Between the Covers

Unbound. A collection of 105 black and white press photographs measuring 8" x 10" with some captions on the verso. All items about near fine with curling on the edges.

An archive of press photographs of the Ford Motor Company during World War II. The images follow the company, including Henry Ford Jr., while they address crowds, demonstrate new engines, and pose with celebrities and military personnel. Actors, including John Payne and William Holden, are seen signing a plane and posed in uniform by the planes. The company was also involved in charities and war bond drives and photos featured here show young women working for the cause. Other images show WACs (Women's Army Corp) in full uniform posed by planes and smiling for the camera. Aerial photos of the planes are also featured throughout the archive showing the B-24s that Ford was helping put in the sky. Although many of the images follow Ford’s efforts in aviation there are some photos of tanks and cars, including one that was being demonstrated as an aquatic vehicle. According to historian, A.J. Baime, “The company produced 390,000 tanks and trucks, 27,000 engines, 270,000 Jeeps, over 8000 B-24 Liberators, and hundreds of thousands of parts, gun mounts, and machine tools for the war effort.” They ranked third overall “among corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.”

An extensive and interesting look at the Ford Motor Company during the Second World War.

Item #440780