American Road Marketing and Publicity Photographs Series
A set of photographs called American Road that was created primarily as a resource to help staff of the Ford Motor Company Archives answer requests for historical photographs that fell under the heading "something about roads."
Biographical / Historical Note
Archivists at Ford Motor Company Archives received numbers of requests for images relating to the history of the Ford Motor Company and the history of the automobile in general. This sometimes led to the creation of artificial (rather than archival) collections....
MoreArchivists at Ford Motor Company Archives received numbers of requests for images relating to the history of the Ford Motor Company and the history of the automobile in general. This sometimes led to the creation of artificial (rather than archival) collections. An example is a set of photographs called American Road that was created primarily as a resource to help staff answer requests for historical photographs that fell under the heading "something about roads." As a compilation, it was intended to cover the general and often vague needs for illustrations depicting Ford Motor Company's place in the development of transportation and travel in America.
LessScope and Content Note
Although entitled American Road, the series is comprised primarily of visual documentation of Ford vehicles in the early 1900s, with additional, although fewer, images into the 1960s. In addition, a number of folders include images of transportation modes...
MoreAlthough entitled American Road, the series is comprised primarily of visual documentation of Ford vehicles in the early 1900s, with additional, although fewer, images into the 1960s. In addition, a number of folders include images of transportation modes before the automobile became prominent. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Topics include early roads, road construction, driving conditions, bridges, various utilizations of the Model T, women drivers, railroads, cityscapes, streetscapes, landscapes, and an occasional portrait. Most of the images, but not all, remain in the original format (prints and/or negatives) in various photograph collections held by The Henry Ford. Researchers should note that some images that were originally part of this series were integrated into the Photographic Prints Vertical File, Accession 1660, under the subject term Automobiles, Contemporary.
LessCollection Details
Object ID: 64.167.1859.0
Creator: Ford Motor Company. Archives
Inclusive Dates: 1903-1964
Size: 1.2 cubic ft. (3 boxes)
Language: English
Collection Access & Use
Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit
Access Restrictions: The series is open for research. Access to negatives requires permission of curator.
Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Digitized Artifacts From This Collection
In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.
Paved Road, circa 1935
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
"Roads of the World" was part of the Ford Rotunda in Dearborn, Michigan. Visitors rode new Ford vehicles through reproductions of famous roadways from around the world. Ford spent $176,000 landscaping the attraction into historic and modern sections. To ensure a realistic, immersive experience, crews used reference photographs--like this one--to recreate the 19 "Roads of the World."
Keywords
Object ID
P.189.11675
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Paved Road, circa 1935
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Paved Road, circa 1935
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
"Roads of the World" was part of the Ford Rotunda in Dearborn, Michigan. Visitors rode new Ford vehicles through reproductions of famous roadways from around the world. Ford spent $176,000 landscaping the attraction into historic and modern sections. To ensure a realistic, immersive experience, crews used reference photographs--like this one--to recreate the 19 "Roads of the World."
Keywords
Object ID
P.189.11676
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Paved Road, circa 1935
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Cross Section Drawings Showing Construction of the Appian Way, 1935
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
"Roads of the Pacific" was part of the Ford Exhibit, the most popular attraction at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Visitors rode in brand new Ford V-8s over 14 reproductions of famous roads from around the world. To construct a realistic, immersive experience, crews used reference photographs -- like this one -- to recreate sections of historic and modern routes.
Object ID
P.189.11688
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Cross Section Drawings Showing Construction of the Appian Way, 1935
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
The Via Balbia, Coast Road Between Sirte and Misurata, Libya, circa 1950
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Over nearly 100 years, Ford photographers documented company ventures, personal affairs, and daily life around the world. This photograph shows an automobile on the Via Balbia, a highway along the Mediterranean coastline of Libya.
Object ID
64.167.1859.16
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
The Via Balbia, Coast Road Between Sirte and Misurata, Libya, circa 1950
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Along the Appian Way, Italy, circa 1950
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Over nearly 100 years, Ford photographers documented company ventures, personal affairs, and daily life around the world. This photograph, taken from an automobile, captured people and ruins along an ancient Roman road in Italy.
Object ID
64.167.1859.18
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Along the Appian Way, Italy, circa 1950
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Jackson Vibrator Working on a Section of Road, circa 1950
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Among many other things, Ford photographers documented a variety of road conditions and road building. This man tamps dirt and rock with a machine before the road is surfaced.
Object ID
64.167.1859.20
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Jackson Vibrator Working on a Section of Road, circa 1950
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
"Building Good Roads," circa 1910
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Among many other things, Ford photographers documented a variety of road conditions and road building. This photograph of a construction site includes a horse-drawn wagon and a large steam traction engine.
Object ID
64.167.1859.21
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
"Building Good Roads," circa 1910
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Scene at the Fluela Pass, Switzerland, circa 1935
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1913, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company's photographic department. Though few internal records describe company photography, remaining photographs reveal a wide range of departmental activity. Over nearly 100 years, Ford photographers documented company ventures, personal affairs, and daily life around the world. This photograph shows Fluela Pass, a historic route through the Swiss Alps.
Object ID
64.167.1859.7
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Scene at the Fluela Pass, Switzerland, circa 1935
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Saginaw County Macadam Road Construction Machinery, and Stone Spreading, 1905-1906
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
The establishment of the Michigan State Highway Department in 1905 made state funding available to township and county road commissions for improvements and repairs. The State Highway Commissioner published biennial reports highlighting the progress of "reward roads"--projects funded by the state. These images from his first report illustrate some of the equipment and construction methods used in Saginaw County.
Object ID
P.O.3723
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Saginaw County Macadam Road Construction Machinery, and Stone Spreading, 1905-1906
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
