The Funeral Of Henry Ford: Part II

[Ryan]

My last post didn't start out so hot, but ended with a bang due to great user contributions. One ... To read the rest of this blog entry from The Ford Barn, click here.

[Dennis/Arkansas]

Great photos, thanks for sharing! Dennis/Arkansas

[Brendan]

it doesnt seem right to bring a camera to a funeral, but i am glad someone did.
thanks Ryan

[PeteVS]

Is the hearse a Packard?

[Harms Way]

Originally Posted by Brendan

it doesnt seem right to bring a camera to a funeral, but i am glad someone did.
thanks Ryan

Actually, it was quite the media blitz, Those are movie cameras across the street from the Church, on top of the cars,... I worked for a while at the "Edison Institute" (Henry Ford Museum / Greenfield Village) and from what I seen and observed first hand,.... Henry would have fully approved (or Insisted) of documenting this little slice of History.

The controversy raged years ago about putting the "Lincoln assassination chair" on display at the Museum, having the blood stains visible, after it was acquired, But Henry insisted it was a unquestionable part of history that needed to be shown,....

Henry stood over Thomas Edison as he drew his last breath, with a test tube and personally captured that breath as it left Edison's body in a death rattle. I personally handled Edison & Firestone's "Death mask casting",... there were several more,... including one of the old man himself,.... ordered by him to be casted after his own death,....

In fact, there were not only all the news media cameras there,.... But the Ford photography studio was there, On orders of the old man, before his death,.... Henry believed in capturing all the history that had passed us by, As well as history in the making. He was obsessed with it.

If it weren't for Henry, most of the historical structures & artifacts that can be found at the Henry Ford Museum / Greenfield Village ("Edison Institute") would have been lost to time,..... He was a visionary,... The number of pictures and film footage of significant events throughout that time period (including funerals) that is stored by the old mans orders,.... is staggering.

You could spend several days at the Museum and not see it all,.... however it's just a fraction of what fills up the storage areas,..... THAT!, is just amazing,.... strange,... and unbelievable.

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Is the hearse a Packard?

Kind'a Ironic,.... ain't it ?

[1938 Woody Cape Cod]

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Thanks for sharing.....................Bob

[denverslim]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Is the hearse a Packard?

Damn Lincoln wouldn't start!..slim

[raceron1120]

This is awesome stuff about an awesome American. I have spent days at the HFM & Greenfield Village, and know I haven't seen everything; it seems like each time we visit we see something different.
Thanks for the great stories and photos.
Ron

[HOTRODSURFER]

thanks ryan,i love automotive history!! you wont find this stuff in any school!!

[Terry, NJ]

Thanks Ryan! Many people don't realize it , but years ago, it was pretty c ommon to photograph the deceased in their coffins. A friend once bought a collection of old glass photographic plates and many were "ole uncle Charlie" in his last repose. Many of those photographed must have owned small businesses because they were frequently posed in front of the candystore or whatever. They stood the coffin up as straight as they could without the body falling out and snapped away. These plates were kind of morbid to find, until we had looked at quite a few and realized that's just the way they did things then. One picture was of a man who must have loved golf. He was getting buried, in a complete golfing outfit complete with a hat.
Terry

[metalman]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Is the hearse a Packard?

I noticed the same thing as well as the earlier thread of Mrs. Ford's funeral. You would of thought Henry would of saw to it there was a Lincoln hearse built, can't imagine he was ok taking the last ride in a competitor's car.

[John Kennedy]

Important and seldom seen part of American History. Thanks Ryan!

[Ken/SC]

One of the attendents at the Henry Ford told me that they only have 15% of all of the collection on display at any given time. Huge warehouses of stuff.

[Displayman]

Great pics!

Bob

[Harms Way]

Originally Posted by Ken/SC

One of the attendents at the Henry Ford told me that they only have 15% of all of the collection on display at any given time. Huge warehouses of stuff.

When I worked there it was more like 20% to 25% on display,.... The storage area is massive,.... I was only as low as the 1'st basement under the Museum,.. I was told there was one or two more lower levels. There is stuff in storage that you would never believe,.... I mean never! ( I wont go into it,... cause not only, will you not believe me,..... but I seen it, and still don't believe it !) Just let your imagination run wild.

[raceron1120]

Oh man, I got a vivid imagination - maybe Hoffa and those little green critters from Roswell??

I'd love to see the stuff. What is on display is quite nice. It must've been great, working there.

I remember when I was a kid in the Milford area that one of our neighbors ended up selling an old tractor he had to the museum, it must've been in '61 or thereabouts. I don't recollect much about the tractor except it was very old, had steel lug/wheels and sat out in the neighbors' barnyard as long as I could remember. After he told my dad he sold it to the museum we never heard or saw anything more about it.

[Payne]

Ryan & Harms Way, thanks for sharing the photos and the history, Great Post!

[35 Woodie]

Thanks for giving us the deuce, Henry!

[Troublemaker427]

Thanks for sharing these historical shots with us.

By the way can anyone recommend a good book about Henry Ford. His life is very interesting to me and I'd like to read more about him.

[Vic Piano]

There are literally dozens of books about Henry Ford, the Ford Motor Company, Edsel Ford, etc. Google books about Henry Ford, I'm sure you'll find plenty.