The Henry Ford

Earlier this month, The Henry Ford was saddened to receive news of Lillian Schwartz's passing. Schwartz was a visionary multimedia artist — an early adopter, innovator and life-long learner in creative computing and digital art. Since 2021, The Henry Ford has been the home to the Lillian F. Schwartz and Laurens R. Schwartz Collection, which includes thousands of objects documenting Lillian’s life and art practice, spanning her childhood to late career. We are proud to ensure the continuation of Schwartz’s presence and legacy on a global scale through our work to conserve, restore, organize, digitize, interpret and share her contributions. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gjZtwUEx. Image: Lillian Schwartz with Proxima Centauri Globe, 1968-1969

In 2023, The Henry Ford acquired a remarkable collection — a hair dryer and salon chair, in fabulous mid-century pink and chrome, as well as the tools, pins, rollers and documents that #hairstylist Velma Truant had collected over her nearly 40-year career. The collection serves as detailed documentation of Velma’s #hairstyling career, balanced with her home life as a wife and mother. Read the full story on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gkpK9_yz. Image: Velma Truant Working on Mannequin Hair, New York

We’re pleased to announce that we’re expanding our accessibility series at Giant Screen Experience with new dementia-friendly showings starting with “The Wizard of Oz” on November 12 at 2:00 p.m. This special showing is designed for people with dementia and their caregivers and loved ones. During the movie, the lights in the theater are turned up, the sound is turned down a bit, and attendees are welcome to talk, tap their feet, clap their hands and sing along. For more information about our dementia-friendly programming, visit https://lnkd.in/gHSykW3d or email us at accessibility@thehenryford.org. Tickets are available for purchase at THF.org/giantscreen

Today is the 95th anniversary of a very special day for The Henry Ford. On Oct. 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted Light’s Golden Jubilee, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent lamp, at the Edison Institute (now The Henry Ford). Frederick Carder of Steuben Glass Works produced glass profiles of Edison for the event as celebratory favors for attendees. These profiles were underlit by an Edison Illuminating Company silver-plated stand. In our collections, we had one of these glass profiles that was missing its stand. Our conservation team used computer-aided design (CAD) to model a replica stand from another profile and stand that was installed at the Davidson-Gerson Gallery of Glass in Greenfield Village. In collaboration with the Ford Motor Company Product Development Center, the replica stand was produced with a stereolithography (SLA) resin 3D print and chemically chrome plated. Then, the replica was treated by conservation with electrical lighting and a yellowed tinted wax to provide some cosmetic age. 💡 Image 1: Plaque of Thomas Edison on Stand, 1929, https://lnkd.in/gDkwpbjC 💡 Image 2: Plaque of Thomas Edison Missing Its Stand 💡 Image 3: CAD Rendering of Replica Stand 💡 Image 4: Plaque of Thomas Edison on Replica Stand #CAD #3Dprinting #conservation #artifacts #museumwork #museums #ThomasEdison #glasswork

National Farm to School Month continues! Since as early as the 1800s, school gardens have played a role in educating students about food, agriculture, life skills and more. Read how, over time, school gardens have taught students to feed themselves, including at the former Edison Institute School in Greenfield Village: https://lnkd.in/g79Rqy_D. Image: Students Planting a Garden behind McGuffey School in Greenfield Village, 1967 #farmtoschool #farmtoschoolmonth #farmtotable #schoollunch

Japanese American designers in the 20th century were responsible for designing everything from the World Trade Center to baby monitors. Read about three Japanese American designers ─ Isamu Noguchi, Ray Komai and Tomoko Miho ─ whose work is held in The Henry Ford’s collections: https://lnkd.in/gDq-stgj. Image: IN-50 Table for Herman Miller, Designed by Isamu Noguchi, https://lnkd.in/g_ieBWNA #design #modernism #IsamuNoguchi #RayKomai #TomokoMiho

