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The collection is open for research.
This collection is processed at the Basic Level (or collection level). There is no detailed inventory for this collection as it is not fully processed. To request that this collection be added to our priority list of collections to be fully processed as staffing and funding allow, please contact the Library and Archives staff.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
James H. Cobb, Jr. was a native of Savannah, Georgia. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, Cobb began working as a reporter for the Savannah Evening Press. As a journalist, Cobb was able to become a good friend of automobile manufacturer, Henry Ford (1863-1947), who had a vacation home in Richmond Hill in Bryan County, Georgia.
This collection contains photographs that were taken by James H. Cobb, Jr. while he interviewed Henry Ford in Richmond Hill, Georgia during the 1930s. Henry Ford continued to acquire land in Bryan County and his holdings ultimately totaled about 70,000 acres and were known as Ford Plantation. While Ford was in Richmond Hill between the 1920s and 1940s, he became a substantial contributor to the community. He created jobs on his farm; built elementary schools, a technical center for adults, community buildings, houses; and helped to rid the area of malaria.
These photographs feature Ford and his wife, Clara, at various buildings and farms in Richmond Hill with people from the community. Included in this collection are photographs of the Ford mansion, the community center, churches, and schools. Of particular note, are photographs of the George Washington Carver School that Ford built for the African Americans in the community as part of his effort to improve educational opportunities for all Richmond Hill residents.
Please note that when this collection was received in 1979, the original photographs and negatives were in the possession of James H. Cobb, III, the son of the photographer. The prints that make up this collection were duplicated from the originals for an exhibit at the Georgia Historical Society in 1979.