Lecture: From Etiquette to Engines: Motoring Across America in 1915

In 1915, Collier’s Weekly gave Emily Post, now known as the authority on etiquette, a challenging writing assignment: travel from New York to San Francisco by automobile in as much style as possible. That April, Emily, her son Ned, and her cousin Alice set off. Two months later, in June 1915, Edsel Ford and six friends left Detroit on their own cross-country trip to San Francisco. Two journeys. Same destination. Very different stories.
This lecture follows both adventures during a time when motoring was a new trend and Americans were urged to “See America First.” It looks at the challenges and charm of early road travel, and at what these trips reveal about American culture at the dawn of the automobile age.
Lisa Worley, Director of Material Culture at Ford House, presents the program with a look at the people, places, and experiences that shaped travel in the early 20th century. After the lecture, continue the journey at Wish You Were Here, an exhibit in the Ford House Visitor Center that brings to life Edsel Ford’s trip and other memorable Ford family vacations.