Contrary to popular belief, I was not born on the assembly line... But very close!!
Born in Detroit, Michigan at the Florence Crittenton Hospital in the fall of 1935, I lived the first five years of my life at 238 Ford Ave. in Highland Park. My father, An employee of the Ford Motor Co. for 18 years, at one time would walk to work at the Highland Park plant, a short half-mile from home. Of course, by 1935, He had the commute to the Rouge Plant a few miles away. My Father worked in the assembly of Model "T"s, Model "A"s, Early "V8"s, and WWII Jeeps. He ALWAYS owned Fords!
Our family relocated to the South toward the end of WWII and upon graduation from high school in 1953, I returned to Detroit to seek my fortune in the car industry.
After a few months in the Chevrolet factory making bumpers and a few more months assembling doors for 1954 Plymouths at Briggs Manufacturing Co. (If you have a '54 plymouth, make sure anyone on the passenger side has a seat belt on while the car is in motion because that door may unexpectedly fly open!) I soon discovered an education might be the best route to a more meaningful occupation.
I relocated to Southern California where I eventually graduated with honors from the University of Redlands with a Business Administration degree in addition to a completion of a legal certification program with the University of California, Sacramento. I also have completed an extensive certification program in Commercial Photographic Arts. Photography, of course, being one of my true passions!
In addition to working in photo labs, I have had years of experience working as a photographer not only in the public sector but also for both the Air Force and Naval Air Reserve programs.
My first car, (and my first Model "A"!), was a '30 or '31 Roadster (I never knew which!) three of us 16 year old kids chipped in 12 bucks each to buy. After a lengthy ordeal to get the "A" running, we took it down to the "bottoms" of the Arkansas river on the outskirts of Van Buren, Arkansas and "rolled" the little rust bucket several times until it would run no longer. We left the "A" in the middle of the dunes and never saw it again. I've always wondered how deep in the sand of the Arkansas River bottoms that Model "A" is buried!
After that horror story, my next Model "A" was a beautiful '29 Tudor that I drove for several years. Nothing special except the uniqueness of the car itself. A 1931 Leatherback Victoria was my next Model "A" and for about ten years did me very well.
After retirement, I became involved with the Towe Ford Museum in Sacramento Ca. The Docent instruction program of 16 weeks was outstanding. The best education, however, was the information you receive from the "customers" you guide through the museum. The stories they tell are fantastic! The museum itself had the greatest collection of Ford cars ever amassed. From the first Model "A" through the alphabet series, the "T"s, "A"s, and early "V8"s, the history in that place was awesome! At night when you would close up and turn out all the lights except the security lamps, you could walk around the old cars and in your mind you could smell the smells and hear the noise of Highland Park, or the Rouge, or the smaller, earlier factories. What an eerie feeling!
I now own a very nice 1930 Model "A" Deluxe Coupe. It is not only a beauty that attracts loads of attention, but also a most dependable car I feel comfortable driving anywhere.
I belong to the Pomona Valley Model "A" Ford Club In California. A very active touring club. I enjoy photography and have taken thousands of photos of Model "A"s over the past few years. With a CD burner in my P.C., I have shared Model "A" pictures with many of my friends.
I have other Model "A" sites on-line. From Model "A" Clip-Art to photoshoots of different tours, I believe I have some of the best Model "A" photography on the big WWW!
I truly believe with all the Model "A"s I've photographed, at least one is a Model "A" my Dad had a hand in building!
Jim
