Some may have seen this photograph before. It has been published in the
past in glorious monochrome with permission from Tower Archives, and this is a
colorized version prepared by Leroy. Again with thanks.
The rear of the original snap has a handwritten description: ‘Monday,
September 11th, 1922. Brother Rutherford took first car to go on initial
"service day" house to house preaching work.’
This more or less ties in with the
official write-up of the 1922 Cedar Point (Ohio) Convention. From the report of
the Service Director, Richard Johnson, in Watch
Tower November 1, 1922, page 349:
The report states that 203 cars were involved.
A handwritten caption on the back of the photograph suggests that this was a
photo of the first vehicle off the blocks, whereas the Watch Tower review suggests it was the last; but either way it
featured JFR looking at the auto license plate, which reads – 144,000.
No wonder someone took a photograph.
The whole event is written up in the 1975 Yearbook (pages 132-133) which has an eyewitness report of JFR in the first car, even if he couldn’t resist posing by the last.
Hi, what is the "Tower Archives"? Is this evidence that JFR went in field service?
ReplyDeleteTower Archives is a longtime database that some collectors have of Watchtower publications and memorabilia. One had to promise not to copy material without permission when obtaining it. So I obtained permission. The account in the 1922 WT shows J F Rutherford joining the car parties.
ReplyDeleteRelation:
ReplyDelete*** yb75 pp. 132-133 Part 2—United States of America ***
Yes, J. F. Rutherford was there to ‘see them off.’ But there was more to it than that. “Brother Rutherford was in the first automobile that started that morning,” remarks Sara C. Kaelin. John Fenton Mickey adds: “Brother Rutherford’s car was the first one. He had invited my wife and me, her sister, Clara Myers, and Richard Johnson and his wife. I was unable to go, as our little girl had become ill . . . Well, the territory for the first car was the road between Cedar Point and Sandusky, Ohio. Brother Rutherford took the first house, Clara Myers the next, and so on till service was completed and they returned to the convention.” (From Benek)