Finding Aids

Thomas Woodnutt Miller (1886-1973) served as Delaware's Congressman in the 64th Congress (1915-1917) and spent the majority of his career in Republican Party politics, serving primarily in non-elected roles. The Thomas W. Miller papers are exclusively focused on his term in the 64th Congress. They include copies of bills introduced by Miller and reports from the Committee on Claims and the Committee of Accounts, on which he served. The papers also reflect the political influence of the DuPont Company at the time.

Thomas Woodnutt Miller (1886-1973) served as Delaware's Congressman in the 64th Congress (1915-1917) and spent the majority of his career in Republican Party politics, serving primarily in non-elected roles. This item is a carbon copy of Miller's speech to the 1916 Republican National Convention entitled "Remarks of Thomas W. Miller, Representative in Congress from Delaware, placing the name of General T. Coleman du Pont of Delaware in nomination for the Presidency." T. Coleman (Thomas Coleman) du Pont (1863-1930) was president of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1902 to 1915, a gunpowder manufacturing firm.

Thompson & Company was a general mercantile business located at Riga Corners, now the village of Churchville, town of Riga, Monroe County, New York. The daybook documents a typical rural merchant at a time when the Rochester area was just being opened to white settlement.

The Masonite Corporation was a construction and interior design company established in 1925 by William H. Mason (1877-1940) as the Mason Fibre Co. This item is a sponsored public relations film by the Masonite Corporation about their advanced production of wood products that are "wood better than wood." The wood technology and creative industrial process of creating 'hardwood' siding, paneling, and a great range of products.

The Sperry Corporation was an electronics company; its UNIVAC Division manufactured the first commercial digital computer. The Sperry UNIVAC Division has its origins in the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation (EMCC), founded in 1946 by J. Presper Eckert (1919-1995) and John W. Mauchly (1907-1980). In 1950, Eckert and Mauchly sold their firm to Remington Rand, Inc, a major business machine manufacturer, which continued developing the UNIVAC system. Thomas "Tim" J. Bergin (1940-) is an emeritus professor of computer science and information systems at American University; he was also curator/director of the Computer History Museum. Bergin obtained this collection of UNIVAC/ENIAC historical materials from other computer pioneers. The collection consists of research reports, booklets, published articles, lecture notes, and audiovisual materials that describe the development of the EDVAC, ENIAC, and UNIVAC computers. The materials are organized into five series by format: Manuals and pamphlets; Articles and reprints; Tributes and anniversary materials; Photographs and films; and Objects.

This item is a manager training film. The film narrative is about a manager who is not in control and having problems and how he turns things around.

The Tobacco Institute, Inc. was a trade association with the stated purpose of promoting a better understanding of the tobacco industry and its place in the national economy. The association also compiled and disseminated information about the industry and the use of tobacco products. It was founded in 1958 by twelve tobacco products manufacturers. The Tobacco Institute's activities included lobbying, policy work, advertising, and publishing white papers. This item is a sales and public relations packet assembled by the Tobacco Institute that was intended to portray tobacco products in the mid-twentieth century as a fast-growing market, with over fifty percent of Americans smoking and enjoying their historical connection to tobacco products. The packet includes a report, a newsletter single issue, tobacco growing districts wall map, and photographs detailing the tobacco growing, drying, and manufacturing process.

The Tonopah Mining Company of Nevada was incorporated on July 12, 1901 in Delaware for the purpose of developing and operating a gold and silver ores property at Tonopah, Nevada. One aerial photograph showing small mineral mining operation at Gowanda on Miller Lake, Ontario, Canada.

The majority of the records for the parent company consist of correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, primarily generated by or for company officers and/or directors.

Transportation Displays Inc. (TDI) was an advertising sales agency targeting the commuter market. Founded in New York in 1938, the company installed and maintained placard advertising, posters, signs, and other displays aimed primarily at daily commuters, in railroad stations, passenger cars, menus, and timetables. The collection consists of photographs showing a wide variety of advertising placed and maintained by Transportation Displays, Inc. in train stations throughout the Northeastern United States. Also included are sketch plans of many of the stations, showing locations of poster frames and advertisements.

The collection consists of a handwritten volume, in Italian, on the construction, testing, and use of ordnance during war in Naples, Italy.

Triton Biosciences, Inc. was a biotechnology research company that focused on cancer diagnosis and treatment products. The company began in 1983 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Company. Triton Biosciences partnered with Cetus Corporation, a leading biotechnology research firm. By 1990, Triton had grown to approximately 300 employees and had two pharmaceutical products in late-stage development: Betaseron and Fludara. Betaseron is an injectable drug that is approved for use and treatment of symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Fludara is a chemotherapy medication approved for use and treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. The Triton Biosciences, Inc. records document the company's structure, goals, operations, research, and achievements from its formation to its sale to Schering AG. The collection is arranged into two series: General files and Evaluations and offerings. The General files series consists of presentations, publications, meeting minutes, and marketing materials. The Evaluations and offerings series consists of consulting groups' company analyses of Triton, Triton's self-assessment, prospective buyers' offering memorandums, and materials related to Triton's sale to Schering AG. This collection would interest those researching biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry, patent medicine development, or company acquisitions.

