomic office chair that built on the lessons they learned in developing their previous chairs, especially their Sarah Chair, which was designed for the elderly to mitigate the bodily impact of sitting for long periods.
Photo by EE Berger
The Aeron Chair was released in 1994 to immediate acclaim. The seat of the chair uses an elastic plastic mesh, called pellicle, to replace the foam cushions of a traditional office chair. A tilt mechanism, with adjustable components, provides opportunities for movement, even at rest.
Although the Aeron Chair turned 30 years old this year, it is still regarded as the gold standard in office chairs — its ergonomic design continuing to serve the needs of office workers around the world.
This post was written by Katherine White, curator of design at The Henry Ford, and adapted from an article in the Winter/Spring 2024 issue of The Henry Ford Magazine.
“The artist's role is that of the soldier of the revolution.” -Diego Rivera
How does one interpret art? How does one view activism or protest? These concepts have merged for centuries to convey a message and drive change. “Activist Art,” as defined by the Tate Museum in London, is “a term used to describe art grounded in the act of ‘doing’ and addresses political or social issues.” It is a tool for change, a powerful medium that also challenges and disrupts them, stimulating thought and pushing boundaries. It is innovative, boundary-pushing, and, above all, a force for progress, empowering us with the hope that change is possible.
Throughout history, we can trace the influence of art on activism and protest. Both concepts have been intertwined since the birth of the United States. Consider the Boston Tea Party in 1773. This iconic and performative event was an act of protest aimed at making a point, immediately sparking illustrations in local newspapers. Colonists used images like this to advance their cause of independence and freedom, creating a rich historical tapestry that we can still learn from today, connecting us to our past and its influence on the present.
Even earlier, the revolutionary cause and the Boston massacre provide powerful examples of art's influence. This event, depicted in newspapers across the colonies, played a crucial role in fueling the desire for independence—leading to the Boston Tea Party, other smaller rebellions, and eventually to the American Revolution. This is a compelling example of how images can play a pivotal role in shifting a narrative and shaping history, enlightening us about the power of art in social and political change.
The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston, on March 5, 1770, from the collections of the Henry Ford / THF130817
A jail can only hold a man’s body - his mind and heart remain free, by Lo Monaco’s “We Shall Overcome” 1963 print portfolio, from the collections of The Henry Ford / THF93154
On August 28, 1963, the March for Freedom and Jobs took place in Washington, D.C. The print above comes from a portfolio containing five images created by the graphic artist, Lo Monaco. The portfolio was created to hold memories of the march that day, serving as a message and reminder of the work needed to address issues of bigotry and racism in the United States.
Diné artist Demian DinéYazhi’ made the print below, my ancestors will not let me forget this, as a statement about the original 13 colonies and how life changed drastically for the Indigenous people after the American Revolution. They created it in the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, when there was much racial tension in the United States and questions related to equality and human rights. This print was inspired by an earlier piece DinéYazhi’ created for the Eiteljorg Museum in 2019. As the artist is Indigenous, this piece speaks to colonization and the broader context; it addresses how we think about the United States and, in this case, what the flag means to Indigenous people.. It is proactive, bold, activism, and art, inspiring us to continue the fight for equality and human rights.
my ancestors will not let me forget this by Demian DinéYazhi’ (Diné), from the collections of The Henry Ford / THF718200
Collecting in the moment—known as rapid response collecting--allows curators to gather significant items in the moment, as historic and social events are happening. The Henry Ford actively engages in this type of collecting, as do other large cultural institutions. Some of this rapid response collecting happened during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, the COVID-19 pandemic, and presidential election seasons. Rapid collecting can be difficult—it can be messy, and it happens fast. However, as we are a cultural institution, it benefits our collections to gather important historical moments as they happen.
On February 14, 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School became the site of a mass school shooting.Since the school is located in Parkland, Florida, the incident is often referred to as the Parkland shooting. Seventeen students and staff lost their lives that day. Since the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, the number of school shootings in the United States has steadily increased. After the Parkland shooting, the students united and organized and created March for Our Lives. On March 24, 2018, just a short five weeks after the shooting, March for Our Lives held the largest student-led protest in US history in Washington, DC, with 1.2 to 2 million people in attendance and more participating around the world. Partnering with the Amplifier Art Foundation, artist Micah Bazant created this poster, carried at the marches by protesters.
Protect Kids Not Guns by Micah Bazant, from the collections of the Henry Ford / 2018.88.5
Activism and art each make us think. Combining them creates change and can even start revolutions. In addition to the quote that started this post, Diego Rivera also said: "Great protests are great works of art.” Art as protest, and protest as art—the two concepts will hold hands forever.
Heather Bruegl (Oneida/Stockbridge-Munsee) is the curator of political and civic engagement at The Henry Ford.
