Henry Ford
 |
 THE RED TRUE STORY BOOK edited by Andrew Lang ill by Henry J Ford 1897 $8.99 Time Remaining: 13d 17h 47m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 The Scotch Irish In America by Henry Jones Ford c1915 History Ulster Emigration $7.99 Time Remaining: 2d 1h 40m |
 Shop Theory by Henry Ford Trade School HC C113 $4.99 Time Remaining: 2d 13h 23m Buy It Now for only: $4.99 |
 Shop Theory Henry Ford Trade School Dearborn MI 1942 Wartime $19.00 Time Remaining: 26d 1h 27m Buy It Now for only: $19.00 |
 The Legend of Henry Ford Kieth Sward 1975 $3.99 Time Remaining: 27d 3h 23m Buy It Now for only: $3.99 |
 THE EARLY FORD V8 AS HENRY FORD BUILT IT1987Edward P FrancisIllustDJ $150.00 Time Remaining: 28d 2h 24m Buy It Now for only: $150.00 |
 The Cleveland Era 1920 Henry Jones Ford $4.99 Time Remaining: 3d 22h 23m Buy It Now for only: $4.99 |
 vintage Henry Ford An Interpretation by Samuael S Marquis 1923 very rare $19.99 Time Remaining: 2d 39m |
 Henry Ford His Life His Work His Genius 1943 FIRST EDITION Rare Automotive Book $33.00 Time Remaining: 2d 20h 32m Buy It Now for only: $33.00 |
 1929 Good Morning HENRY FORD Old Fashion Dancing Guide $7.99 Time Remaining: 3d 3h 50m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 American Biography A New Cyclopedia Illustrated Vol 4 1918 Henry Ford $29.99 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 21m Buy It Now for only: $29.99 |
 The Triumph of an Idea The Story of Henry Ford by Ralph H Graves First Ed 1934 $9.99 Time Remaining: 10d 6h 51m Buy It Now for only: $9.99 |
 Worthington Chauncy Ford THE LETTERS OF HENRY ADAMS $275.00 Time Remaining: 14d 19h 17m Buy It Now for only: $275.00 |
 HENRY FORD MOTOR GENIUS BY WILLIAM SIMONDS FIRST EDITION1929 $75.00 Time Remaining: 28d 20h 26m Buy It Now for only: $75.00 |
 My Life and Work by Henry Ford 1922 vintage rare $99.99 Time Remaining: 2d 21h 9m |
 Edison Institute Greenfield Village Guide Book 1937 Rare Detroit Henry Ford $25.00 Time Remaining: 13d 14h 54m Buy It Now for only: $25.00 |
 Henry Ford by Adrian A Paradis 1968 $4.99 Time Remaining: 6d 4h 28m Buy It Now for only: $4.99 |
 The New Henry Ford 1923 Allan Benson Rare Automotive Biography FIRST $65.00 Time Remaining: 13d 15h 37m Buy It Now for only: $65.00 |
 Chinese edition of Henry Ford history Louise Neyhart 1950 China $29.90 Time Remaining: 22d 12h 59m Buy It Now for only: $29.90 |
 The Story of Marys Little Lamb Pub by Mr Mrs Henry Ford 1928 $15.00 Time Remaining: 22d 22h 50m Buy It Now for only: $15.00 |
 Charles Henri Ford POEMS FOR PAINTERS DuchampFiniFrancesTanguyTchelitchew $55.00 Time Remaining: 2d 21m |
 1953 BOOK 150 ILLUSTRATED MINUTE BIOGRAPHIES of FAMOUS PEOPLE JESUS HENRY FORD++ $6.99 Time Remaining: 6d 21h 26m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 1943 Ford Motor Company Forty Years Book Henry Edsel Ford $99.99 Time Remaining: 9d 22h Buy It Now for only: $99.99 |
 HENRY FORD TRACTOR Patent Model F Farm Implement 617 $13.95 Time Remaining: 8d 2h 12m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 SHOP THEORY HENRY FORD TRADE SCHOOL 1941 $14.99 Time Remaining: 20d 16h 7m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 Shop Theory Henry Ford Trade School Dearborn Michigan 1941 PB $10.00 Time Remaining: 11d 17h 28m Buy It Now for only: $10.00 |