The Allentown Non-Freezing Powder Co. built this plant in 1903 to manufacture commercial explosives using its proprietary ingredient, nitrostarch. The panoramic photograph shows employees of the Trojan Chemical Company explosives plant in Seiple, Pennsylvania.

The Trundle Engineering Company was an industrial engineering management consulting company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Clients would hire Trundle Engineering Company to perform studies on their organization or operating methods. One aspect of the business was the design and manufacture of custom machinery for increased efficiency. This album is a salesman sample photograph album providing an overview of inventions and technology developed by the Trundle Engineering Company. Machinery represented here includes spiral meat-cutting machine, matchbook cover book-cutting machine, traffic signal control boxes, spinning machine for making artificial silk, ice cream freezing machinery, remote control spotlight, and a golf ball center compression test machine.

Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline from 1925 until 2001. It was created by the 1930 merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express. TWA was plagued through its history by financial deals that were not in the best interest of the company. These deals led to heavy debt and its eventual acquisition by American Airlines after its third bankruptcy filing. This airline timetable includes photographs illustrating the airline's sleeper service on cross country flights.

These aerial photographs of the Tyler McConnell Bridge and ground views of the nearby area of Henry Clay Village, Delaware, including the Hagley Museum and Library's entrance, were commissioned by the State of Delaware Department of Transportation. The Tyler McConnell Bridge over the Brandywine River on Route 141 (Centre Road) opened in 1952. The area was documented when research began on building another bridge to replace the current two-lane bridge. There are also views of the Charles I. du Pont house.

The Underwood Typewriter Company was founded in 1895 by John T. Underwood (1857-1937). The "No. 5" model was so successful it outsold all of its competitors combined for the first two decades of the twentieth century. The Royal Typewriter Company was founded in 1904 and began operating in 1906 in Brooklyn. By 1908 it had transferred to Hartford, Connecticut. One card features a photograph of a small image of an Underwood "No. 5" typewriter. The second one features a man posing with a Royal typewriter.

This item is an aerial photograph of an unidentified facility.

A machine shop is a place where skilled workers use machine tools to make parts. The parts are usually made of metal or plastic, although other materials can be used. This photograph shows the interior of an unidentified machine shop with a group of workers.

The railroad in Pennsylvania expanded greatly throughout late nineteenth century. This item is a photographic print showing posed group of twelve laborers photographed by industrial building near railroad track.

Printing companies often produce sample books, which contain actual samples, not just illustrations. This album contains samples of stock printed dance cards, programmes, bills of fares, and tassels.

Chicago's Union Stock Yard was the meatpacking district for Chicago, Illinois. In 1864, a consortium of nine railroad companies purchased 320-acres of swamp land in southwest Chicago to build a new more efficient stockyard. The result was that Chicago's Union Stock Yard and Transit Company opened Christmas Day 1865. This collection consists of five postcards (one used) showing scenes from the Union Stock Yards.

UNITE, Inc. stands for Unisys Information Technology Exchange, a not-for-profit corporation, where members share information about Unisys and the use and development of information technology. The predescessor, UNIVAC Scientific Exchange (USE) was formed in 1955, consisting of UNIVAC 1103A computer users (Boeing Airplane Company, Holloman Air Force Base, Lockheed Missile Systems Division and Ramo-Woolridge Corporation) and Sperry-UNIVAC representatives. Their records document the evolving relationship between USE, Inc. and Sperry-UNIVAC including the history of software development through problem issues reported and improvements, response to user demands, and customer expectations.

United Mine Workers of America is a labor union that represents coal miners. It was founded in 1890 and continues to be active. This color transparency of the United Mine Workers of America membership certificate that has various images along the boarders that depict coal miners' handshakes and rites of passage.

The collection consists of photographs taken during the first years of the United States Post Office Department air mail service. Many of these photographs are portraits of individual air mail service pilots. The first use of air mail in the United States occurred in September, 1911, while the first air mail route from Washington to New York via Philadelphia started in 1918. A transcontinental route was established by 1920. In 1925 the government transitioned out of the air mail business with the passage of the Kelly Air Mail Act, which called for commericial airlines to bid on air mail routes established by the Post Office.

