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- Powerhouse, Highland Park Plant, Michigan, circa 1914 - One of the nine gas-steam engines installed in Ford Motor Company's Highland Park powerhouse is shown in this 1914 view. Each of these hybrid machines consisted of a gas engine and a steam engine both connected to a single electrical generator. Henry Ford took great pride in the engines, though their hybrid arrangement was not widely adopted elsewhere.
- circa 1914
- Collections - Artifact
Powerhouse, Highland Park Plant, Michigan, circa 1914
One of the nine gas-steam engines installed in Ford Motor Company's Highland Park powerhouse is shown in this 1914 view. Each of these hybrid machines consisted of a gas engine and a steam engine both connected to a single electrical generator. Henry Ford took great pride in the engines, though their hybrid arrangement was not widely adopted elsewhere.
- Hydraulic Shear at Ford Rouge Plant, 1927 - To produce steel for Rouge plant operations, Ford used ten open-hearth furnaces. The furnaces, each with a capacity of at least 180 tons, resided here in the open-hearth building. These workers used a steam-powered shearer to smash scrap metal into small pieces. The bits of metal joined with molten iron in one of the furnaces and eventually became steel.
- 1927
- Collections - Artifact
Hydraulic Shear at Ford Rouge Plant, 1927
To produce steel for Rouge plant operations, Ford used ten open-hearth furnaces. The furnaces, each with a capacity of at least 180 tons, resided here in the open-hearth building. These workers used a steam-powered shearer to smash scrap metal into small pieces. The bits of metal joined with molten iron in one of the furnaces and eventually became steel.
- Port Huron Steam Traction Engine, "Longfellow," 1916 - The late 19th to early 20th centuries saw huge steam engines like this used for threshing grain. They could move over the roads under their own power. Individual farmers generally did not own such machines. Rather, men made a business of moving from farm to farm, threshing grain during harvest time. Joseph Freund of Westphalia, Michigan, bought this machine in 1917 and used it to power a Port Huron "Rusher" thresher-separator in Clinton and Ionia Counties, Michigan.
- December 22, 1916
- Collections - Artifact
Port Huron Steam Traction Engine, "Longfellow," 1916
The late 19th to early 20th centuries saw huge steam engines like this used for threshing grain. They could move over the roads under their own power. Individual farmers generally did not own such machines. Rather, men made a business of moving from farm to farm, threshing grain during harvest time. Joseph Freund of Westphalia, Michigan, bought this machine in 1917 and used it to power a Port Huron "Rusher" thresher-separator in Clinton and Ionia Counties, Michigan.
- Machine for Forming Steering Wheels, Ford Rouge Plant, 1934 - At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's enormous Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1934, when this photo was taken, Ford employees built nearly 564,000 automobiles.
- November 15, 1934
- Collections - Artifact
Machine for Forming Steering Wheels, Ford Rouge Plant, 1934
At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's enormous Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1934, when this photo was taken, Ford employees built nearly 564,000 automobiles.
- Men Working on V-8 Radiator Grilles, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935 - At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included over 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1935, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford manufactured more than 942,000 automobiles.
- November 25, 1935
- Collections - Artifact
Men Working on V-8 Radiator Grilles, Ford Rouge Plant, 1935
At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included over 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1935, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford manufactured more than 942,000 automobiles.
- Rustproofing Steel Hub Caps by "Granodizing" Process, Ford Rouge Plant, 1936 - At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1936, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford built more than 790,000 automobiles.
- December 18, 1936
- Collections - Artifact
Rustproofing Steel Hub Caps by "Granodizing" Process, Ford Rouge Plant, 1936
At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1936, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford built more than 790,000 automobiles.
- Employee Manufacturing Gaskets, Ford Rouge Plant, 1936 - At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1936, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford built more than 790,000 automobiles.
- January 24, 1936
- Collections - Artifact
Employee Manufacturing Gaskets, Ford Rouge Plant, 1936
At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1936, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford built more than 790,000 automobiles.
- Cadmium-Plating of Brake Shoes at the Ford Rouge Plant, 1936 - At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1936, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford built more than 790,000 automobiles.
- March 11, 1936
- Collections - Artifact
Cadmium-Plating of Brake Shoes at the Ford Rouge Plant, 1936
At its peak in the 1930s, Ford Motor Company's massive Rouge factory employed more than 100,000 workers. The complex included more than 15 million square feet of floor space and 120 miles of conveyors that turned out a new car every 49 seconds. In 1936, when this photo was taken, the people of Ford built more than 790,000 automobiles.
- Edsel Ford, P.E. Martin, and Charles Sorensen Breaking Ground at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Bomber Plant, September 17, 1940 - Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford joined production managers P.E. Martin and Charles Sorensen in a September 1940 groundbreaking ceremony for the company's Willow Run bomber plant, 35 miles west of Detroit. When finished, the complex employed more than 42,000 people and included more than seven million square feet of floor space. Workers there built one B-24 bomber every 63 minutes.
- September 17, 1940
- Collections - Artifact
Edsel Ford, P.E. Martin, and Charles Sorensen Breaking Ground at Ford Motor Company Willow Run Bomber Plant, September 17, 1940
Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford joined production managers P.E. Martin and Charles Sorensen in a September 1940 groundbreaking ceremony for the company's Willow Run bomber plant, 35 miles west of Detroit. When finished, the complex employed more than 42,000 people and included more than seven million square feet of floor space. Workers there built one B-24 bomber every 63 minutes.
- Employee Moving Boxes of H. J. Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1920 - Before complete mechanization of the manufacturing process, many tasks at the Heinz factory were done by hand. The H.J. Heinz Company documented the many departments of the manufacturing process through photographs. This photograph shows an employee moving boxes. These boxes were possibly heading for the shipping dock to be loaded onto a train or truck.
- circa 1920
- Collections - Artifact
Employee Moving Boxes of H. J. Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1920
Before complete mechanization of the manufacturing process, many tasks at the Heinz factory were done by hand. The H.J. Heinz Company documented the many departments of the manufacturing process through photographs. This photograph shows an employee moving boxes. These boxes were possibly heading for the shipping dock to be loaded onto a train or truck.