16x20 B&W Glossy Photo of the FEDERAL MOTOR TRUCK COMPANY Plant ca. late 1930s

Description

This photo is an excellent high quality large 16” x 20” black & white glossy photo reproduction of the sprawling FEDERAL MOTOR TRUCK COMPANY Factory in Detroit from the late 1930s
”SAMPLE” will not appear on your photo, it is only on the scanned image. Laying the “SAMPLE” sheet over the photo for the scan, causes the eBay image to be slightly yellowed. Your photo reproduction will be pure black & white with no yellow cast.
DESCRIPTION: This glossy 16 x 20 photo is of an artist’s rendering of the sprawling FEDERAL MOTOR TRUCK COMPANY in Detroit. From the design of the vehicles in the foreground, I’d guess it to be from the very late 1930s. The photo is in ‘perfect’ condition, better than the scan shows.
Back in the 1990s when I was visiting Larry Scheef, who was then the Managing Director of the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS), I saw this 16 x 20 photo of the Federal Motor Truck Factory, framed and hanging on the wall in his office. He knew of my fondness for Federal Trucks, and he offered to let me take the photo off his wall, take it apart, and take the photo to a local photo shop to be reproduced for other Federal Truck enthusiasts to enjoy. Since that was over 25 years ago, I really don’t recall the details. I had around 25 copies made, and they have remained wrapped and packaged all these years. The package has been moved several times from my home in Michigan to Florida, and always kept on a shelf in my office. Just this month (March 2018) I came across the package, and decided it was about time to share this photo with you! I’m 78 years old, and in good health, but someday I’ll die and this package will probably just be thrown in the dumpster by my children, as they ‘muck’ through my office.
I’ve priced the photo low, because the postage and the mailing tube will be more expensive than I’d like it to be. This will be a difficult size and shape to frame, but could certainly be cut down, or just used as a ‘poster’. I could probably mail multiple photos for about the same postal price.
DETAILS OF THE FEDERAL PLANT: From information I recently found, the Federal Factory covered about 500,000 square feet, employing 600-700 people. They produced their own bodies in house, assembling their trucks using mechanical components from engine, transmission, and axle manufacturers. The assembly line was 600’ long. The plant is believed to have been located at 5780 Federal Street north of Livernois Ave. southwest of downtown Detroit between what is now I-75 and I-94, rather NW of the Ambassador Bridge, in an area referred to as ‘Mexicantown Southwest Detroit’. Apparently some of the brick building walls still stand, but all the roofs are gone, and the property is used for other purposes.
HISTORY OF FEDERAL TRUCKS: Established in 1910 in Detroit, Martin Pulcher led the company in its early years, producing 115 trucks in its first year. By 1929 Federal was producing over 2800 trucks per year. While the Great Depression had a negative effect on Federal, in 1933 they introduced their ‘streamlining’ designs replacing the now outmoded vertical designs. Federal produced over 11,300 military vehicles for WWII. Small scale manufacturers such as Federal lacked the financial resources needed for the increased costs of styling and engineering changes to compete with the larger scale truck manufacturers. In 1950 Federal introduced its
Style Liner Series
as the ‘most beautiful truck in America’. But poor sales and labor strikes continued to bring the company down. In 1952 Federal merged with parts supplier Fawick Airflex Co. of Cleveland. Loses continued, and in 1954 it was announced that Federal had become part of NAPCO Industries (makers of 4x4 conversions) of Minneapolis. The “Golden Eagle” line in 1955 was the first restyling of the heavy duty truck line since 1938. That same year, 1955, all manufacturing was moved to Minneapolis but sales for the entire year only amounted to 56 units. Federal reached the end of the road in 1959. However in a 1970 NAPCO letter it was stated that Federal trucks were being manufactured in Istanbul, Turkey by a wholly owned subsidiary of the Turkish government. For most of its 50 years, Federal was known as an ‘assembled’ truck, manufacturing the cab and frame, but assembling most major components from outside suppliers.
CONDITION: This outstanding black & white glossy photo is a professionally reproduced photo from the framed photo that once hung in the offices of A.T.H.S. I can’t recall where I had this photo reproduced, because it was back in the 1990s, but it was printed on excellent quality PROFESSIONAL GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER. The center factory photo part of the photo is only about 6” high, but this is just as it was hanging on the wall at A.T.H.S. back in the 1990s.
SHIPPING & HANDLING:  This item will be shipped via USPS MEDIA MAIL in a sturdy mailing tube, including FREE USPS Tracking from USPS from my door to your mailbox.
I can usually mail your item within 24 hours of your payment thru PayPal, and sometimes on the same day. You will get an email confirmation from PayPal that postage has been purchased, with a tracking number from USPS to track your photo from my post office right to your mailbox.
PURCHASE 2 OR MORE ITEMS FROM MY SITE, AND SHIPPING WILL BE FREE.  I believe you must put your multiple items into your SHOPPING CART to receive my FREE SHIPPING and pay with a single payment.
If it does not work for you, please contact me and I can manually issue you an eBAY INVOICE with the FREE Shipping.
I will be adding a number of vintage truck and construction equipment photos/ads, listing an additional item or two almost daily.
I still have several file boxes and shelves full of items to sell.  Please check my auctions and store frequently to see what new items I have added.
Please check the comments in my “Feedbacks” to verify that I pack very well, ship promptly, describe my items fairly, and that my customers like the quality of my items.
Rest assured, you get what is represented.  It may be ‘old school’, but I treat my customers like I would like to be treated myself.  Trucking and construction have been my life, and now in retirement I do this with a labor of love and enjoyment.
.... any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.   I try to be prompt with my email responses.
Thank you for your interest in this item!