In the ninteenth century, steamboats revolutionized river transportation of people and goods because they could swiftly traverse rivers regardless of current. A mystique was created by the dangers they faced: explosions, sinkings, Indian attacks and daring races. This is a pane of commemorative stamps showing four steamboats: Sylvan Dell, Robert E. Lee, Rebecca Everingham, Bailey Gatzert.

The University of Delaware is the largest university in Delaware. Many of the buildings on campus have a Georgian style facade. This collection consists of twelve postcards showing building exteriors at the University of Delaware and one of St. Thomas Church, Newark, Delaware.

Printing companies often produce sample books, which contain actual samples, not just illustrations. This album contains mostly small pre-printed cards either folded or meant to be folded and used as invitations, dance cards, and programs.

After the U.S. Congress declared war on April 6, 1917, agents of the U.S. government discussed the need for new gunpowder plants with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, a chemical company more commonly known as the DuPont Company. The DuPont Engineering Company was contracted to survey and do preliminary design for an explosives plant on the Kanawha River sixteen miles west of Charleston, West Virginia. This was to be one of three new government plants and was called Explosives Plant "C." This small collection consists of three panoramic photographs of the U.S. Government Explosives Plant "C" in Nitro, West Virginia, taken after the end of World War I.

Route 1 is a major north-south U.S. highway extending from Florida to Maine. The plat depicts a small portion of Route 1 between Hamorton and the Anvil Inn, including P.S. du Pont's (1870-1952) Longwood Gardens.

Samuel Francis du Pont (1803-1865) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and fought in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. At the start of the Civil War du Pont was appointed a senior member of the Commission of Conference to establish naval operations for the North. du Pont was put in charge of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and broke his flag on the U.S.S. Wabash. This item is a hand-colored lithograph of the U.S.S. Wabash at sea.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) fully adopted federal grading standards for food and other agricultural products during the Second World War. In 1939, the Agricultural Marketing Service, a USDA agency, began administering commodity standardization, grading, and inspections of several programs, including cotton and tobacco. This small collection mostly includes USDA issued publications and reports regarding developments in cotton standards, specifications, and classification in the mid-twentieth century.

Uxbridge Worsted Co., Inc. was a cotton, woolen, and worsted fabrics manufacturer. This item is an appraisal report made by the National Appraisal Company.

Victor Marie du Pont (1767-1827) was a French diplomat who later immigrated to the United States and established various trading companies before moving to Delaware. He was the eldest son of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817). The collection consists of correspondence, business and personal papers, and writings of Victor Marie du Pont and his wife, Gabrielle Joséphine (de la Fite de Pelleport) du Pont.

Victor Marie du Pont (1767-1827) was a French diplomat. In 1794, he married Gabrielle Joséphine de La Fite de Pelleport (1770-1837), and a year later they came to the United States, where he was appointed as consul at Charleston, South Carolina. They returned to France in 1798, but came back to the United States in 1800 with their children; his father, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817); and his younger brother, Éleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), and his family. Victor and Joséphine du Pont had five children, four surviving to adulthood: Amelia Elizabeth (1796-1869), Charles Irénée (1797-1869), Samuel Francis (1803-1865), and Julia Sophie (1806-1882). (The papers of Samuel Francis Du Pont, husband of Sophie Madeleine Du Pont, are held in Group IX of the Winterthur Manuscripts.) The collection is arranged into three series: Amelia du Pont papers, Charles Irénée du Pont and his wives' papers, and Julia (du Pont) Shubrick and her husband, Irvine Shubrick papers. The papers consist primarily of personal correspondence with family and friends.

The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American phonograph record company. In 1901, Eldridge Johnson (1867-1945) combined his patents with those of Emile Berliner (1851-1929), incorporating the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey and adopting the "His Master's Voice" trademark from Berliner. It increased in success by signing Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) and John Phillip Sousa (1854-1932) among others to recording contracts, by introducing the Victrola with its enclosed horn in 1906, and by improving recording technology. This item is an advertising brochure for Victor Talking Machine Company records.

Victorine du Pont (1792-1861) was the eldest child of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and Sophie Dalmas du Pont (1775-1828). Ferdinand Bauduy (1791-1814) was the son of Peter Bauduy (1769?-1833), business partners with du Pont in DuPont, Bauduy, & Co., and Theresa Bretton des Chapelles (1773-1837). This collection is a copy of their marriage certificate in 1813.

Victorine du Pont (1792-1861), the eldest child of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and Sophie Dalmas du Pont (1775-1828). The album contains poetry and verses written by Victorine and her friends and family, sketches, and watercolors.

Victorine du Pont Foster (1849-1934) was the granddaughter of Eleuthère Irénée "E.I." du Pont (1771-1834) who founded the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a chemical company which began with the production of gunpowder. Her husband was Antoine Foster (1847-1928). The collection contains a typescript of Foster's memoir, "A Lost Garden" which describes the former garden at Eleutherian Mills.

