Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Ford, Edsel, 1893-1943
| title | Edsel B. Ford office papers, 1903-1945 (bulk 1920-1940) | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | The Edsel B. Ford Office papers are comprised of eight series: Correspondence series, 1919-1945 (88.8 cubic ft.), Acc. 6; Subject File series, 1921-1942 (41.2 cubic ft. and 1 oversize folder), Acc. 6; Financial Records series, 1903-1942 (11.2 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, 52, 261, 279, 483, 543; Personal Files series, 1927-1944 (29.2 cubic ft.), Acc. 6; Reports series, 1919-1936 (2 cubic ft.), Acc. 6; Edsel Ford Automotive Scrapbook series, 1911-1925 (0.4 cubic ft.), Acc. 660; Audio Speeches series, 1938-1943 (.4 cubic ft.), Acc. 6; Desk Contents series, undated (1 oversize box), Acc. 6 Researchers should note there is much overlap in subject matter among most of the series. Each series is described seperately. Biographical and Historical Note: Edsel Bryant Ford was born November 6, 1893 in Detroit, Michigan, the only child of Henry and Clara Bryant Ford. Educated in public schools and the Detroit University School, he was pursuaded by his father when he graduated from high school in 1912 to assume responsibilities at the company's new Highland Park Plant rather than going on to college. When Henry decided to build tractors as well as automobiles in 1917, he formed a new corporation, Henry Ford & Son, Inc. and began to produce the Ford son tractor in a Dearborn factory. Edsel was, however, already handling major responsibilities beyond tractors within the Ford organization. He was elected secretary of the company on November 1, 1915, and vice-president as well as secretary on January 18, 1917. On December 30, 1918, when Henry Ford resigned as president of Ford Motor Company, Edsel was named president effective January 1, 1919, a position he would hold for the rest of his life. (He was also appointed treasurer in 1921.) Particularly adept in planning, sales, and advertising, Edsel assumed responsibility for the business side of corporate affairs, overseeing, for example, the company's massive expansion from 1919 to 1925. In addition to the functional, Edsel believed an automobile could be beautiful. After the company puchased Lincoln Motor Company in 1921, he took charge of Lincoln design and marketed Lincolns with customized coachwork by leading American and European designers. He introduced and was instrumental in the design of the Model A in 1929, the Lincoln Zephyr in 936, the Mercury in 1938, and the Lincoln Continental in 1940. Edsel had a lifelong enthusiasm for aviation and was a major sponsor of Admiral Richard E. Byrd's flights over the South Pole in 1919 and the North Pole in 1926. After the Stout Metal Airplane Company was absorbed by the Ford Motor Company in 1925, he encouraged the design of a trimotor airplane and fostered an annual Air Reliability Tour to promote dependable flying. He also encouraged Ford Motor Company's participation in events such as the World's Fairs of the 1930s. Edsel and Eleanor Lowthian Clay, whom he married in 1916, were benefactors to numerous organizations including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit University School, Lincoln Highway Association, Shenandoah National Park, and Henry Ford Hospital. They had four children. |
| extent | 173.2 cubic ft |
| formats | Business Records Correspondence Subject Files Financial Records Ephemera |
| access | The papers are open for research. |
| record source | http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/ |
| finding aid | Inventory available. |
| acquisition information | Ford Motor Company Archives donation, 1964. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:55 |
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| title | Edsel Ford Automotive Scrapbook series, 1911-1925. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | Although there is no documentation for when the scrapbook was created, it is presumed from the illustrations contained that it was between 1911 and 1925. The pages hold magazine and catalog clippings of fine cars (mostly European), illustrations and snapshots of English custom bodies on the Model T chassis, and pictures of early racing cars. Most of the first entries are from about 1913, when Edsel was age 19 or 20. In 1919, when he became president of Ford Motor Company, additions to the scrapbook taper off. Custom designed autombiles made for well-known people and celebrities are also represented, as well as racing automobiles and boats. There were also a number of loose articles, drawings, clippings, and photographs that were removed from the scrapbook and placed in acid free folders. Included are images of a custom automotive body designed for Edsel Ford; photographs of automobiles; photographs of Edsel's speedboats in the early 1920s; photographs of the interior of his home; articles about boating, aviation, and automobiles in the early 1920s; and a printed label: "Air Transportation Service of Ford Motor Co." |
| extent | 0.4 cubic ft. |
| formats | Scrapbooks Clippings Photographs Printed Materials |
| access | The papers are open for research |
| record source | http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/ |
| finding aid | Inventory available. |
| acquisition information | Forms part of the Edsel B. Ford Office papers |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Audio speeches series, 1938-1943. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | The Audio speeches series is comprised of ten 78 RPM phonograph records and fourteen CD-R's. Speeches on the phonograph records were recorded on compact discs for research use. The following speeches are included in the series: Used Car Exchange Week, WABC, March 3, 1938; New York World's Fair Pan American Dinner, WMCA, October 12, 1940; Opening of Navy School of Dearborn, Michigan, WEAF, January 15, 1941; Safe Driving, WABC, May 29, 1941 (2 tracks); Ford Sunday Evening Hour, WABC, December 7, 1941; First Willow Run Bomber Plant Rally, WJZ, September 12, 1942; Army Navy Production Award Willow Run, March 12, 1943; Ford Good Driver's League, undated; Art of Our Time, Museum of Modern Art, WJZ, undated. There is also a Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra recording of the Hungarian Rhapsody. |
