Author Talk with Larry Lankton, "Motor City Boomer: The Car Culture That Defined a Generation"

Join us at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation for an afternoon conversation with Larry Lankton, Ph.D., historian and author of Motor City Boomer: The Car Culture That Defined a Generation, moderated by Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford.

Following the August 18 release of Motor City Boomer (Wayne State University Press), Lankton returns to The Henry Ford, where he served as Curator of Power and Shop Machinery from 1971 to 1973, for the first public conversation about his new book. As the institution where he helped interpret automotive history, The Henry Ford provides a meaningful setting to deepen a conversation about the automobile's lasting influence on American life.

Blending personal memoir with social, automotive and cultural history, Motor City Boomer traces the experiences, traditions and freedoms that defined postwar America — from family road trips and first driver's licenses to drive-ins, cruising, suburban growth and Lankton's beloved 1964 Pontiac GTO. Drawing on vivid personal recollections alongside the broader history of the American automobile, Lankton presents a cultural history of postwar America through the lens of an innovation that transformed everyday life.

Together, Lankton and Anderson will consider how the automobile influenced not only the way Americans traveled, but also where they lived, how they connected and the culture and communities they created, inviting audiences to reflect on its enduring generational impact.

The conversation will be followed by a brief Q&A and book signing with the opportunity to purchase a copy of Motor City Boomer.

Larry Lankton, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of history at Michigan Technological University. His scholarly career is focused on the history of mining, technological development and labor in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. His book Cradle to Grave: Life, Work, and Death at the Lake Superior Copper Mines won a Great Lakes History Prize. Lankton is also the author of Hollowed Ground: Copper Mining and Community Building on Lake Superior, 1840s–1990s (Wayne State University Press).

Matt Anderson is Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford, where he oversees the institution's collection of cars and trucks, horse-drawn vehicles, railroad equipment and aircraft. Matt is a past president of the National Association of Automobile Museums and a member of the board of directors of the Society of Automotive Historians.

The event is free to the public. Registration opens on Wednesday, August 12.

Doors to Anderson Theater will open at 1:30 p.m. The program will begin at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a brief Q&A and book signing.

This is a free public event; museum admission is not required.

Free parking is available in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation lot off Oakwood Boulevard near the museum Welcome Center. The Clocktower entrance on the brick circle drive may be used for pickup/drop-off for guests who need special assistance.

Please note that parts of Oakwood Boulevard may be impacted by construction. Be prepared for traffic delays or detours. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Henry Ford is committed to making our events accessible to everyone.

• Anderson Theater's main floor is fully accessible. The second floor balcony is accessible via stairs only.
• This event will be ASL interpreted.

If you require an additional accommodation or service to fully participate, please contact our accessibility team via email at accessibility@thehenryford.org.