 Shop Theory Revised Edition Henry Ford Trade School 1942 $14.99 Time Remaining: 4d 11h 25m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 THE BOOK OF ROMANCE EDITED BY ANDREW LANG ILLUSTRATED BY HENRY FORD 1903 $11.05 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 21h 33m |
 The Last Billionaire Henry Ford 1948 William Richards Automotive Biography $35.00 Time Remaining: 7d 17h 47m Buy It Now for only: $35.00 |
 1872 YALE Lectures On Preaching By Henry Ward Beecher J B Ford Co NY HB $14.00 Time Remaining: 11d 4h 45m Buy It Now for only: $14.00 |
 1954 55 MICHIGAN UNITED FUND ANNUAL REPORT G MENNEN WILLIAMS HENRY FORD II $6.99 Time Remaining: 24d 2h 14m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 Chronicles of America Vol 44 The Cleveland Era by Henry Jones Ford $10.00 Time Remaining: 17d 22h 20m Buy It Now for only: $10.00 |
 Henry Fords US Patent for Auto Transmission 1139 $13.95 Time Remaining: 8d 2h 6m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 1908 The Book of Princes and Princesses Lang Illustrated Henry Ford $110.63 Time Remaining: 14h 28m Buy It Now for only: $110.63 |
 HENRY FORD TRACTOR Patent Model F Farm Implement 617 $12.65 Time Remaining: 1d 9h 58m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 Millions for Tribute Not One Cent for Defense A Reply to Henry Ford 1915 Book $75.00 Time Remaining: 13d 15h 46m Buy It Now for only: $75.00 |
 Henrys Lady The Illustarted History of the Model A Ford $34.99 Time Remaining: 7d 22h 56m Buy It Now for only: $34.99 |
 Book of GREENFIELD VILLAGE Dearborn Michigan Henry Ford 1953 $12.99 Time Remaining: 21d 3h 43m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 |
 1937 Frederick Taylor Henry Ford Henri Fayol Riga Latvia University Latvian Work $59.99 Time Remaining: 4d 8h 16m Buy It Now for only: $59.99 |
 Cy Caldell Henry Ford first edition dj $21.25 Time Remaining: 13d 17h 52m Buy It Now for only: $21.25 |
 henry ford and greenfield villageby william adams simonds $5.00 Time Remaining: 2d 18h 21m |
 The American Magazine July 1928 Henry Ford Speaks His Mind Babe Ruth $19.99 Time Remaining: 21d 13h 48m Buy It Now for only: $19.99 |
 LAST BILLIONAIRE Richards Henry Ford Bio HC DJ 1st $50.00 Time Remaining: 11d 4h 57m Buy It Now for only: $50.00 |
 BOOK CLASSIC AUTOS THE EARLY FORD V 8 AS HENRY BUILT IT BY FRANCIS AND DEANGELIS $124.99 Time Remaining: 27d 17h 11m Buy It Now for only: $124.99 |
 1978 GREENFIELD VILLAGE HENRY FORD MUSEUM hc book history cars ILLUSTRATED STORY $19.98 Time Remaining: 19h 40m Buy It Now for only: $19.98 |
 W Ford LETTERS OF HENRY ADAMS 1930 Constable Co $19.95 Time Remaining: 18d 2h 33m Buy It Now for only: $19.95 |
 1941 Shop Theory Henry Ford Trade School Dearborn Michigan illustrated $27.49 Time Remaining: 8d 12h 16m Buy It Now for only: $27.49 |
 Henry Fords US Patent for Auto Transmission 1139 $12.65 Time Remaining: 1d 9h 58m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 The Story of Marys Little Lamb Published by Mr Mrs Henry FordDearborn1928 $25.00 Time Remaining: 13d 23h 18m Buy It Now for only: $25.00 |
 Automobile Quarterly V10 N2 DUESENBERG HENRY FORD $39.50 Time Remaining: 16d 10h 21m Buy It Now for only: $39.50 |
 PAVEL TCHELITCHEW 2010 Sothebys Ruth and Charles Henri Ford Collection Catalog $50.00 Time Remaining: 18d 23h 54m Buy It Now for only: $50.00 |