| extent | 0.4 cubic ft. |
| formats | Sound Recording |
| access | Access to original recordings is restricted. Use copies available on compact disc. |
| record source | http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/ |
| finding aid | Inventory available. |
| acquisition information | Forms part of the Edsel B. Ford Office papers |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Clifford Wight papers relating to Diego Rivera, 1929-1990. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | A variety of materials relating to Rivera's mural work in Detroit, San Francisco, and New York, including technical documents, correspondence, miscellaneous holograph and typescript manuscripts, photographs, and printed material. The collection contains a variety of technical documents, the bulk of which is divided between two projects, the murals for the Detroit Insitute of Arts and those for Rockefeller Center. Materials include agenda, cost analyses, proposals, specifications, and work schedules. Also among the technical documents are a chemical analysis of fresco application and a drawing of the panel layout for an unidentified mural. The correspondence, generated between 1929 and 1933, is chronologically arranged and consists of both the incoming and outgoing letters of Diego Rivera and/or Clifford Wight. The correspondence is almost exclusively of a business nature and includes that with Jere Abbott, Clyde Burroughs and W.R. Valentiner of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Theodore Dreiser, Edsel Ford, William Gerstle, Albert Kahn, Gouverneur Morris, and Nelson Rockefeller. Photographs include images of Rivera's frescoes at the Detroit Institute of Arts and examples of Clifford Wight's epigraphy on stone and sculpture. Included among the photographs are several formal poses of Wight's wife, professional model Jean Abbott, and a number of candid shots of the couple's friends, including two of artist Frida Kahlo, wife of Diego Rivera. Ephemera consists of a wide range of material including advertisements, articles and clippings about Rivera's mural work in the United States, course catalogs, lecture announcements, and theatre programs. Bio/History: Wight, a sculptor and epigrapher; San Francisco, Calif.; acted as Mexican muralist Diego Rivera's technical assistant, translator, and secretary during his soujourn in the United States, ca. l931-1934, while Rivera completed murals for the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Rockefeller Center in New York (destroyed), and the Coit Tower in San Francisco. |
| extent | 1.0 linear ft. (on partial microfilm reel) reel 4573 |
| formats | Microfilm |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| finding aid | A finding aid, prepared by the Syracuse University, describing the collection and listing selected correspondents is on frames 215-220. |
| acquisition information | Lent for microfilming by Syracuse University Library, Special Collections, 1992. The arrangement devised by the lender has been maintained. Originals in Syracuse University Library, Special Collections, Syracuse, N.Y. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Clifford Wight Collection relating to Diego Rivera, 1929-1941. | repository | Syracuse University Libraries |
| description | Papers of the Mexican muralist. An epigrapher and sculptor, Wight acted as secretary, translator, and technical assistant to Diego Rivera during the latter's sojourn in the United States. Collection includes a variety of materials relating to Rivera's mural work in Detroit, San Francisco, and New York, including technical documents, correspondence, miscellaneous holograph and typescript manuscripts, photographs, and printed material. |
| extent | 1.25 linear ft. |
| formats | Correspondence Photographs Printed Materials |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record link | http://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/w/wight_rivera.htm |
| record source | http://library.syr.edu/ |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid. |
| updated | 11/01/2017 15:42:07 |
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| title | Henry Ford Farms records, 1909-1950 (bulk 1922-1948) | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | 2.4 cubic ft. and 1 oversize box. Notes: The bulk of Henry Ford Farms records contain financial records including accounts payable ledgers, accounts receivable ledgers, check stubs, cost reports on canning vegetables, and checking account reports. The checking account reports document bills paid for by Henry Ford Farms including standard farm bills for utilities, animals, animal feed, veterinarian visits, tractors and implements as well as purchases of a more personal nature including suits, overcoats, shirts and other clothing for Henry Ford, rental house furnishings, and various acts of philanthropy. The records also contain motor vehicle certificates of title for automobiles used for Ford Motor Company experiments which include records on sports cars owned by Edsel Ford and his son William Clay Ford; personnel records; produce records including records on distribution of produce to needy families, planting and harvesting reports, and hand drawn maps illustrating location and acreage of crops; property records including a blueline drawing of the Cherry Hill barn, and farm house rental information; blueprints, instillation manuals, operation manuals, and maintenance manuals for a private telephone exchange system created by the Automatic Electric Company for use at Henry Ford Farms; and Ford flour bags. Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. Henry Ford Farms records |
| formats | |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | Clarence W. Olmstead records series, 1915-1954 (bulk 1936-1940) | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. Clarence W. Olmstead records series |
