Keith Reeves Rodney diaries
Creation: 1905Abstract
Keith Reeves Rodney (1875-1956) was a metallurgist at the Fairmount Steel Company in Philadelphia. His diaries document his 1905 European tour of a number of steel mills and machine shops. He visited Italy, France, Germany, and England.
Dates
- Creation: 1905
Creator
- Rodney, Keith Reeves, 1875-1956 (Person)
Extent
2 volume(s)
Biographical Note
Keith Reeves Rodney (1875-1956) was a metallurgist at the Fairmount Steel Company in Philadelphia. He was born on May 30, 1875, to John H. Rodney (1839-1913) and Annie D. Reeves Rodney (1842-1932). The family traces their ancestry to William Rodney (1652-1708), who came to America in 1682 with William Penn (1644-1718), Caesar Rodney (1728-1784), the Delaware signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Daniel Rodney (1764-1846), governor of Delaware from 1814 to 1817.
Rodney spent his early life in New Castle and attended Wilmington Friends School. He later became associated with the Midvale Steel Workers and then the Edgecombe Steel Company. In 1905, he and several companions toured a number of the steel mills and machine shops in France, Italy, Sweden, and England.
Scope and Contents
Keith Reeves Rodney's (1875-1956) diaries document his 1905 European tour of a number of steel mills and machine shops. He visited Italy, France, Germany, and England. Of the two diaries kept by Rodney, the first merely records his travels. It contains little technical information but lists places visited, hotels, sightseeing tours, names of contacts, and notations on the reception (friendly or unfriendly) he received at particular sites. The second contains more detailed descriptions of the various mills and shops visited. It provides data on the processes employed and the rates of operation. It represents a useful picture of European steel technology during a period of rapid growth for German and Italian companies and the decline of French and English firms.
Location of Copies
View selected items online in the Hagley Digital Archives.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Keith Reeves Rodney diaries
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2021: Ashley Williams
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