 Henry Ford and Grass Roots America by Reynold M Wik Easton Press $50.00 Time Remaining: 15d 16h 34m Buy It Now for only: $50.00 |
 How to Make Money and How to Keep It 1884 Henry Ford Thomas Davies Rare $79.00 Time Remaining: 5d 16h 10m Buy It Now for only: $79.00 |
 Reticular Formation of Brain Henry Ford Hospital 1958 $85.00 Time Remaining: 15d 19h 29m Buy It Now for only: $85.00 |
 1934 The Triumph of an Idea The Story of Henry Ford By Ralph H Graves illustrate $12.99 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 29m |
 Adams Henry Worthington Chauncy Ford LETTERS TO A NIECE 1st Edition First $75.00 Time Remaining: 7d 4h 49m Buy It Now for only: $75.00 |
 Ford Charles Henri Miller Henry NIGHT WITH JUPITER 1st $115.00 Time Remaining: 27d 21h 14m Buy It Now for only: $115.00 |
 LETTERS OF HENRY ADAMS 1858 18911930 Worthington Chauncey Ford $45.00 Time Remaining: 8d 6h 30m Buy It Now for only: $45.00 |
 HENRY FORD HIS LIFE HIS WORK HIS GENIUS BY WILLIAM A SIMONDS $34.99 Time Remaining: 23d 15h 57m Buy It Now for only: $34.99 |
 Ford Charles Henri SILVER FLOWER COO 1st $175.00 Time Remaining: 27d 4h 36m Buy It Now for only: $175.00 |
 Letters Henry Adams1892 1918 Worthington Chauncey Ford Roosevelt Criticism DC ID $8.46 Time Remaining: 5d 23h 26m |
 The Pink Fairy Book Andrew Lang Longmans 1st Ed 1897 HB Rare Antique Henry Ford $110.63 Time Remaining: 14d 21h 11m Buy It Now for only: $110.63 |
 Automobile Quarterly V12 N3 RUDOLF DIESEL HENRY FORD $39.50 Time Remaining: 16d 10h 22m Buy It Now for only: $39.50 |
 Young Owen Ford Henry G A Philisophy of Produc $375.00 Time Remaining: 24d 1h 44m Buy It Now for only: $375.00 |
 My Darling Clementine 46 John Ford Henry Fonda Tim Holt $49.99 Time Remaining: 3d 22h 41m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 THE STORY OF MARYS LITTLE LAMB1928 1st Edition HENRY FORD PUBLISHER $300.00 Time Remaining: 14d 19h 39m Buy It Now for only: $300.00 |
 Greenleaf William Monopoly on Wheels Henry Ford an $850.00 Time Remaining: 24d 1h 43m Buy It Now for only: $850.00 |
 The Triumph of an Idea The Story of Henry Ford by Ralph H Graves 1st Edition $10.00 Time Remaining: 6d 16h 6m Buy It Now for only: $35.00 |
 HENRY FONDA BW PHOTO JOHN FORDS MY DARLING CLEMENTINE $170.00 Time Remaining: 29d 20h 55m Buy It Now for only: $170.00 |
 GOOD MORNING Mr Mrs Henry Ford p1926 1st Ed $20.00 Time Remaining: 22d 15h 53m Buy It Now for only: $20.00 |
 The Legend of Henry Ford Keith Sward 1948 Rare Book $49.00 Time Remaining: 11d 21h 17m Buy It Now for only: $49.00 |
 Henry Ford Ben Lovett 1st Ed 1982 Signed E O Twork $100.00 Time Remaining: 18d 20h 34m Buy It Now for only: $100.00 |
 The Henry Ford Era At Richmond Hill Georgia Signed 1998 First Edition $150.00 Time Remaining: 6d 1h 53m Buy It Now for only: $150.00 |
Henry Ford
How Henry Ford’s Invention Inadvertently Caused the Depression
by: Geoff Ficke
In early 20th century America the vast majority of people living in rural areas eked out a living in agriculture. Farms were small, often sharecropped. The planting and harvesting was labor intensive and horses provided the only source of energy for mechanized tilling. The vagaries of weather and drought have always made farming difficult. Crops were mainly grown for consumption by the farmer’s family, with any extra produce bartered for needed goods.
