Finding Aids

Howard Potts (1900-1978) was a supervisor for the American Car and Foundry shipyard. In the oral history done by Hagley Museum curatorial staff with Potts, he comments on a series of photographs taken at the yard during the time he worked there and describes the process involved in wooden shipbuilding and sailmaking.

Various employer's association records from the 1990s collected by British historian of United States labor, business, and economic history, Howell Harris, for use in his 2000 book, "Bloodless Victories: The Rise and Fall of the Open Shop in the Philadelphia Metal Trades, 1890-1940." Includes several public relations, recruitment, and general information folders and packets distributed by employers' associations from across the United States.

The H.S. Mill Canning Company was a small independent cannery in Springtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The outbound letterpress copybook contains mostly correspondence with customers, suppliers, and the railroads that shipped the company's canned goods.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. This item is a brief note in which Maxim describes the invention of the gun as the "greatest life saving instrument," dated 1915.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. This collection includes a copy of an agreement between Maxim and E.I. du Pont de Nemours (October 17, 1897), whereby Maxim sold to the company his patents for smokeless powder. Also included is correspondence with du Pont family members and government agencies related to smokeless powder; the machine gun designed by Maxim; and Maxims's book, Defenseless America, an anti-pacifist polemic.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. The papers consist primarily of Maxim's published and manuscript writings from the period between 1907 and 1926. The writings range in topics: Napoleon, the future of naval and aerial warfare, and social Darwinism and anti-immigration.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. This collection focuses on Maxim's attempt to float his inventions in England during the late 1890s, his anti-pacifist crusade and war-era activities, and his work at Lake Hopatcong.

Hudson Maxim (1853-1927) was an inventor and chemist best known for his work in the development of smokeless gunpowder and military explosives. The collection consists primarily of photographs, many of which are portraits, of Hudson Maxim and his family, friends, and associates.

Pierre Samuel "P.S." du Pont (1870-1954) was the great-grandson of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and that company played a major role in P.S. du Pont's life. He is most well-known for developing the preeminent botanical gardens, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The P. S. du Pont estate papers document the distribution of physical items from his Longwood estate in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in the years following his death.

Stewart Huston (1898-1971) began his career as a metallurgist and worked in varying capacities in the family business, Lukens Steel Company, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, from 1923 until his death. Assembled by Huston, the collection relates to genealogy and family history.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) became a giant in the field of electronic data processing by the mid-1950s. There are two photographs (one each) of the IBM 650 computer and IBM 305 computer.

The IBM Technical History Project was begun in 1980 following the suggestion that books be written about IBM's technical history. The books that were subsequently written were based, in part, on 361 oral history interviews. This collection contains the interviews bound in eight volumes.

ILC Dover outfitted every astronaut in the Apollo program and continued to design and manufacture space suit components for the space shuttle missions and on the International Space Station. The ILC Dover Apollo program records consist primarily of files maintained by Jim McBarron (1938-2020) while he was lead suit engineer for NASA, overseeing ILC’s development of the space suits. Also included are many other files gathered from ILC Dover and from ILC Dover retirees who were employed by ILC Industries during the Apollo program.

A needlebook is a small pocket-sized case used for keeping sewing needles in; it is made of fabric or paper and folded to look like a book. The trend of making needlebooks began in the 1800s and rose in popularity through the 1950s. The needlebook would store all the various sizes and types of needles needed for a project. This small collection consists of six packages containing sewing needles, with illustrated covers.

The Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and Ireland is a multinational manufacturer of tobacco products, including multiple cigarette and cigar brands. This set of fifty cigarette cards illustrates "engineering wonders" from around the world. Each card has a color lithograph illustration on one side and a description on the other side.

The Indiana Ordnance Works was built by the DuPont Company for the U.S. Government beginning in 1940. It manufactured military explosives, propellants, and smokeless powder. This collection consists of photographs of the Ballistics Lab of the Indiana Ordnance Works.

The Indiana Ordnance Works was built by the DuPont Company for the U.S. Government beginning in 1940. It manufactured military explosives, propellants, and smokeless powder. The panoramic photographs show overviews of the Indiana Ordnance Works facilities, Charlestown, Indiana.

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is a trade organization for industrial designers that promotes the impact of design on business, culture, and society. It advocates for the profession through providing educational opportunities and is an active member of the World Design Organization. IDSA was formed in 1965 with the merger of three predecessor organizations. The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) audiovisual materials document the members of the organization through images, sound recordings, and videos of events, primarily of the annual conference between 1980 and 2014. The files come from IDSA headquarters, primarily from Kristina Goodrich, who was executive director of IDSA from 1999 to 2006 and communication manager from 1981 to 1998. The collection has been arranged into seven series: IDSA conferences; IDSA office staff, board of directors, and committees; IDSA chapter events; Exhibits and other events; Industrial design files; Industrial/International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) winners; and IDSA publications.