Victorine Elizabeth du Pont (1825-1887) was the daughter of Alfred Victor du Pont (1798-1856), senior partner in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and Margaretta Elizabeth (Lammot) du Pont (1807-1898), and the wife of Peter Kemble (1825-1887). Her papers contain miscellaneous material related to the du Pont family, including bills for her trousseau, autograph album, and correspondence from her mother, daughter, and grandson.

William H. Horstmann & Sons was a manufacturer and retailer of silk products for civilian and military clothing between 1815 and 1940. This item is a woven textile souvenir from 1876 Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, showing Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

The Brandywine Valley is a rural region of Southeast Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware celebrated for its historical ties to Revolutionary-era America. This collection contains two b&w engraved prints of depictions of the Brandywine area.

Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware located on the Christiana and Brandywine Rivers. This collection is a souvenir album containing fourteen views of notable buildings and places in Wilmington, Delaware.

Virgil Baldwin Day (1915-2003) was a leading figure in American industrial relations from the 1950’s through the end of the 1970’s. Day worked for the General Electric Company from 1947 to 1973 rising to Vice-President of Relations Services in 1961. He was heavily involved in the company's negotiations with labor unions during the “Boulwarism” era at General Electric, and he was instrumental in the company's communications with its workforce. Day also served on a number of national boards and committees that were concerned with labor matters including an appointment to president Richard Nixon’s federal Pay Board in 1971. Day’s high-profile roles made him an in-demand lecturer on topics such as collective bargaining, equal opportunity employment, personnel management, and wage stabilization. The Virgil B. Day papers include correspondence, memos, reports, and clippings that document Day's career at General Electric and his work for the boards and committees he served. The collection also includes many of Day’s speeches which provide insight into the labor issues of his time.

The Vitale Fireworks Manufacturing Company was founded in New Castle, Pennsylvania by Italian immigrant, Constantino Vitale (1876-1949) in 1922. It became a family business as his four sons and one of his sons-in-law joined him in the management and operation of the company. In 1993, the company was reorganized and now does business as Pyrotecnico FX. This collection consists of a proof and the printing plate it was made from of a page from a fireworks catalog put out by the Vitale Fireworks Manufacturing Company of New Castle, Pennsylvania.

Le jardin des Plantes remains one of France's premier botanical gardens. This collection contains 1 lithograph color print and 2 photographic b&w prints featuring an aerial view of le Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France.

Vulcan Iron Works was a producer of mine and industrial locomotives, mine hoists, and other colliery machinery. Vulcan's locomotives were designed for mine, logging, plantation and factory work, including steam, electric and battery models for underground haulage. A large number were sold to strip mine and earth moving contractors. The majority of the collection consists of original negatives (glass plate and film) dating from about the 1880s to 1943. These are builder's photographs, recording the construction of locomotives and machinery, although there are some photographs of the plants themselves (interiors and exteriors), employees at work, the town of Wilkes-Barre, and equipment installed and in service, particularly at collieries in the anthracite fields. About half the pictures are of locomotives and the rest are of mining equipment. There are also 1,340 negatives of drawings and plans, chiefly of mining equipment hoists. The collection also contains about 2,400 copy photographs made to preserve the images on original nitrate negatives which had extensively deteriorated. The collection is organized into five series: Railroad; Mining and manufacturing equipment; Factory, mill, and shop views; Drawings; and People.

Vulcan Iron Works produced mine and industrial locomotives, mine hoists, and other colliery machinery. Vulcan's locomotives were designed for mine, logging, plantation, and factory work, including steam, electric, and battery models for underground haulage. A large number were sold to strip mine and earthmoving contractors. This small salesman sample album of industrial locomotives contains fifty factory photographs of 4-ton and 20-ton internal combustion engine locomotives for mining companies, brick and concrete manufacturers, logging companies, and others. The images are of locomotives (mostly side views), either built or serviced by Vulcan Iron Works between 1923 and 1928.

W. Elwood Chipman (1893-1977) was a grain, feed, and hardware dealer in Laurel, Delaware, between 1925 and 1961. The collection consists of the business records of Chipman & Penuel (later Elwood Chipman). The records of W. Elwood Chipman's agricultural mercantile business largely consist of ledgers of accounts receivable; sales; orders; purchases; and expenses of produce, sweet potatoes, feed and grain supplies, packaging materials, broiled chickens, and other operational necessities.

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of neoprene artificial rubber and nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. John Raven Johnson (1900-1988) was a professor of chemistry at Cornell University from 1930 until his retirement in 1965. He also served as a consultant to E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1937 until 1951, where he worked for the Organic Chemicals Department. This collection consists of a single short note from Carothers to Johnson thanking him for his recent hospitality.