We are all aware of the history of Henry Ford and his invention of the production line to mass-produce Model-T’s. Ford did not invent the automobile, he simply invented a method to produce cars in mass volumes and make them available for virtually anyone wishing to purchase a horse-less carriage. He also revolutionized the agriculture business with totally unforeseen consequences.
The Ford Motor Company was always seeking new avenues of distribution and business opportunities. Ford had grown up in then-rural Michigan and was immersed in the farm world of the age. In the 1920’s Ford introduced the first mass-produced farm tractor, the Fordson. The machine sold for under $400 and revolutionized farming. It quickly became cheaper and less costly to own and maintain a Fordson tractor than a horse.
Farmers quickly gravitated to the Fordson tractor. Crop yield per acre expanded exponentially. Farmers produced so much crop yield per acre that by the middle of the 1920’s we were growing far more food than the country could consume. Prices plummeted. The need for day laborers declined precipitously and rural unemployment exploded.
The collapse of crop prices, unemployment, and the Great Plains drought were significant contributors to the start of the Great Depression. The Fordson was an amazing improvement in the productivity and ability of farmers to lead more comfortable lifestyles. However, the “Law of Unintended Consequences” reared its ugly head in this instance. The creative disruption caused by this product was thrust on a market that could not adjust efficiently or quickly to its significance.
We have a seemingly similar situation occurring today. We constantly read headlines about the dying manufacturing sector in the United States. Politicians love to visit deserted factories and decry the decline of manufacturing in a wide range of formerly profitable industries. And yet, manufacturing in America is setting records for volumes produced, shipped and invoiced. How can this dichotomy exist?
As with the Fordson tractors 1920’s introduction to farmers, today’s manufacturing has evolved dramatically and created disruptive technologies. Robots, software, customized computer models, computer assisted design and modern communications mean that we produce ever more sophisticated products, in greater volumes, and at lower prices, while needing fewer workers per unit of production. The workers that are needed today require better education, and skills than the production line workers of yore.
When I was growing up in an industrial area of America in the 1960’s many of my contemporaries went to work with their fathers at the local mill or factory. These were overwhelmingly union jobs. Each of my buddies at that time thought they would be employed for life like their fathers had been. It has worked out that none are where they started, not one.
The displacement is as painful today as it was on the farm of the 1920’s. However, the benefits to society accruing from modern manufacturing technologies and systems, just like the advances in farming owing to mechanization, cannot be denied. Only the Luddites of the 19th century and there modern adherents believe life is not more comfortable today and more people have more access to more goods and services at lower prices that at any time in history.
Change is hard and often inconvenient. We live during an age of massive change unlike any time in history. The understanding of and acceptance of modern realities insure that most people will benefit from advances in technology. Those that do not want to change and accept the new order of things will be left behind.
Henry Ford did not sell the Fordson tractor to instigate the Great Depression. The product was a small, inadvertent contributing factor. The inability of markets of that day to allocate resources and find markets for the massive increases in crops harvested was a systemic failure. Today, we manufacture products that are consumed quickly and create the thirst for more inventions and technologically advances. We are all better off as a result.
About the Author
Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.
After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.
Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Why is Henry Ford so important in Brave New World?
In the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Henry Ford is like our God. Why is he so important? Is it because he started the assembly line, like in the New World State, where the embryos are prepared in an assembly line?
The choice of Henry Ford as the deity-like figure in Huxley's dystopia reveals the new world's value system.
Ford Model T - 100 Years Later