This DVD contains four brilliantly made industrial propaganda films produced by The Ford Motor Company used to promote the continued growth of the automobile industry. Packed full of footage of automobile manufacturing plants and workers in action these films bring the history of auto making back to life. Topics Include:Auto Manufacturing & Efficiency, American Auto Industry & The Economy, Auto Industry Growth, Henry Ford & The Ford Model T
Included Films:
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Henry Ford’s Mirror of America
Produced: 1962
Length: 36 Minutes
Henry Fords Mirror of America is one of the most awesome collections of early film ever assembled. Ford had a high dollar film studio in place to gather footage for newsreels and documentaries about his business and about America at large. Compiled here are the most precious pieces of that great archive; this is film that was recorded in the early silent era. With some sound and narration added, it is an effective slice of life montage that documents the American lifestyle and how the automobile was quickly changing it. But far more than the history of the automobile and automobile manufacturing is shown. Of special interest are scenes of Coney Island, 1915 Model T, assembly line manufacturing, World War 1, and Ford himself in meetings with various luminaries like Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and others. Henry Ford had a tremendous impact on America, and this film is a testament to his influence and historical standing, since the content ranges through all aspects of early 20th century America. Henry Fords Mirror of America is an essential record of American cultural history.
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The Human Bridge
The Human Bridge
Produced: 1949
Length: 12 Minutes
Watch as a car is designed from the inside out. Automobile manufacturers promised they could create cars that would become valuable possessions, even rivaling the houses people lived in, and indeed they have! With vibrant pictures of never-before-seen vintage classics, architectural sketches take on a life of their own.. The Human Bridge shows viewers a glimpse of the world behind the development of these prized possessions on wheels. Taking a behind-the-scenes approach, The Human Bridge has great visuals, as well as interesting information on the development of automobiles.
Highland Park Ford Manufacturing Plant
Highland Park Ford Manufacturing Plant
Produced: 1920s
Length: 12 Minutes
This includes great silent footage from Henry Fords Highland Park Ford manufacturing plant dedication to the Ford Model T. It also contains footage of the smoke stacks of the plant falling in as the plant was taken out of operation.
The Harvest Of The Years
The Harvest Of The Years
Produced: 1930s
Length: 22 Minutes
The Harvest of the Years shows both the process of mass producing Ford cars and how the company helped the U.S. economy by providing millions of job opportunities and aiding the growth of the agricultural industry. Henry Ford perfected the method of mass production through installation of the first conveyor belt-based assembly line in his small car workshop in Michigan around 1914. Before this, cars had been expensive, as the cost of production was quite high. Only the elite could afford the luxury of automobile transportation. Ford raised the standard of living by building a simple, yet reliable car that the average American could afford. With the assembly line approach to production, the cars went to the workers, who acted more as specialists in their own line. Demand for Ford cars increased because of their low cost. The greater the desire for cars, the more jobs were created. The agriculture industry was similarly helped through the Ford cars growing popularity. By using agricultural products in production, need for those products rose. Items such as leather, beeswax, cotton, corn, molasses, turpentine and rubber were in great demand, which led to millions of job opportunities all over the country.