| formats | |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | William John Cameron records subgroup, 1896-1951 (bulk 1935-1945) | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. William John Cameron records subgroup |
| formats | |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | History of Ford Motor Company in photographs collection, ca. 1964-1965. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. History of Ford Motor Company in Photographs colle |
| formats | |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | Personal files series, 1927-1944. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | The Personal Files series is comprised of three subseries. The first and most substantial, General Personal Files subseries, 1927-1944 (17.6 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, consists of correspondence regarding company matters personally handled by Edsel Ford and activities of special interest to him. Researchers, however, should not be misled by the title. The records are not entirely personal files in the usual sense, but often relate to subjects officially handled by Edsel Ford in the course of company business as well as activities that personally interested him or in which he was personally involved. The subseries is arranged chronologically by year and then alphabetically by correspondent name. Interspersed are subject and designated name files. After 1931, the number of subject and designated name files increase, creating a gradual change from a pure alphabetical name file to a predominately subject file. Topics include the American Legion, Automobile Manufacturers Association, the Detroit Air Olympics, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, National Air Tour, patents and trademarks, Ford dealers and Ford branches, and records of monetary and automotive contributions. There are also several folders of condolence letters arranged alphabetically that were received by Ford Motor Company when Edsel Ford died in 1943. The second subseries, The Edison Institute Construction records subseries, 1929 (10 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, consists of architect and contractor records, cost certificates, and invoices relating to the Edison Institute (now The Henry Ford) in the year in which it was dedicated. Companies represented include Alberene Stone Company, Gray-Knox Marble Co., Rayl Company, and the architectural firm, Robert O. Derrick. The third subseries, President's Birthday Ball Treasurer's Records subseries, 1935-1940 (1.6 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, are records compiled during the period when Edsel Ford served as treasurer of the Detroit Committee for the National Committee for Birthday Balls, which was sponsored by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and held annually on January 30th, Franklin D. Roosevelt's birthday. The subseries consists of correspondence, reports, documents on disbursements, invoices, bank statements, and donation letters from 1935 to 1940 Linked Bibs: Edsel B. Ford office papers. Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. Personal files series |
| extent | 29.2 cubic ft. |
| formats | Personal Papers |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | Correspondence series, 1919-1945. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | The Correspondence series is arranged into four subseries. The General Correspondence subseries, 1919-1942 (83.2 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, is the largest and most substantial. It is comprised of correspondence between the office of Edsel B. Ford and a wide range of companies and individuals. The records are arranged by year except for 1919 to 1921, which are inclusive in one alphabetical series. Subsequently, within each year from 1922 to 1942, the material is arranged alphabetically by year. The correspondence was maintained using a numerical filing system supplied by the Amberg File and Index Company. The name of a correspondent or company or subject of the letter was utilized for filing. The files reflect Edsel Ford's involvement in all aspects of company business and his broad and varied interests. Although A. J. Lepine, Edsel Ford's secretary from 1918 until Edsel's death in 1943, created guidelines to follow for determining which word in a company name or subject term was primary, consistency was, in reality, rare. Researchers are advised to search under related terms and words within a term to find relevant material. From 1923 to 1942, a card index was maintained by office staff to provide subject access where knowledge of subject was considered significant. This original card index is available in the Benson Ford Research Center (BFRC) reading room at The Henry Ford; however, since Ford Motor Company retained a large portion of the series, the index does not accurately reflect BFRC holdings. Researchers should also note there is overlap with other series, particularly the Subject Files series. The second subseries, the Answered by Form Letter subseries, 1933-1936 (1.6 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, is correspondence managed by Lepine and other staff on behalf of Edsel Ford, utilizing repeatable text. Although the form letters changed from time to time, their purpose was to respond to every letter that arrived except for those which merited individual answers. For example, form letters were utilized to respond to offerings of paintings, antiques, and other objects for sale; fund raising, membership, and committee requests; requests for endorsements, autographs, loans, and investments; and proposals for new manufacturing projects. The form letters are arranged by year and then alphabetically by name of correspondent; the date and form letter number used for reply are noted on the letter. The third subseries, the Motor Files subseries, 1931-1945 (2.4 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, is comprised of correspondence and agreements between the Office of the President, Ford Motor Company, and various educational institutions. The records, arranged chronologically by year, pertain to the loan of motors by the Ford Motor Company to various institutions for demonstration and education. The files were maintained after Edsel Ford's death; the subseries includes 1944 and 1945 correspondence from Henry Ford II when he was an executive vice-president. The fourth subseries, the Telegrams subseries, 1923-1942 (1.6 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, consists of outgoing telegrams and cablegrams from the office of Edsel B. Ford, arranged chronologically. Linked Bibs: Edsel B. Ford office papers. Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. Correspondence series |
