Snapshots of the Past

The first automobile built by Henry Ford, 1893?, one of the first three of four automobiles built in the United States – Antique Print

The first automobile built by Henry Ford, 1893?, one of the first three of four automobiles built in the United States, [no date recorded on caption card] — historic photograph
The first automobile built by Henry Ford, 1893?, one of the first three of four automobiles built in the United States, [no date recorded on caption card]. Historic photograph from the Automobiles collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Step back in time with The first automobile built by Henry Ford, 1893?, one of the first three of four automobiles built in the United States, a historic photograph rich in period detail. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

The first automobile built by Henry Ford, 1893?, one of the first three of four automobiles built in the United States

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Ford's first automobile is identified here, though the caption card's 1893 date is unverified. Historians generally place his first running gasoline vehicle, the Quadricycle, in 1896, when he assembled it in a shed behind his Detroit home. Built on four bicycle-style wheels with a small two-cylinder engine, it was one of the early experiments that helped launch the American automobile industry, which Ford would later transform with the Model T. The picture is worth a close look for its record of that homemade stage of motoring.

Created / published[no date recorded on caption card]
Medium1 photographic print.
SubjectsPhoto by Smithsonian Institution. No. 31436. This record contains unverified, old data from caption card. Caption card tracings: Automobiles--1893?; BI; Ford, Henry; Shelf.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,096 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-139823

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