Automobile Plant Construction Photographs

Biographical / Historical Note

Floyd V. Mow was a construction superintendent for Albert Kahn Associates during the period of construction of the Ford Motor Company Rouge River Plant, and possibly beyond. It is assumed that Mr. Mow collected these photographs during his time with Kahn.


Scope and Content Note

The Automobile Plant Construction Photographs collection (0.4 cubic ft.) consists of 136 black-and-white photographic prints of images taken during construction of the Ford Motor Company Rouge River Plant located in Dearborn, Michigan, and of...

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The Automobile Plant Construction Photographs collection (0.4 cubic ft.) consists of 136 black-and-white photographic prints of images taken during construction of the Ford Motor Company Rouge River Plant located in Dearborn, Michigan, and of a Chevrolet Service Parts Division building located in Saginaw, Michigan. Both of these buildings were designed by Albert Kahn Associates. The images of the Rouge Plant construction date from February to March, 1918, and the images of the Chevrolet building construction date from October, 1940 to April, 1941.

Also included in the collection is a small portrait of the collector, Floyd Mow.

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Collection Details

Object ID: 2012.47.0
Creator: Mow, Floyd V. 
Inclusive Dates: 1918, 1940-1941
Size: 0.4 cubic ft. (1 box)
Language: English

Collection Access & Use

Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit

Access Restrictions: The photographs are open for research.

Credit: From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Digitized Artifacts From This Collection

In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.

Shipyard Interior "A" Building Showing Line of Bliss Multiple Press

  Details

Shipyard Interior "A" Building Showing Line of Bliss Multiple Press

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Equipment sat ready in the newly finished Building A at Ford Motor Company's Rouge factory in 1918. Specialized machines like these were essential to Ford's mass production methods. These machines were first used to build Eagle anti-submarine boats during World War I. Ford produced 60 of the boats between May 1918 and October 1919.

Object ID

2012.47.69

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Shipyard Interior "A" Building Showing Line of Bliss Multiple Press

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

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.

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  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

The first vehicles built at Ford Motor Company's Rouge factory weren't automobiles but boats. These Eagle boats were designed to challenge German submarines during World War I, but they saw only limited action before the armistice. Here workers prepare a section of sheet steel for use in an Eagle boat. Sixty Eagles were produced between May 1918 and October 1919.

Object ID

2012.47.72

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Equipment sat ready in the newly finished Building A at Ford Motor Company's Rouge factory in 1918. Specialized machines like these were essential to Ford's mass production methods. These machines were first used to build Eagle anti-submarine boats during World War I. Ford produced 60 of the boats between May 1918 and October 1919.

Object ID

2012.47.80

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Henry Ford started purchasing land near the mouth of the Rouge River in 1915. He envisioned a new factory complex with access to water transportation and room to grow -- two things missing at Ford's Highland Park plant. Construction of the new Rouge factory started in 1917 and, in a sense, never stopped during Henry Ford's lifetime. Improvements and additions were constant.

Object ID

2012.47.83

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Henry Ford started purchasing land near the mouth of the Rouge River in 1915. He envisioned a new factory complex with access to water transportation and room to grow -- two things missing at Ford's Highland Park plant. Construction of the new Rouge factory started in 1917 and, in a sense, never stopped during Henry Ford's lifetime. Improvements and additions were constant.

Object ID

2012.47.88

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

Henry Ford started purchasing land near the mouth of the Rouge River in 1915. He envisioned a new factory complex with access to water transportation and room to grow -- two things missing at Ford's Highland Park plant. Construction of the new Rouge factory started in 1917 and, in a sense, never stopped during Henry Ford's lifetime. Improvements and additions were constant.

Object ID

2012.47.105

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

The first vehicles built at Ford Motor Company's Rouge factory weren't automobiles but boats. These Eagle boats were designed to challenge German submarines during World War I, but they saw only limited action before the armistice. Workers laid the first Eagle's keel on May 7, 1918. Sixty boats were completed when production ended in October 1919.

Object ID

2012.47.106

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

The first vehicles built at Ford Motor Company's Rouge factory weren't automobiles but boats. These Eagle boats were designed to challenge German submarines during World War I, but they saw only limited action before the armistice. Workers laid the first Eagle's keel on May 7, 1918. Sixty boats were completed when production ended in October 1919.

Object ID

2012.47.112

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details

Rouge Plant Construction

  Details
Artifact

Photographic print

Summary

The first vehicles built at Ford Motor Company's Rouge factory weren't automobiles but boats. These Eagle boats were designed to challenge German submarines during World War I, but they saw only limited action before the armistice. Workers laid the first Eagle's keel on May 7, 1918. Sixty boats were completed when production ended in October 1919.

Object ID

2012.47.113

Credit

From the Collections of the Henry Ford. Gift of the Mow Family.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

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.

VIEW CALENDAR

  Details