1924 RPPC Coolidge Henry Ford Thomas Edison Plymouth VT Blackington Photo For Sale

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1924 RPPC Coolidge Henry Ford Thomas Edison Plymouth VT Blackington Photo

Description

An Exceptional Original Real Photo Postcard Documenting One of the Most Famous Gatherings in American History

Offered here is an authentic circa 1924 Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) depicting one of the most iconic gatherings of American political, industrial, and scientific leadership of the twentieth century.

Photographed at the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, on August 19, 1924, the image captures four legendary Americans assembled during the celebrated visit of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone to President Calvin Coolidge’s family home—an event that received nationwide newspaper coverage.

Unlike the more familiar published group photographs, this composition focuses exclusively on the four principal figures.

Identified from Left to Right

• Colonel John Calvin Coolidge, Sr. (President Coolidge’s father)
• President Calvin Coolidge
• Henry Ford
• Thomas Alva Edison

Behind the group sits the historic Coolidge family maple sap bucket, ceremonially presented by President Coolidge to Henry Ford during the visit. Contemporary newspapers reported the presentation as one of the day’s featured events, making this photograph a record of a specific and well-documented historical moment.

Historical Importance

The August 19, 1924 visit brought together four of the most influential Americans of their generation:

* President of the United States
* America’s greatest industrialist
* America’s greatest inventor
* The President’s father, who administered the presidential oath following Warren G. Harding’s death in 1923

Few original period photographs combine these four historic figures in a single image.

Photographer Attribution

Extensive archival research identifies this composition as matching the photograph cataloged by the Digital Commonwealth/Boston Public Library:

“Col. John Calvin Coolidge Sr., Calvin Coolidge, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison (l. to r.) with sap bucket.”

The original photograph is attributed to noted Boston Herald photographer Alton H. Blackington (1898–1963), one of New England’s most respected photojournalists.

This postcard represents an original period photographic printing of that documented image.

About Alton H. Blackington

Alton H. Blackington was among New England’s foremost documentary photographers during the first half of the twentieth century. His work chronicled political leaders, historic events, rural life, and industry throughout the region. Today his photographs are preserved in major institutional collections, including the Boston Public Library and Digital Commonwealth archives.

SizeApprox RPPC
5.5" x 3.5"

Historical Provenance

This photograph documents the nationally publicized visit made by Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone to the Summer White House at Plymouth Notch on August 19, 1924.

The occasion generated extensive newspaper coverage and remains one of the defining visual records of the Coolidge presidency.

Collector Interest

An exceptional acquisition for collectors of:

* Presidential Americana
* Calvin Coolidge memorabilia
* Henry Ford history
* Thomas Edison memorabilia
* Industrial history
* Vermont history
* Early twentieth-century photography
* Real Photo Postcards (RPPC)
* American political history
* Museum-quality historical ephemera

Why This Card Is Special

Unlike the widely reproduced seven-person publicity photographs from the visit, this composition isolates the four principal participants in a balanced, intimate portrait. It captures the ceremonial presentation of the Coolidge family maple sap bucket to Henry Ford and preserves one of the most recognizable moments of the historic Plymouth Notch gathering.

Original photographic postcards documenting nationally significant events of this caliber are increasingly difficult to locate, particularly examples that remain unused and retain such strong photographic quality.

Item Details

Type: Original Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)
Date: August 19, 1924 (circa 1924 printing)
Location: Coolidge Homestead, Plymouth Notch, Vermont
Photographer (image attribution): Alton H. Blackington (Boston Herald)

Subject:

* Colonel John Calvin Coolidge Sr.
* President Calvin Coolidge
* Henry Ford
* Thomas A. Edison

Postally Used: No

Era: Roaring Twenties / Coolidge Presidency

Condition

Original Real Photo Postcard.Front exhibits:* Excellent photographic clarity* Strong tonal contrast* Outstanding facial detail* Light edge and corner wear consistent with age* Minor surface marks from normal handlingReverse:* Unused postcard* Period divided-back format* Contemporary handwritten notation: “At Calvin Coolidge Home”* Residue from long-term scrapbook mountingOverall condition is Very Good for an original RPPC approaching one hundred years of age.Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.

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