Henry Ford was a known prankster. This was a lifelong passion of Ford.
Among the earliest accounts are Ford nailing down a pair of shoes to the floor left by a messy co-worker, blowing sulfur fumes into a sealed room through a knothole in the paneling, and perhaps the most painful- hotwiring a urinal!
One yarn that is seldom told is the broken pocket watch gag. While he repeated this often over the years, perhaps the best account is the one given by Charles Sorensen-
Seems as if Henry Ford showed up at Sorensen's stateroom on the Henry Ford II while on a trip to examine a potential site for a branch assembly plant. During this late night meeting Ford told Sorensen about the plan and instructed him to find a cheap knock off watch similar to the Howard watch that was a prized possession of Frank Klingensmith, at the time one of Ford's top executives. During a stop at port the next day Sorensen went and found a similar watch in a jewelry store and rushed back to the 'yacht' (actually an iron ore carrier, but Ford always referred to it as his yacht) and gave the watch to Ford.
Henry Ford turned the mainspring in the cheap watch to where it would run slow and exchanged watches in Klingensmith's vest while the vest was hanging on a lavatory door. Ford slipped the Howard in his pocket and walked away.
On deck, Ford set the itinerary and instructed everyone to check their watches so they could meet up at a specified time. Klingensmith made the comment that his watch was running slow. Sorensen grabs the watch from Klingensmith and said "well no sense keeping a watch that won't work" and threw it against a wall on the dock, promptly shattering it into pieces. Ford & Sorensen keeping a straight face, while Sorensen said "that was a fool thing for me to do Kling."
Klingensmith was seen scavenging all the pieces he could find while complaining to Sorensen & Ford that the watch was keepsake from his grandfather and could not be replaced.
3 weeks later the Howard watch was found in one of Klingensmith's other vests, having been delivered to Klingensmith's house by Henry Ford personally. He gave the watch to his wife who put it in the vest pocket.
Henry Ford had actually started tinkering with watches before cars & even in his later years would carry an eyepiece and watchmaker's tools in his pocket just on the in case someone had a watch that needed attention.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Monday, 15 November 2010
Model A Ford Assembly Line 1931
2 photos of the day here!
The first shows a new Deluxe Roadster reaching the end of the line with a couple of S/W Cabriolets in the rear.
The second photo is of a Briggs 4dr body being dropped onto a completed running gear.
The first shows a new Deluxe Roadster reaching the end of the line with a couple of S/W Cabriolets in the rear.
The second photo is of a Briggs 4dr body being dropped onto a completed running gear.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Branch Assembly Plants Chapter 2- Twin Cities
Henry Ford, Bill Knudsen, Ernest Kanzler along with James Couzens decided in the early 1910's that the erection of Branch plants in strategic locations would allow Ford Motor Co. to save huge amounts of money in railroad shipments.
Before this time completed cars assembled at Piquette Avenue plant were shipped in railroad cars, but the completed cars took up more space than boxes of parts & completed chassis, it was also not cost effective to ship assembled cars. This is where the idea of Branch plants came about.
While you could get 6 or 8 assembled cars in a railroad boxcar, you could get 20 or so 'knocked down' cars in a single boxcar.
Here's some info on the Twin Cities plant.
Ford acquired a warehouse in Minneapolis in 1912 where these knocked down cars would be assembled. However they outgrew that building and moved into a rented 10 story building in downtown Minneapolis a few years later. They outgrew this building also due to the extreme popularity of the Model T and it was decided to build their own factory, known simply as "The Twin Cities Ford Plant"
The Twin Cities Ford Plant was built in 1924 in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, directly on the Mississippi River. Henry Ford was an adamant supporter of using water as a source of hydro-electricity as well as transport of parts, equipment and various other items needed in the production of Ford cars & trucks.
Model T Fords were the first vehicles produced here as well as the Model A starting in 1928. Twin Cities plant was one of the oldest Ford plants still being used for the production of vehicles, the last ones being produced at this plant were Ford Ranger trucks in 2010. The plant is slated to close in 2011.
One of the unique facts about the Twin Cities plant is the sand mine underneath the plant. This sand is used in the production of glass. The mine has been in continuous operation since the late 1940s.
Many theories abound as to what the plant will become now that it is closed, perhaps a tourist center or tied in with the nearby baseball stadium. Who knows, but this Albert Kahn designed building should be saved!
