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Lamson & Sessions Co. films

Creation: 1940-1973
 Collection
Accession: 2018-223

Abstract

The Lamson & Sessions Company was a top manufacturer of bolts, nuts and other fasteners. In 1866, the Mt. Carmel Bolt Company was formed by brothers Thomas H. (1827-1882) and Isaac P. Lamson (1832-1912) with Samuel W. Sessions (1824-1902) in Southington, Connecticut. The company moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1869. During World War II, the company was one of the largest manufacturers of fasteners in the United States. In 1981, the company sold its industrial fastener division to Russell, Burdsall & Ward Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. Lamson & Sessions Company survives today through two business segments: Carlon and Lamson Home Products.

The collection contains nineteen 16mm films dating from the 1940s to 1973. Many of the films are documents of employees working in Lamson & Sessions factories. Some of these depict female employees in the workplace. Several more show machines and presses being run in the creation of bolts or nuts.

Dates

  • Creation: 1940-1973

Creator

Extent

3 Linear Feet

Physical Description

7 reels : si., b&w ; 16mm. 5 reels : sd., b&w ; 16mm. 5 reels : si., col. ; 16mm. 2 reels : sd., col. ; 16mm.

Historical Note

The Lamson & Sessions Company was one of the nation's leading manufacturers of bolts, nuts and other fasteners. In 1866, the Mt. Carmel Bolt Company was formed by brothers Thomas H. (1827-1882) and Isaac P. Lamson (1832-1912) with Samuel W. Sessions (1824-1902) in Southington, Connecticut. Three years later, the partners moved the operation to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1872, they formed the Cleveland Nut Company expanding the business to create a full line of fasteners. The company was renamed the Lamson & Sessions Company and incorporated in the state of Ohio in 1883. Due to several acquisitions and the need for nuts and bolts during World War I, the company grew further and shares of Lamson & Sessions Co. began trading on the Cleveland Stock Exchange in 1928. During World War II, the company concentrated on fasteners for military equipment, and was then one of the largest manufacturers of nuts and bolts in the United States.

Lamson & Sessions continued to grow during the 1950s and 1960s, but took a financial downturn in the 1970s after investing in the production of railway cars. In 1981, because of increasing international competition, the company sold its industrial fastener division to the Russell, Burdsall & Ward Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. Five years later, they acquired the Carlon Company, and in 2000, Pyramid Industries, Inc and Ameriduct Worldwide, Inc. The company survives today through two business segments: Carlon, which provides products to the electrical, telecommunications and construction industries and Lamson Home Products, supplying a variety of electrical products to home centers and hardware stores.

Scope and Content

The collection contains nineteen 16mm films dating from the 1940s to 1973, although several of the films are undated. Some of the films document employees working in Lamson & Sessions factories. Several of these depict female employees in the workplace. The rest depict machines and presses being run in the creation of bolts or nuts. Most of these films are in black and white and all are silent. The film titled “Kent” is most likely footage of a plant Lamson & Sessions had in Kent, Ohio, but the film is damaged and currently cannot be viewed. Two of the films are labeled “Jelco/Seward” footage and depict the construction of transmission towers. Jelco Inc., along with the Howard P. Foley Company, constructed transmission towers and transformers. Another film, “The Wildest Ride” is a document of automobile racer Craig Breedlove who attempted a 500 mile record in a vehicle called the Spirit of America at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The film, “O Parafuso: Un Pequeno Detalhe” depicts the history of the screw. This film is in Portuguese. “Miracle in Paradise Valley” is a safety film explaining the many accidents that can take place on a farm. Three films in this collection are from the “Machine Shop Work” collection. These films were produced by the U.S. Office of Education during 1941 and 1942 to train factory workers and shipbuilders. These films cover the topics of cutting threads with taps and dies, the steel rule and the milling machine. Lastly, the film “Maidenform Process Chart” shows various Maidenform charts intercut with an unidentified woman moving about a bedroom, smoking cigarettes and changing her clothes in preparation for sleep. This collection is arranged in alphabetical order.

Existence and Location of Copies

View selected items online in the Hagley Digital Archives.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.

Film material is located in remote storage. Please contact staff 48 hours in advance of research visit at askhagley@hagley.org

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
Lamson & Sessions Co. films
Author:
Lisa Kruczek
Date:
2018
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

Contact:
PO Box 3630
Wilmington Delaware 19807 USA
302-658-2400