Kansas City General Hospital Ambulances of the 40’s-50’s

Through my ongoing research of ambulances and funeral cars of the past I came across these excellent and very clear images. I am not sure if anyone here has seen these before but after actually speaking to the Kansas City Library I obtained written permission to link these images here on this forum board as well as how to order prints. For clarification I also forwarded the written permission and had the Kansas City Library actually email the same permission to Paul, our webmaster so he has a written record as well. You know all those legal technicalities that have to be adhered to.

Credit for these images goes to “Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri.”


There is only a fee ($10/image) if you want high-resolution digital versions.

Simply go to their website, www.kchistory.org. and for information on ordering images, click the “Order” tab in the main menu.



As many of you already know that your local Library and other institution have digital archives that are loaded with images. Rare that they allow you to post them or link them but there are a vast number of images out there still relatively obscure.


For those in Kansas and Missouri there are additional resources for links.
Here are a few other institutions that have sizable photograph collections:

Kansas City Museum/Union Station Archives: http://www.unionstation.org/collections.html

Research Center – Kansas City: http://www.umkc.edu/whmckc/


Wilborn & Associates: http://www.wilbornfoto.com/stock.htm


And a special thanks to Jeremy at the Kansas City Library for all his professional assistance in my research efforts. Now on to the images!




View of ambulance with patient being unloaded by two attendants. Location not given, probably General Hospital No.1. Circa 1945-1950










Exterior view showing a person on a stretcher being placed in an ambulance by two attendants with others looking on. The ambulance has "Kansas City Health Department" written on the side.





View of two ambulance attendants working on a man laying on the ground. Probably a drill situation or staged photograph. Ambulance has "Kansas City Health Department" on the side. Exact location not given






Full, exterior view of a Ford model ambulance with driver parked in front of a garage, probably at the ambulance division at the city's General Hospital. Vehicle has tire chains on back wheel. Identified as belonging to the Kansas City Health Department, No. 26, with the city's logo on the side of the door. Driver is unidentified. Circa 1945-50







Partial, exterior view of a Ford model ambulance with attendant cleaning the windshield, probably located at ambulance divison at the city's General Hospital. Vechicle belongs to the Kansas City Health Department, No. 26, and the city's seal is visible on the door. Circa 1945-50

Exterior view of two Kansas City ambulances parked by garage doors at the ambulance division of General Hospital No.1. Two unidentified attendants are lifting a stretcher into the back of one of the ambulances. The other is parked beside it with two attendants inside the vehicle. The ambulances are Ford V-8 models, one identified as 5-581 with the city logo visible on the door. 1952







Interior view, taken at an exhibition or show of some kind. Location is not known. Includes view of an ambulance, two unidentified attendants, and examples of items found in an ambulance. Poster display in background contains various photographs and text. Ambulance appears to be a Ford model







Full frontal and side view of city ambulance. 1950





Unidentified male employee posed with city ambulance in front of hospital






Rear view of interior of city ambulance showing unidentified employees and patient 1952






Group portrait of male Ambulance Division employees in uniform in front of two ambulances 1950







Woman on a gurney being loaded into an ambulance by two uniformed men circa 1930s