DuPont Company exhibits photographs
Creation: 1937-1957Abstract
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. This collection consists of images of the DuPont Company’s show windows between 1937 and 1957. The images are primarily of displays at the Wilmington, Delaware site, but also at other locations such as Atlantic City, New Jersey, New York City, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Canada.
Dates
- Creation: 1937-1957
Creator
- E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (Organization)
Extent
1.5 Linear Feet
General Physical Description
632 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 1 photographic print : color ; 8 x 10 in. 1 photographic print : b&w ; 6.5 x 7.5 in. 1 item : magazine clipping. 1 transparency : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 2 negatives : b&w ; 4 x 5 in. 6 transparencies : color ; 4 x 5 in.
Historical Note
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. The company was established in 1802 by Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) and his son Éleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834); the company began with the production of gunpowder. The du Pont’s purchased a mill site on the banks of the Brandywine River just North of Wilmington, Delaware. Throughout the 1900s and 1910s, the company shifted its focus away from gunpowder production and towards chemistry innovations.
The DuPont Building occupied an entire block bound by 10th, 11th, Orange and Market Streets and was one of the first high-rises in Wilmington, Delaware. The building was built in phases, with the original building constructed in 1908 fronting Rodney Square with the final addition being completed in 1923. In the windows of the DuPont Building the DuPont Company created displays highlighting their products and chemistry research and contributions.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by location and then chronologically. The folder titles include the subject matter of the displays.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of images of the DuPont Company’s show windows between 1937 and 1957. The images are primarily of displays at the Wilmington, Delaware site, but also at other locations such as Atlantic City, New Jersey, New York City, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Canada. There are views taken from outside of the building through the store window, and views taken from the inside of the building. The exhibits were concerned with products, company history, laboratory research and chemical contributions to society. Frequent window display subjects are uses of synthetic fabrics such as Nylon and Rayon (dresses, fishing line, etc.); freon and refrigeration; hunting and sports powders; antifreeze; paints and finishes; railroad, marine and automobile transportation; chemical contributions to healthcare and medicine; home and kitchenwares; and Christmas.
There are also photographs of mannequins used in cockpits to simulate pilots and views of construction at Navy and Army locations. Additionally, there are a set of photographs of men using Remington Arms tools at a construction site.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- DuPont Company exhibits photographs
- Author:
- Laurie Rizzo
- Date:
- 2015
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository
