HENRY FORD TRADE SCHOOL,THE (PARTS 1-5) Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “Men wish for their children an education better and more practical than it was their fortune to receive.” “Henry Ford Trade School incorporated to operate without profit, opened in October 1916 as the outgrowth of an idea long smoldering in the minds of educators.” School building exterior. “From a start with six boys and one instructor this school has grown to 1700 boys and 125 instructors.” Building exterior - pedestrian traffic - boys leaving school. “This school practices its belief that boys should -- Produce while learning, Contribute to their own support, Become an asset to the community.” Boys outside building. “From the thousands of local applicants the most eligible and deserving are chosen.” “An application must be made by the boy in person. As many as 75 have been received in a single day.” Boys in line talk to man at desk in turn. “Boys enter the school between the ages of 12 and 15. Enrolling a boy and instructing him in his duties.” Boy hands paper to man at desk. “‘Why do you wish to enter the Trade School?’” “‘To help support my mother and learn a practical trade.’” “Receiving badge, tool checks, apron, cap, and safety advice.” Close-up of ‘Scholarship check’ to the ‘Motor course’ - instructor talks to boy, gives him equipment mentioned above - close-up of Trade School badge - sign on wall, ‘Production without Safety is inefficient, Henry Ford.’ “Receiving his class program.” Man at desk talks to boy, writes, takes him to board with cards in slots - boy punches time clock, places his card in slot. “Within a half hour each morning 1,700 boys arrive and find their places in class and shop.” Boys outside approaching school. “Clock cards are used as attendance records.” Boys punch time clock. “First year class work. Subjects in first column continue progressively throughout the course… English, Mechanical Drawing, Civics Shop Arithmetic, Elementary Chemistry, Auto Mechanics, Mechanical Science Second year… Algebra, Qualitative Analysis, Commercial Geography Third year… Geometry, Physics, Quantitative Analysis Fourth year… Trigonometry, Metallurgy, Metallography” “Each student starts with a scholarship of $7.20 per week, which is increased according to his industry in class and shop.” “The drawing room accommodates 130 students at one time. The drawing tables were designed and built by the school.” Boys take file folders from large open file, punch clock - boy removes paper from file folder, places it on drawing board. “Spring clips are a convenience for holding his drawing.” Boy sets drawing paper and retrieves supplies - drawing [drafting] class - students and instructor. “Many practical problems in the development of new equipment and improvements in manufacturing methods are solved in the school drawing room. A new machine to reduce operating costs.” Man works on large wall drawing of machine. “Seven hours a day, 14 weeks a year are spent in class.” “Demonstrating proper and safe use of shop equipment by projection lantern using film pictures -- a recent development of great educational value.” Instructor using pointer talks about picture projected on screen. “Class work is closely correlated with shop practice. Teaching a class of beginners the use of the micrometer with a large working model made by the boys.” Boy working with model. “Advanced work in Mechanical Science -- computing gears on Indexing Head to show how milling cutter forms a drill.” Classroom, boy at work with lathe, diagram on black board in background. “An advanced class in mathematics. Solving a problem in trigonometry.” Black board work. “School library for general reading and reference -- 3,000 books in constant circulation.” Boys in library. “A student explains the operation of a gas engine.” Class room demonstration. “A Class in physics -- measuring the expansion rate of a steel bar.” Class room demonstration. “Chemistry laboratory -- beginners learning to identify metals.” Young students in lab. “Advanced students determining the percentage composition of steels and non-ferrous alloys for school foundry.” Older students in lab. [1927]
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