Model T Users
10 artifacts in this set
This expert set is brought to you by:
The staff at The Henry Ford
"Fordson Farmer" Article Showing Reverend Branford Clarke's Mobile Chapel Made from a Converted Ford Model T, 1922
Photographic print
In 1922, Ford Motor Company published the story of Reverend Branford Clarke and his mobile chapel, based on a Model T chassis. Entirely self-designed, the chapel featured a small organ and a steeple that could fold down. Ford used individual stories like Reverend Clarke's to advertise its Model T as a sturdy, versatile automobile that could change ordinary Americans' lives.
Camping in a Ford Model T, circa 1915
Photographic print
Better roads and the increased availability of automobiles fueled an autocamping craze in the 1910s and 1920s. Many middle class motorists packed a tent, cots, and food, hit the road, and camped wherever they pleased. This inventive setup incorporated the campers' Model T, which anchored their tent and offered additional shelter or storage space.
Ford Model T Decorated for a Parade, circa 1915
Photographic print
Not only for getting from here to there, automobiles could be dressed up for a parade. This ca. 1915 photograph shows a Ford Model T decorated with umbrellas, pom-poms, garland, and a sign promoting Nissly, Webb, and Marrs, an Ypsilanti, Michigan, dry goods store.
Ford Model T Runabout Converted to a Tractor, Reaping Grain, circa 1919
Photographic print
Around 1919 a farmer driving his converted Model T Runabout is pulling a McCormick-Deering reaper to harvest grain in Minnesota. Large-diameter steel-drive wheels and a rear power takeoff were all that was needed to achieve the conversion. For only $195, E.G. Staude Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, had started selling the Mak-a-Tractor conversion kit for the Model T in 1917, capitalizing on the popularity of the Ford car among farmers. ...
Ford Model T Touring Car Adapted to Carry a Goat, circa 1920
Photographic print
The Model T's rugged simplicity allowed it to be adapted to any number of uses. One inventive owner customized this Model T touring car, mounting a handmade crate on the sideboard to create a motorized livestock hauler.
Ford Model T Truck Converted to Snowmobile, 1926
Photographic print
The Model T's rugged simplicity allowed it to be adapted to any number of uses. One inventive owner customized this Model T truck, replacing the standard wheels with caterpillar tracks and skis for operating in snowy or icy conditions.
Sawing Wood Using the Ford Model T Sawmill Conversion, circa 1919
Photographic print
Innovative users adapted the Ford Model T to their needs. The Ford's rear axle powered many types of belt driven machinery. This photograph taken about 1919 shows men preparing to cut wood on a portable sawmill powered by a Model T.
The McCrackens with Their 1916 Ford Model T Camper Conversion, Texas, 1921
Photographic print
H.D. McCracken, his wife, and his dog used this modified Ford Model T for traveling and touring thousands of miles in the United States. Akin to today's motorhome, the woodwork interior and exterior indicates that McCracken was a creative and inventive craftsman. This photograph documents McCracken's handiwork and the usefulness of the Model T for living on the road.
Woman in Ford Model T Railroad Car Conversion at a Logging Site, circa 1925
Photographic print
A woman poses in the cab of a Model T Ford modified for use on a railroad track. The Model T's rugged simplicity allowed it to be adapted to any number of uses. This vehicle likely was used on a logging railroad. It may have hauled tools and equipment to worksites along the line.
Article from September 1913 Ford Times, "Ford Barber Does Rushing Business"
Photographic print
With a few modifications, Model T owners could turn an automobile into a stationary power plant. A drive belt attached to the Ford's rear axle could run machinery for any number of tasks, from milling grain to sawing lumber. In this unusual example, an Australian horse groomer rigged a Model T to power mechanized clippers.