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is a trade organization for industrial designers that promotes the impact of design on business, culture, and society. The organization provides its members with education and networking opportunities. It also advocates for the profession through legal and business channels, and it helps colleges and universities set standards for their industrial design programs. IDSA recognizes and promotes achievements in the industry through an assortment of well-regarded awards, and it provides outreach and recognition to industrial design students through a variety of student scholarships and competitions. The Industrial Designers Society of America records document the organization's internal and external activities. Administrative records provide access to IDSA's organizational structure, bylaws, and policies, as well as its internal planning, advocacy activity, and membership relations. Newsletters and research reports provide insight into the industry's critical issues during a particular time period, and they also provide a review of IDSA activities. Materials from awards programs and student competitions provide images and analysis of products and spaces that were recognized for their superior design, and records and ephemera in the collection from other design organizations, design firms, and individual designers highlight important issues and trends in the industrial design field, both in the United States and around the world.

Inez M. Gossett (1907-2003) was employed by Avon Products, Inc. for thirty-one years. In 1939, she established the Atlanta City office. After the office closed, Gossett became a division sales counselor for district managers in Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans, and Memphis. Avon Products, Inc. is a manufacturer and direct selling company of beauty products. It is one of the oldest direct selling companies in the United States. This small collection documents the daily work of a city manager, most notably through Gossett's personal narrative, "A Week in the Life of a City Manager." As city manager, Gossett was responsible for hiring and training sales representatives. The collection contains sample sales representatives' contracts, order forms, and sales training materials.

Ingersoll-Rand Company is a provider of industrial equipment. Its main products are compressors, blowers, and pumps. This small collection consists of a disparate assortment of brochures, booklets, manuals, correspondence, directories, and photographs that belonged Edward H. Fry (1915-1985), the supervising engineer for the Cameron Pump division at the Phillipsburg Plant. The materials date from 1936 to 1979 and have been arranged in chronological order.

The Institute for Financial Literacy (IFL) is a nonprofit organization that promotes financial education and counseling for adults and children and has historically provided financial counseling, programs, and services. Founded in 2002, it sets the National Standards for Adult Financial Literacy Education, hosts the Annual Conference on Financial Education, presents the Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards, and administers financial certifications. This collection consists of the organization’s administrative files, records pertaining to the management and distribution of the EIFLE Awards, and a portion of the Library of Personal Finance. The records document its administrative activities from its founding through 2014. It presents a valuable resource to anyone researching the development and evolution of financial literacy education in the United States from the 1970s through the 2010s.

The Insurance & Financial Communicators Association (I.F.C.A.) "is an international organization dedicated to the ongoing professional development of its members in life insurance and related financial services communications." [1] The associations primary objective is to promote the exhange of ideas among its members through educational programs, events, and publications. The primary value of the collection is in its capacity for documenting trends in the marketing of life insurance, and the rationale behind particular advertising campaigns. Case histories and publications aimed at the industry are of most use in this regard. The bulk of the records are of interest only in documenting the internal functions of the organization and the issues which it has perceived as important to the insurance industry.

Insurance Society of Philadelphia provided a forum for persons engaged in the fire insurance business. The records consist of two series culled from the society's library: vertical files and scrapbooks. The records document various aspects of the insurance industry, the society and its members.

The Intellectual Property Committee (IPC) was formed in 1986 as an ad-hoc coalition comprised of major U.S. corporations, such as IBM, Pfizer, and DuPont, to foster international support to improve and protect patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The Committee's efforts resulted in the 1994 passage of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement at the Uruguay Round, thus introducing intellectual property law into the international trading system. The records of the IPC include administrative files and correspondence, subject files, committee proposals, meeting agendas and summaries - both domestic and international - as well as reports and publications.

The Inter-Society Color Council coordinates the activities of leading technical societies relating to the description, specification, and standardization of color, and promotes the practical application of this knowledge in science, art, and industry. Dorothy Nickerson (1900-1985) worked in the research laboratory of the Munsell Color Company from 1921-1926, and is known for her numerous contributions to the field of color science. This collection consists of materials from the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum.

The Inter-Society Color Council Records represents a wide array of individuals and organizations and their contributions to the development of standardized systems for identifying and evaluating color. This collection documents the advancement of color technology in the twentieth century and its practical application to problems related to color in science, art, and industry.