Before this time completed cars assembled at Piquette Avenue plant were shipped in railroad cars, but the completed cars took up more space than boxes of parts & completed chassis, it was also not cost effective to ship assembled cars. This is where the idea of Branch plants came about.
While you could get 6 or 8 assembled cars in a railroad boxcar, you could get 20 or so 'knocked down' cars in a single boxcar.
Here's some info on the Twin Cities plant.
Ford acquired a warehouse in Minneapolis in 1912 where these knocked down cars would be assembled. However they outgrew that building and moved into a rented 10 story building in downtown Minneapolis a few years later. They outgrew this building also due to the extreme popularity of the Model T and it was decided to build their own factory, known simply as "The Twin Cities Ford Plant"
The Twin Cities Ford Plant was built in 1924 in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, directly on the Mississippi River. Henry Ford was an adamant supporter of using water as a source of hydro-electricity as well as transport of parts, equipment and various other items needed in the production of Ford cars & trucks.
Model T Fords were the first vehicles produced here as well as the Model A starting in 1928. Twin Cities plant was one of the oldest Ford plants still being used for the production of vehicles, the last ones being produced at this plant were Ford Ranger trucks in 2010. The plant is slated to close in 2011.
One of the unique facts about the Twin Cities plant is the sand mine underneath the plant. This sand is used in the production of glass. The mine has been in continuous operation since the late 1940s.
Many theories abound as to what the plant will become now that it is closed, perhaps a tourist center or tied in with the nearby baseball stadium. Who knows, but this Albert Kahn designed building should be saved!
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
How it all started.....
It's always interesting to learn how people got into certain hobbies, and tho this may bore most, I'm sure there's 2 or 3 people max that will find this of interest.
I grew up around old Fords, at any given time there were 10-15 Model A's & a few 40s & 50s cars in the shop. I suppose I got into the hobby by osmosis.
In 1987 the book "Ford The Man & the Machine" by Robert Lacey came out. Once my grandfather finished reading it, I borrowed this volume & started reading it. Shortly thereafter the highly dramatized movie of the same name came out on TV. Both of these are responsible for starting my interest in Ford history aside from the cars.
I was the only 6th grader at my school reading "Ford Expansion & Challenge" while everyone else had tattered copies of Hardy Boys & Nintendo books. Keep in mind I'm in my young 30s and Nintendo was all the rage as were stone washed jeans back then- circa 1991.
Through the years the interest in Ford history & collectibles has not subsided. My Ford library has around 600 volumes plus another 1000 or so Ford related magazines in addition to various Ford collectible stuff like signs, tokens, employee badges, etc etc...
Do you have a stack of Buckwheat cakes on July 30th like I do? That's Henry Ford's birthday by the way. Buckwheat cakes were one of his favorite foods.
I grew up around old Fords, at any given time there were 10-15 Model A's & a few 40s & 50s cars in the shop. I suppose I got into the hobby by osmosis.
In 1987 the book "Ford The Man & the Machine" by Robert Lacey came out. Once my grandfather finished reading it, I borrowed this volume & started reading it. Shortly thereafter the highly dramatized movie of the same name came out on TV. Both of these are responsible for starting my interest in Ford history aside from the cars.
I was the only 6th grader at my school reading "Ford Expansion & Challenge" while everyone else had tattered copies of Hardy Boys & Nintendo books. Keep in mind I'm in my young 30s and Nintendo was all the rage as were stone washed jeans back then- circa 1991.
Through the years the interest in Ford history & collectibles has not subsided. My Ford library has around 600 volumes plus another 1000 or so Ford related magazines in addition to various Ford collectible stuff like signs, tokens, employee badges, etc etc...
Do you have a stack of Buckwheat cakes on July 30th like I do? That's Henry Ford's birthday by the way. Buckwheat cakes were one of his favorite foods.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Photos of the day.
Ford Dealer showroom- Early 1928. Note the lack of exterior door handles on the Phaeton as well as the early style hubcaps.
Ford Dealer showroom - 1932
Fred Black - Man of many hats.
Fred Black was one of the most able executives in Henry Ford's office in the 1918-1940 period. Ford hired him in 1919 to oversee his Dearborn Independent newspaper that he had just bought. The two met when Black found Henry Ford a printing press for the newspaper.
