The Henry Ford’s new exhibit, Driving America, offers visitors a new way of looking at the history and impact of the automobile on American life. It also offers visitors a new way of seeing our car collection. Last winter, photographer Mark Harmer of Midcoast Studio in Troy, Michigan, spent two months photographing 120 (!) of our vehicles.

Nearly all of the photography work was done on the floor of Henry Ford Museum.  Midcoast set up a temporary photo studio using a portable light box, shown here.

Midcoast photographer Mark Harmer sits at the computer while his two assistants set up the lighting and position the backdrop panels and camera for a profile shot of the Old 16, a 1906 race car.

One of our conservators adjusts the tire pressure on Old 16 in preparation for the photo session.

In addition to cars, several carriages, trucks and even a streetcar were photographed. Here, the crew gets ready to shoot the Concord Coach.

The Concord Coach

Six detail shots were taken of each car, in addition to full body shots.  This is a detail shot of Old 16’s engine.

Beautiful!

Cars that were all ready for their photo session were lined up in the back of the museum, waiting to be rolled under the lights.

"I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Harmer!"

Thirty-four of the vehicles also had a Spheron photo session. The photographer  placed a camera on a slowly rotating stand inside the vehicle, which enables viewers to explore the car from the inside. The Spheron views, as well as the other shots, are available in the Vehicle Viewer interactive in Driving America and will also soon be available on our online collections website.

A car is readied for its Spheron shoot. The vehicle was shrouded to block the view outside of the windows.

But it wasn’t this easy for every vehicle; several large trucks, the presidential vehicles, and the Goldenrod race car were too large to move under the light box and had to be shot in place.  These photo sessions occurred over the course of five nights and lasted until early morning.

Moving the light box for an evening photo session

The light box and backdrop panels positioned around the Reagan presidential limousine. The railings and signs all had to be removed, then put back by the next morning.

On the last night of the project, the crew posed in front of the Dodge Airflow Tank Truck under the light box.

Great work, Midcoast!

Be sure to check out all of Mark Harmer’s photographs on our online collections website - there’s a good chance one of your favorite vehicles has gotten the “Midcoast treatment” and can be explored inside and out for the first time.  Enjoy!

In her twenty-five years at The Henry Ford, Judy Endelman, director of the Benson Ford Research Center, has learned to love cars.