Data and photographs of industrial fuel appliances compiled by. . . [product sales album touting the plethora of manufacturing products and machinery produced and powered by American Light & Traction Company]. de [TECHNOLOGY -- MANUFACTURING MACHINERY]. [McMILLIN, Emerson (Pres).; BENHAM, Walter Dwight (Photographer).] - May, 1913.

[Detroit & New York]: The American Light and Traction Company, May, 1913. 4to. 9.5 x 11 in. [140 pp (unpaginated).] With 55 linen-backed silver gelatin photographs, sized 8 x 10 in., nearly all w/ identifying text w/in negative at lower fore-edge, many w/ dittoed labels on versos, photographer’s marks on versos, and nearly all mounted on linen hinges at gutter margins; 1 cyanotype chart. Contemporary black cloth post-binder, brass screw posts at gutter margin, rear cover repaired (wear & bumping to corners, occasional fraying & wear to fore-edges of text leaves), still a VG copy, w/ nearly all photos having bright strong contrast. First edition of this exceedingly scarce product photo album touting the industries and products produced and powered by the American Light & Traction Co. utility consortium, providing an essential visual survey of United States power use and applications prior to World War I. The striking photographs depict the often gritty working conditions, the presence of women in some industries such as the chocolate dipping factory, and the myriad of industrial processes in the opening decades of the 20th Century. These industries and machines powered by the AL&T Co., include asphalt melting ovens, annealing furnaces, barrel drying, beer production, commercial bakeries, smelting of brass and aluminum, candy furnaces, china, the testing of Lozier automobile engines, and the operation of Nash and International Harvester gas engines. Of particular interest are the expansive sections on converting commercial kitchens in Milwaukee, WI hotels and restaurants to run on gas, ice machines in Cleveland, rivet heating factories in Milwaukee, and the massive tire and wheel factories in Milwaukee & Detroit. Founded originally in 1900 for consolidating many small utilities and power suppliers such as Detroit City Gas Co., Milwaukee Gas Light Co., Southern Light and Traction Co., Muskegon Traction & Lighting Co., and others, the company quickly expanded gaining control over 40 gas producing plants, electric light and streetcar companies, as well as manufacturing plants. McMillin (1844-1922) was an Ohio financier and banker who controlled the company until his death, which subsequently came under fire as a monopoly utility from such strident critics as Gifford Pinchot, and in 1935 was broken up by the enactment of the Public Utility Holding Act, eventually emerging as Michigan Consolidated Gas, and eventually merged with DTE Energy. Benham (1883-1964) worked as a photographer before World War I with his own studio, before becoming an inspector with the Lincoln Auto Co., and then reestablishing his commercial photography studio until his death. He is perhaps best rememebered for his photo taken in 1901 of Henry Ford’s only automobile race against Alexander Winton in 1901. No copies located in Worldcat; See: Cyphers, The National Civic Federation and the Making of a New Liberalism, 1900-1915, pp. 142-143; Gifford Pinchot, The Power Monopoly, Its Make-Up and its Menace (1928); Debunking Henry Ford’s “Faster Horse” Quote, Observations & Inspirations, ZinZin by Jay (Nov. 28, 2012).