We have a membership to The Henry Ford in Dearborn
Michigan, so we spend quite a lot of time out at the museum throughout the
year.
It shouldn’t be surprising to find, given The Henry
Ford’s name and connection to the automotive pioneer and founder of the Ford
Motor Company, that the museum has an impressive collection of automobiles and
exhibits related to the influence of cars on the national life and psyche.
The museum’s “Automobile in American Life” permanent
exhibit includes several of our favorite artifacts, like this 1940s roadside
diner.
World War II veteran Clovis Lamy ordered a 40-seat
diner from the manufacturer after returning home from his Army service. Clovis
and his wife, Gertrude, took delivery of the custom car in April 1946 and
opened to brisk business in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Lamy found long hours as a diner owner meant less
time with his family, so he sold the diner in 1950.
Customers deserted downtown diner cars for suburban chains
and fast-food restaurants by the late 1950s.
The Henry Ford searched for such a diner as the
1980s arrived and, by 1984, an historian spotted a sale listing for Lamy’s now-dilapidated
original diner car.
The museum purchased the diner and restored it to
include it as a prominent piece of the collection.
Clovis and Gertrude Lamy visited the museum to view
the diner at the 1987 opening of the “Automobile in American Life” exhibit. The
Lamys agreed that the diner they so lovingly designed more than 40 years
earlier looked like new, and an American Heritage Magazine article said that
Clovis wept when he saw his beautifully restored diner at The Henry Ford,
The placement of the diner near a large vintage
McDonald’s sign seems a bit ironic, don’t you think?
Thanks to Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for
creating and coordinating Photo Friday to link travel photos and blog posts
across the Web.
Check out my previous Photo Friday featuring The Henry Ford's McDonald's sign.
© Dominique King 2009
Wow, Dominique this post really blew me away. I love how you took the diner and gave it such a rich back story for the post. It made it really fun to read.
My grandfather's cousin was Henry Ford, something that my son is very proud of. I don't know when we'll be in Michigan, but if we are we will have to make it to this Museum.
Posted by: Bridget Smith | June 12, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Nice shots, would love to visit this diner. I like your story giving this old place some character and context.
Posted by: Cate | June 12, 2009 at 09:30 AM
I'm a sucker for these old diners. I visited a beautiful one years ago in New York, on the lower east side, which had been found and restored. It's a great story.
Posted by: Victoria | June 12, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Bridget-Thanks! I loved the back story of the diner and wanted to share it. I've always loved visiting the diner in the museum, and a docent was there during our last visit telling the story of the Lamys and their diner.
The museum is something you definitely want to see. Greenfield Village is great as well, but you really do have to allow a couple of days to see both the museum and the village.
Cate-The story really did seem to personalize that particular piece of history for me, too.
Victoria-I've never been able to visit a diner car in operation. I'd love that!
Posted by: Dominique | June 12, 2009 at 09:57 PM
Docent tours as the best -- you learn so much of the story behind each exhibit that you wouldn't have known otherwise. I can't believe they recreated a diner inside the museum. Totally awesome, but yea, they should maybe relocate that McDonalds!
Posted by: amida | June 12, 2009 at 11:22 PM
amida-I do like it when you are lucky enough to visit a site when a good docent is on duty. We stayed to chat for a good bit with the docent in the diner during our last visit. He was well-versed in the diner's lore and it was fun to talk with him.
Posted by: Dominique | June 14, 2009 at 08:15 PM
Very cool pictures! I didn't know The Henry Ford had this exhibit, we really need to go there soon.
My husband, who is English, has remarked a few times that he hasn't yet seen this kind of diner in person. It seems the Europeans think they still exist everywhere!
Posted by: Becks Davis | June 14, 2009 at 08:55 PM
Becks-You should take Andy to The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village. I've always loved the Automobile in American Life exhibit at the museum, and they've got the Rock Stars' Cars & Guitars 2 show at the museum now.
Favorites in the Village include the Cotswold Cottage and gardens...and a meal at the Eagle Tavern if I'm feeling flush.
Posted by: Dominique | June 16, 2009 at 08:40 PM