The Henry Ford’s journey across the U.S. to advocate for free, farm-fresh lunches in schools continues! Last week, our Farm to School Lunch Across America program had the opportunity to connect with students, chefs, farmers and producers in Chicago and Minneapolis. 🥪 On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of visiting Academy of Global Citizenship in Chicago, where Chefs Sarah Stegner, Rick Bayless, Sebastian White, Paul Kahan and Greg Wade prepared delicious tortas, apple slaw and roasted pumpkin for the school’s students. Later in the day, we hosted a community event complete with cooking demos, family-friendly food activities and free produce. 🌽 On Wednesday, the chefs joined us again for a visit to Chicago’s William H. Ray Elementary School, where they performed cooking demos and served special sides of corn and maple tarts, and chips and salsa Mexicana. In the afternoon, we welcomed families and other community members to connect with local farmers and food producers with hands-on activities, food samples and more. 🥦 Finally, on Thursday we partnered with Minneapolis School District to participate in its Minnesota Thursdays program, a day dedicated to locally sourced, seasonal foods. We enjoyed learning about the district’s commitment to sustainably grown foods, made-from-scratch meals and healthy living. Thank you for all of the partners who came together to make these events a success, especially Ford Philanthropy. Next up, we will be visiting two schools in Northern California! 🗺️ Chicago Public Schools | Minneapolis Public Schools | FEED Projects | USDA | Urban Growers Collective | Janie's Mill 📷: Nuccio DiNuzzo #farmtoschool #farmtoschoolmonth #farmtotable #schoollunch #Chicago #Minneapolis

The Henry Ford is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Lillian Schwartz, a visionary and award-winning filmmaker, multimedia artist and long-term resident artist at Bell Laboratories. In the late 1960s, Schwartz became an early adopter of computers, expressing creativity in newfound ways through digital means. In 2021, her archive was gifted to The Henry Ford, thanks to the generosity of the Schwartz family. This collection of energetic experiments in computer film, 2D art, kinetic sculptures and personal papers was celebrated in the 2023 career retrospective exhibition, “Lillian Schwartz: Whirlwind of Creativity.” She will be missed immensely. Learn more about Schwartz’s life and legacy: 💻 “Lillian Schwartz: Artist and Inspiration” on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gKChw3ag 📽️ “Behind the Scenes Look at Lillian Schwartz’s ‘Proxima Centauri’ Sculpture” on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gwWdAChY 📰 "Lillian Schwartz, Pioneer in Computer-Generated Art, Dies at 97" from The New York Times: https://lnkd.in/gqNDQHg6 ___ 🖼️ Image 1: Lillian Schwartz with Proxima Centauri Globe, 1968-1969, https://lnkd.in/ga88KgXt 🖼️ Image 2: Lillian Schwartz at Work, Bell Laboratories, circa 1975, https://lnkd.in/g34ZCxSj 🖼️ Image 3: Lillian Schwartz Working with Plastic Panels, circa 1967, https://lnkd.in/gAj8fmeW 🖼️ Image 4: Lillian Schwartz and Jack Schwartz, circa 1946, https://lnkd.in/gzqJTh62 🖼️ Image 5: "Abstract #8" by Lillian F. Schwartz, 1969, https://lnkd.in/gTCUF-Pj 🖼️ Image 6: "Olympiad" by Lillian F. Schwartz, 1972, https://lnkd.in/gJSYnaY4 🖼️ Image 7: "Homage to Duchamp (Nude Ascending Staircase)" by Lillian F. Schwartz with Robert J. Tatem, circa 1975, https://lnkd.in/gHq8VbjW 🖼️ Image 8: "WWW.DODO" by Lillian F. Schwartz, 1996, https://lnkd.in/g6eX79bq

Last week, our Farm to School Lunch Across America program visited two Michigan schools to provide free, locally sourced and freshly prepared meals for students and connect them with local farmers and chefs who bring food from soil to plate. 🍅 On Tuesday, students at Henry Ford Academy in #Dearborn enjoyed a roasted chicken lunch prepared by our very own Chef Robbie Bursey and Chef Dave McGregor. We were joined throughout the day by special guests including local chefs, farmers and other partners. 🍅 On Friday, we visited Mixter Institute for Transition in #LincolnPark, MI, which provides post-secondary education for young adults with autism. We had the chance to explore the school’s beautiful garden, check out the Mixter Market Stand and serve students a delicious meal made by Chef Amanda Saab. Thank you to all the partners who helped us get Farm to School Lunch Across America off to a great start, especially to Ford Philanthropy. This week: Chicago and Minneapolis! 🗺️ FEED Projects | Deeply Rooted Produce | USDA #farmtoschool #farmtoschoolmonth #farmtotable #schoollunch

Happy #ManufacturingDay! Today we celebrate manufacturing and the ways it impacts our lives and communities – from the products we rely on daily to the jobs it provides for American workers and beyond. Here’s to the innovators of yesterday who shaped the world we know, and to the innovators of today and tomorrow who are shaping the products, technology and sustainable practices of the future. Image: Workers Installing Axles at the Ford Motor Company Highland Park Plant, April 16, 1947