Ford Photos

[servicepub (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bill Murray

I will forever be baffled by those companies that make it so difficult for those of us interested in their history to obtain reference photos such as these. Over 65 years have passed, what harm can it cause??

In these litiginous days, I think many corporations prefer the status quo as the safe route, rather than doing something new that may lead to a lawsuit (in their minds).
There is also the example set by Colt which earns an incredible amount of its profit from selling its historical data. Gun collectors can obtain data specific to a revolver or pistol in their collection, for a fee, from the Colt Historian. At US$100.00 per letter and only a staff of three, the Colt Historian brings in easy money to the corporation. I wonder if Ford and GM are looking at turning their archives into profit centres? I know that when I inquired into GM several years ago I was quoted a 'research fee' and 'reproduction fees' that would have made my simple quest far too costly. (What really p*ssed me off was that all of the WWII GM Canada stuff was sent to GM in Detroit - where there is no interest in things Canadian!)
We all know that these corporations are more interested in profit than in furthering historical research - and as a share holder I can't blame them. I would be happier, however, of they would just transfer their material to a proper public-access archive.