Ford stethoscope

William F. Ford was a machinist in England who came to New York in 1844 and learned about making surgical instrument working with William R. Goulding in 1851. He entered a partnership with Goulding in 1855 to manufacture surgical instruments, but the business failed. Ford then became an associate of George Wade who had purchased the assets of Goulding and Ford, and in 1861 the firm became Wade and Ford, collaborating with Bellevue distinguished surgeon Janes R. Wood. Wade and Ford became instrument makers to New York City Bellevue Hospital in the early 1860s. The Wade and Ford partnership was dissolved following the Civil War and Wade sold his interest in the business to Ford in 1866, which continued as the William F. Ford & Company. In 1870, Ford closed the business because of embezzlement by his bookkeeper. In 1870, he began working with a new company Shepard & Dudley who advertised that they were the sole manufacturers of Ford surgical instruments. In 1874, Ford joined Caswell, Hazard & Co., creating a "Surgical Instrument Department under the direction and personal supervision of W. F. Ford." During this affiliation, Ford enjoyed the patronage of prominent New York surgeons such as Bellevue surgeon Stephen Smith. He remained with Caswell, Hazard & Co. until 1891, when he then returned to running his own business with his son, C. F. Ford, located at 315 Fifth Avenue. He remained there until the end of the century.