International Housewares Association is a trade organization that promotes the sales and marketing of housewares. The formation of The International Housewares Shippers Association, and International Business Council, gives assistance to members with global trade issues. Through The Inspired Home, a consumer-based magazine and website, IHA caters to the housewares buyer by directly connecting the industry to its’ consumers. The collection has been divided into seven series: Administrative, Annual Show, International Business Council, International Shippers Association, Membership, Public Relations, and Publications.

The Transportation Act of 1920 required railroads to file with the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) for permission to eliminate tracks from their system. The collections consists of index cards to finance dockets involving the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central Transportation Company, and Conrail.

Irene (Renee) Carpenter (1911-1991) was a descendant of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817) who founded the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company with his son Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834) in 1802. She was the second child of R.R.M. Carpenter (1877-1949) and Margaretta Lammot du Pont (1884-1973) and a granddaughter of Lammot du Pont (1831-1884). The collection consists of photographs of Irene Carpenter Draper, as a child and as a young adult, and her extended family.

Irene Sophie du Pont (1877-1961) was a philanthropist who served as the chairperson of the Delaware Commission for the Blind for thirty years. She married her distant cousin, Irénée du Pont (1876-1963), on February 1, 1900. Their eldest daughter was Irene "Sophie" Sophie du Pont May (1900-2001). Sophie du Pont May was a churchwoman and a philanthropist. This small collection consists of two sets of papers, one belonging to Irene Sophie du Pont and the other to her daughter, Sophie du Pont May. The papers were removed from each of their respective lap writing desks for preservation purposes. Irene Sophie du Pont's papers consist primarily of letters written to her between 1887 and 1898, prior to her marriage in 1900. Sophie du Pont May's papers are entirely comprised of her school materials from the Friends School in Wilmington, Delaware, dating from 1910 to 1916.

Irénée du Pont (1876-1963) was a chemical engineer. He began work for E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. in 1903 in the Construction Division of the Black Powder Operating Department. After holding several positions within the company he went on to be the president of the DuPont Company. He served in this capacity from 1919 until 1926. The collection consists of photographs related to Irénée du Pont's family, personal interests, and involvement with organizations such as the Delaware Safety Council.

Xanadu was the name of the opulent Cuban estate of Irenee du Pont (1876-1963). He bought land on the Hicacos Peninsula of Cuba to build the four-story estate. This collection consists of photographs of the exterior and interior of the home near Varadero, Cuba.

Irv Koons (1922-2017) was a graphic artist, designer, and illustrator who became one of the leading consumer package designers of the twentieth century. The Irv Koons memorabilia includes a small sample of holiday greeting cards designed by Koons and sent to clients and friends as well as items from Koons's funeral in 2017.

Irv Koons (1922-2017) was a graphic artist, designer, and illustrator who became one of the leading consumer package designers of the twentieth century. The Irv Koons papers include marketing research studies, business correspondence, public relations files, and materials from the designer's packaging courses. In addition to this textual component, the archive contains original artwork, sketches, comprehensives, mock-ups, and final product packaging. These materials document not only the career of Irv Koons, but also the growth and development of the packaging industry in the second half of the twentieth century.

Irv Koons (1922-2017) was a graphic artist, designer, and illustrator who became one of the leading consumer package designers of the twentieth century. The photographic collection contains slides, negatives, color transparencies, and prints documenting all of Koons's major design projects over the course of his long career as a package designer.

Irving S. Shapiro (1916-2001) was a lawyer for the DuPont Company and was one of the first people outside the du Pont family to become chief executive of the company.

The papers represent a small fragment of Shapiro's work, primarily the more ceremonial aspects, during his tenure as DuPont Company CEO. It includes letters of congratulation, material related to opposing the attempt by Arab nations to enforce a boycott of companies doing business with the State of Israel, papers regarding the merger of Christiana Securities Company into DuPont, newsclippings and magazine articles, Shaprio's appearance on the Donahue show, and DuPont's response to Ralph Nader's book, The Company State.

Isaac Auerbach (1921-1992) joined the staff of the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation to work on the UNIVAC project in June of 1946. One of his initial assignments was to survey and analyze the "large-scale computing projects" that were underway in the various computational laboratories throughout the country. This report goes through the history of analog computing, the development of digital computing and computational theory, current computer development projects at research institutions and commercial firms, and the commercial market for electronic digital computers.