Not only was he responsible for such things as building Ford's radio station, WWI and overseeing the Ford exhibits in the 1933, 1934 World's Fairs, but he did much more unusual tasks. One of the most prominent jobs was being assigned by Henry Ford to track down the supposed mummy of John Wilkes Booth, on another occasion Black was sent by Ford to see about damning the Mississippi River in St. Louis for a possible Ford plant. Why Ford decided to send an advertising man to do this only shows the wide range of projects in which Fred Black was involved with.
His personal life was pretty quiet & normal. He was one of the first licensed pilots in Michigan, and was friends with the first female pilot in the state of Michigan- Evangeline Dahlinger who also was a Ford employee & confidant.
He lived in a Ford built home in the now "Ford Homes Historic District" later moving to a large home adjoining Ford Field in Dearborn.
I could post tons more of information and likely will in the near future as needed.
As always comments & questions welcomed.
Sources-
Henry's Lieutenants- by Ford Bryan
Author's research done at Ford Archives.
Not only was he responsible for such things as building Ford's radio station, WWI and overseeing the Ford exhibits in the 1933, 1934 World's Fairs, but he did much more unusual tasks. One of the most prominent jobs was being assigned by Henry Ford to track down the supposed mummy of John Wilkes Booth, on another occasion Black was sent by Ford to see about damning the Mississippi River in St. Louis for a possible Ford plant. Why Ford decided to send an advertising man to do this only shows the wide range of projects in which Fred Black was involved with.
His personal life was pretty quiet & normal. He was one of the first licensed pilots in Michigan, and was friends with the first female pilot in the state of Michigan- Evangeline Dahlinger who also was a Ford employee & confidant.
He lived in a Ford built home in the now "Ford Homes Historic District" later moving to a large home adjoining Ford Field in Dearborn.
I could post tons more of information and likely will in the near future as needed.
As always comments & questions welcomed.
Sources-
Henry's Lieutenants- by Ford Bryan
Author's research done at Ford Archives.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
History of the Ford Times
The Ford Times started out in 1908 as a means of keeping both customer & dealer informed. In the early days of the publication articles were geared towards Ford products.
However as time went on this trend gradually changed to a more variety magazine format, featuring travel stories, historical yarns, watercolor prints, and in the 1950s & 60s a myriad of artwork by artist Charley Harper.
Perhaps the one thing Ford Times was most known for is the recipes. For many years recipes from famous restaurants across the country were published towards the back of the magazine. This popularity spawned several "Treasury of Ford Times Recipes" cookbooks, which those in itself are also fairly desirable.
Ford Times magazines started out as a medium sized magazine in 1908. Henry Ford upon seeing the first copies of the magazine, went to stuff one in his pocket- however it wouldn't fit! He promptly had the print staff shrink the size of the magazine to where it could fit in his coat pocket. He said "Might as well make it to where people can carry them around without much hassle." And so it was. After WW2, they tried going back to the medium sized magazine but here again Henry Ford had on a coat with small pockets. In the 1980s the magazine took on traditional magazine size.
Ford Times and the spin off publications such as "Treasury of Station Wagon Living" , "Treasury of Ford Times Recipes" and others all are worth collecting. Most issues of Ford Times can be bought for a few dollars each with the very early ones going for much more. Recently on Ebay, a complete set of Vol 1. (1908) sold for close to $2,000.00!
However as time went on this trend gradually changed to a more variety magazine format, featuring travel stories, historical yarns, watercolor prints, and in the 1950s & 60s a myriad of artwork by artist Charley Harper.
Perhaps the one thing Ford Times was most known for is the recipes. For many years recipes from famous restaurants across the country were published towards the back of the magazine. This popularity spawned several "Treasury of Ford Times Recipes" cookbooks, which those in itself are also fairly desirable.
Ford Times magazines started out as a medium sized magazine in 1908. Henry Ford upon seeing the first copies of the magazine, went to stuff one in his pocket- however it wouldn't fit! He promptly had the print staff shrink the size of the magazine to where it could fit in his coat pocket. He said "Might as well make it to where people can carry them around without much hassle." And so it was. After WW2, they tried going back to the medium sized magazine but here again Henry Ford had on a coat with small pockets. In the 1980s the magazine took on traditional magazine size.
Ford Times and the spin off publications such as "Treasury of Station Wagon Living" , "Treasury of Ford Times Recipes" and others all are worth collecting. Most issues of Ford Times can be bought for a few dollars each with the very early ones going for much more. Recently on Ebay, a complete set of Vol 1. (1908) sold for close to $2,000.00!
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