$275
American, mid 20th century. General Motors groundbreaking shovel of standard form with wood and metal handle above wooden shaft with five metal bands engraved with information on the ground breaking of multiple sites including May 2, 1952 for Research Building at G.M. Technical Center; February 26,1959 for Research Engineering Building; October 13, 1966 for Research Computer Building; January 31,1968 for Research Chemical Engineering Laboratory; and August 9, 1968 for Research Vehicle Emission Labratories. Length approximately 37.25". Note: The GM Technical Center is a General Motors facility located in Michigan. The company's campus has been central to General Motor's engineering effort since its opening in 1956. In 2000, the General Motors Technical Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2014, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark. The campus was designed renowned architect Eero Saarinen, with construction beginning in 1949. The campus was completed in 1955 and ceremonially opened by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on May 16, 1956. The facility cost the General Motors around $100 million in the middle of the 20th century. The American Institute of Architects honored it in 1986 as the most outstanding architectural project of its era.
Auctioneer:
Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery
Date:
2015-02-08
