This folder contains correspondence and other documents concerning Edison's friendship and collaboration with industrialist Henry Ford. Included are telegrams exchanged with rubber manufacturer Harvey S. Firestone and Ford's secretary, Ernest G. Liebold, regarding a proposed camping trip in the Adirondacks involving Edison, Ford, Firestone, and naturalist John Burroughs. Although Ford was unable to participate, he did join the campers in Plattsburgh, New York toward the end of the trip. Other telegrams discuss arrangements for a trip to Detroit by Edison in November. Also included is correspondence relating to Ford's purchase of the estate in Fort Myers, Florida, formerly owned by Ezra T. Gilliland, adjoining Seminole Lodge, the Edison family's winter home. In addition, there are documents referring to automobile output, experimental phonograph production at the Ford factory, and recordings to be made at the Edison laboratory by a Hawaiian musical group.
Approximately 30 percent of the documents have been selected. Among the unselected items are unsolicited letters to Edison regarding Ford's position on the war; requests for introductions to Ford and for jobs with him; and routine communications exchanged between Liebold and Edison's assistant, William H. Meadowcroft. Also not selected are a few items, unrelated to Edison, concerning Ford's work on tractor development.
Documents relating to Ford can also be found in E-16-15 (Charities and Loans), E-16-63 (Personal), E-16-67 (Politics), and other folders in the Edison General File. Numerous clippings about the camping trip can be found in Scrapbook, Cat. 44,455, Scrapbook Series.
[E1641AA], Letter from Ernest Gustav Liebold to William Henry Meadowcroft, January 8th, 1916 1916-01-08