Isabella du Pont Sharp (1882-1946) was a descendent of the founders of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. The collection contains typed transcripts of letters written by Sharp to her sister, Margaretta du Pont Carpenter (1884-1973) while the Sharp family, friends, and children's nurses traveled around the world. The letters are filled with details about traveling, sightseeing, hotels, shopping, meals, and clothing.

Belle M. Sherman (1851-1930) was a New York writer, translator, and editor who edited the women's page of the New York Herald, and wrote for magazines such as Colliers and the old Cosmopolitan under the byline of Mrs. B.M. Sherman or Belle M. Sherman. The collection contains incoming letters, the bulk from her son, Walter Magee Annette (1874-1955), but also her daughter-in-law Jane Nuckols (1878-unknown), and a column reader.

Ivan Gubelmann (1886-1968) was an organic chemist specializing in dyestuffs. The framed testimonial was presented to Gubelmann on the occasion of his retirement from the Carrollville, Wisconsin plant of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company and was transferred to Wilmington.

James Crosby Brown, Jr., was born in Hartford, Conn., in 1929 and spent most of his life in Philadelphia, where he pursued a career in business. After retiring in 1981, he turned full-time to his life-long avocation of maritime history. This collection consists of copy photographs of steamboats, many on the Schuylkill River.

J. Edgar Rhoads (1883-1981) was a partner and eventually head of J.E. Rhoads & Sons, a commercial tannery that specialized in the manufacturing of leather belts for mechanical applications. In his oral history, Rhoads recalls the major events in his life to about 1950, with considerable background material on his family. Additionally, he discusses his family's company, J.E. Rhoads & Sons, rural childhood, civic and charitable activities, particularly his work in Europe after both world wars and with the United China Relief.

J. Howard Pew (1882-1971) was president of one of the largest wholesale distributor of motor petroleum companies, the Sun Oil Company (now Sunoco) from 1912 to 1947. He was a prominent philanthropist. In 1948, Pew and his siblings co-founded The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-profit, non-governmental organization with the purpose of serving the public. The J. Howard Pew papers are primarily concerned with Pew's political activities and philanthropy. The collection is arranged into seven series: Alphabetical general correspondence; Subject files; Presbyterian Church; Christian Freedom Foundation; Glenmede Trust Co.; Pew Memorial Foundation; and Grove City College.

Capital Airlines was a commercial airline for the eastern, southern, southeastern, and midwestern United States from 1936 to 1961. It was the fifth largest airline in the United States. The airline was the first to offer service from the west to Washington D.C., coach class service, in-flight television, and jet-powered commercial aircraft. This collection includes materials related to Capital Airlines predecessor company, Clifford Ball Airlines, and materials created under its former name, Pennsylvania Central Airlines. There is also materials related to the Capital Airline Association. The collection documents the history of the airlines, its aircraft and employees.

Eastern Airlines was a major U.S. domestic airline from 1926 to 1991. It was considered to be one of the four largest carriers during the mid-twentieth century, the other three being American, TWA, and United. Eastern Airlines dominated the air travel market between New York and Florida from the 1930s through the 1950s. This small collection of Eastern Airlines photographs and ephemera predominantly reflects the company's aircraft fleet between 1938 and 1991. In addition, there are materials that document the company's route system and later decline. This collection has been arranged into three series: Photographs, Publications and ephemera, and Newspaper clippings and magazine articles.

Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the principal international airline in the United States for most of its existence and the nation's only international carrier before World War II. Pan Am was originally founded as Pan American Airways in 1927 as an international carrier only. On January 8, 1991, Pan American World Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company was subsequently dissolved and liquidated. This small collection of Pan American World Airways photographs and ephemera predominantly reflects the company's aircraft fleet between 1930 and 1991. In addition, there are materials that document the company's route system and later decline.

The Jackson and Sharp Company, a manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, was incorporated in Delaware on February 24, 1869, as the successor to the partnership of Jackson & Sharp. This collection consists of blueprint floor plans for eleven cars built between 1901 and 1905, primarily for narrow-gauge lines in Maine.

The Jackson and Sharp Company, a manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, was incorporated in Delaware on February 24, 1869, as the successor to the partnership of Jackson & Sharp. The drawings comprise materials salvaged from the plant. Most are detail drawings of brake rigging or of parts such as couplers, locks, ventilators, and plumbing fixtures. The projects include standard and narrow-gauge railroad cars and streetcars for both foreign and domestic customers. The materials date from 1895 to 1930.

The Jackson and Sharp Company, a manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, was incorporated in Delaware on February 24, 1869, as the successor to the partnership of Jackson & Sharp. This collection contains copy photographic prints of the company plant.