| extent | 88.8 cubic ft. |
| formats | Correspondence |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | Subject file series, 1921-1942. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | Documents in Edsel Ford's office were filed in two ways. Most correspondence was filed alphabetically by company name or personal name. Other items were gathered together around topics and filed in subject files. Correspondence that was voluminous on a single topic was also placed in a subject file. The Subject Files series is comprised of Edsel Ford office correspondence with individuals and companies arranged alphabetically by subject. In some cases where the files are large, subject headings were further subdivided. Included among the topics are names of companies and organizations in which Edsel Ford had an active interest. Of particular note are reports and correspondence sent to Edsel Ford from branches, both foreign and domestic, as well as reports and correspondence regarding Ford Motor Company of Canada and Ford Motor Company, Ltd. and associated companies. Other Ford related topics include special deliveries of Ford automobiles; Ford sponsored radio programs; Ford World War II activities; Ford participation in fairs and exhibitions; and Edsel Ford speeches. Edsel Ford's many community and philanthropic involvements are also well documented. Examples include the Detroit Aviation Society, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit University School, the Edison Institute, Henry Ford Hospital, the Henry Ford Trade School, the Lincoln Highway Association, the Museum of Modern Art, and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. There are also records that lean more toward Edsel Ford's personal activities, such as vacations, automobiles he purchased, and Christmas correspondence. Individual correspondents in the series include Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Walter Dorwin Teague. Researchers should note that there is overlap with the Personal Files series and the General Correspondence series where documents on many of the same subjects can also be found. Linked Bibs: Edsel B. Ford office papers. Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. Subject file series |
| extent | 41.2 cubic ft. and 1 oversize folder. |
| formats | Subject Files |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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| title | Financial records series, 1903-1942. | repository | Benson Ford Research Center |
| description | The Financial records series is comprised of six subseries. The Edsel Ford Audit Papers subseries, 1941-1942 (0.4 cubic ft.), Acc. 543, consists of working papers and summary sheets for audits of Edsel Ford's office for 1941 by the Auditing Department of the Ford Motor Company. The Ford Motor Company Ltd. records subseries, 1929-1935 (1.2 cubic ft.), Acc. 261, consists of financial ledgers and consolidated balance sheets with related reports and correspondence. The records pertain to the financial operations of English and European companies owned by the Ford Motor Company and include monthly, quarterly, and annual reports sent to the president of the company, Edsel B. Ford. The National Recovery Administration records subseries 1933-1937 (5.6 cubic ft.), Acc. 52 and Acc. 279 is comprised of correspondence, reports, literature, and federal government information relating to the National Recovery Administration (NRA). (Ford Motor Company observed codes devised by government and labor but never officially signed on.) The records include NRA codes for wide ranging industries such as coal, lumber, wood distillation, fertilizer, petroleum, and farm equipment. The records also contain tabulations of wages and hours for 1933 to 1935. The Office of the Treasurer records subseries, 1903-1932 (1.2 cubic ft.), Acc. 483, includes comparative balance sheets for the Ford Motor Company from 1903 to 1915; primarily notes payable and notes receivable for 1932; plant engineering contracts and agreements for Ford Motor Company Highland Park Plant, the Ford Motor Company Rouge River Plant and a Ford plant in Atlanta, Georgia; and miscellaneous legal records. Highland Park contracts include several for work on the power house in 1919; contracts for the Rouge are primarily for the blast furnace in 1919. The Purchase Orders subseries, 1922-1940 (1.6 cubic ft.) Acc. 6, contains copies of purchase orders issued by the office of Edsel Ford for material and services purchased for his residences and personal activities. Arranged in numerical order and held in bound volumes, they were issued to both outside vendors and to the Ford Motor Company. The Universal Credit Corporation records subseries, 1928-1932 (1.2 cubic ft.), Acc. 6, includes certificates of incorporation, bylaws, stockholders meeting minutes, and board of director meeting minutes for Universal Credit Corporation, Delaware; Universal Credit Company of America; Universal Credit Company of Indiana; and Universal Credit Company of New York. (The Universal Credit Corporation was incorporated in 1928 to finance Ford products for the first time on an installment basis.) Linked Bibs: Edsel B. Ford office papers. Location Benson Ford Research Center Collection Archival collection Call No. Financial records series |
| extent | 11.2 cubic ft. |
| formats | Financial Records |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://catalog.dalnet.lib.mi.us |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:07 |
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