DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on September 14, 2021. Description is written in: English. Describing Archives: A Content Standard Audiovisual Collections PO Box 3630 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 Table of Contents Summary Information .................................................................................................................................... 3 Historical Note ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Scope and Content ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Administrative Information ............................................................................................................................ 4 Controlled Access Headings .......................................................................................................................... 5 Collection Inventory ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Chestnut Run Development: Beginning construction phases album .......................................................... 5 Chestnut Run Laboratories in News album .............................................................................................. 10 Chestnut Run photographs ........................................................................................................................ 18 - Page 2 - DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 Summary Information Repository: Audiovisual Collections Creator: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. Chestnut Run Laboratories Title: DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums ID: 2009.219 Date [inclusive]: 1954-1961, 1965, 1979 Physical Description: 1.5 Linear Feet General Physical 3 photographic prints : color ; 8 x 10 in. 21 photographic prints : Description: b&w ; 4 x 5 in. 67 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. 15 notes. 6 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. mounted on board. 5 articles : mounted on board. Albums have been disbound for preservation purposes. 2 albums : 12 x 15 in. (closed). Containing 100 photographic prints : b&w ; 4 x 5 in. or smaller. 99 photographic prints : b&w : 5.5 x 9 in. or larger. 4 photographic prints : color ; 8 x 10 in. 5 photographic prints : color ; 3 x 3 in. 1 photographic print : b&w ; 3 x 14 in. 1 photographic print : color ; panorama. 136 newspaper clippings. 13 items. Language of the English . Material: Abstract: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont company, established in 1802. DuPont's Chestnut Run Laboratories was opened in 1954 near Wilmington, Delaware. This collection consists of two albums documenting the history of the Chestnut Run facility between 1954 and 1961. One album contains primarily photographs taken of the facilities exteriors between 1955 and 1958. The second album contains mostly newspaper clippings between 1954 and 1961. ^ Return to Table of Contents 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. Throughout the 1900s and 1910s, the company shifted its focus away from gunpowder production - Page 3- DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 and towards chemistry and synthetic materials. By 1926 the company officially dissolved the powder production unit, although it had already been inactive for many years. DuPont's Chestnut Run Laboratories were opened in 1954 near Wilmington, Delaware. The first laboratory was the Textile Research Laboratory whose purpose was to test the effects of normal wear and tear on DuPont's line of synthetic fibers and fabrics. The 165 acre complex went on to house eight laboratories and an administration building. The eight service and research laboratories were: The Textile Research Laboratory, Polychemicals Sales Services Laboratory, Elastomers - Freon Products Laboratory Film Service Laboratory, Pigments Laboratory, Electrochemicals Laboratory, the Sales Technical Laboratory of Industrial & Biochemicals Department, and the Plastics Technical Services Laboratory. ^ Return to Table of Contents Scope and Content This collection consists of two albums documenting the history of the DuPont Company's Chestnut Run facility between 1954 and 1961. One album contains primarily photographs taken of the facilities between 1955 and 1958. The photographs show the development of the research complex through a series of images of building exteriors from various viewpoints. There are a few interior shots of people at work within the laboratories. The second album contains mostly newspaper clippings between 1954 and 1961, with one item dating from 1965 and another from 1979. The newspaper clippings are stories related to the expansion of research facilities, department changes, the company's safety record, notable visitors touring facilities, participation in Red Cross and United Way campaigns, and employee promotions, appointments, honors, and retirements. The album also has a few brochures, booklets, a magazine cover, maps, and photographs of workers in a laboratory, a display on poisons, and an employee safety event. There are several aerial photographs of the entire complex in both albums. There is a small set of photographs that were not in the albums. These include historical photographs, aerial views of Chestnut Run Laboratory, an Open House event, and group portraits taken at the fiftieth anniversary of Nylon. ^ Return to Table of Contents Administrative Information Publication Statement Audiovisual Collections PO Box 3630 Wilmington, Delaware 19807 - Page 4- DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 [email protected] URL: http://www.hagley.org/library Access Restrictions This collection is open for research. ^ Return to Table of Contents Controlled Access Headings • Corporate reorganizations • Synthetic fibers industry -- Employees • Industrial safety • Testing laboratories • Construction projects • Scrapbooks • Textile fibers, Synthetic Collection Inventory Chestnut Run Development: Beginning construction phases album, 1955-1958 Title/Description Instances Chestnut Run Laboratories sign, 1955 volume 1 page 1 Main Gate Construction Phase, Center Road toward "A" Mall, volume 1 page 3-5 1955 October Textile Research Laboratory, 1955 October volume 1 page 6 Scope and Contents View from North Road "A" Mall and from Center Road through Main Gate. Administrative building, cafeteria, 1955 October volume 1 page 7 Scope and Contents View from North Road "C" Mall. Polychemicals Sales Services Laboratory, 1955 October volume 1 page 7 - Page 5- DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 Scope and Contents View from southeast corner lot. Elastomers Laboratory, 1955 October volume 1 page 8 Scope and Contents View from South Road "B" Mall. Rear of Elastomers Laboratory, 1955 October volume 1 page 8 Scope and Contents View from southwest corner lot. Joseph Christiansen, Harwood Strange, and Donald Haskell, 1955 volume 1 page 9 November 15 Cafeteria construction crew, 1955 November 10 volume 1 page 10 Dr. Russell Peterson, Robert Seitz, and Raymond Tighe, 1955 volume 1 page 11 November 15 Scope and Contents Getting food in the cafeteria. Construction, circa 1955 volume 1 page 12 Main Gate, 1956 April volume 1 page 14-15 Scope and Contents View from west edge of "B" Mall toward Ferris School and from front west corner of Elastomers Laboratory. Ditch, 1956 April volume 1 page 16 Scope and Contents north of "A" Mal wast of Textile Research Laboratory. Textile Research Laboratory, 1956 April volume 1 page 17 Scope and Contents View from southwest corner of "A" Mall. Textile Research Laboratory and Administration building, 1956 volume 1 page 18 April Scope and Contents View from roof of Elastomers Laboratory through "B" Mall. Textile Research Laboratory, 1956 April volume 1 page 19 - Page 6- DuPont Company's Chestnut Run Laboratories albums 2009.219 Scope and Contents View from roof of Polychemicals Laboratory through "B" Mall. Willow Run Housing Development, 1956 April volume 1 page 20 Scope and Contents Toward Faulkland Road from near Elastomers Laboratory roof. Construction sheds, 1956 April volume 1 page 21-26 Scope and Contents Views from west of Textile Research Laboratory from North Road "A" Mall, on "A" and "B" Malls from rear of Main,Gate, from west end of "C" Mall, on "B" Mall from front of Textile Research Laboratory, and west of Textile Research Laboratory from front area of Elastomers. Top soil on Film Laboratory lot, 1956 April volume 1 page 27 Scope and Contents View from front roof of Elastomers Laboratory towards northeast corner. Administration Building, 1956 April 20 volume 1 page 28-30 Scope and Contents Views from "C" Mall and from front roof of Polychemicals Laboratory. Chestnut Run Location Main Gate, 1956 September 21 volume 1 page 31 "A" and "B" Mall, 1956 September volume 1 page 32 Scope and Contents View from west end of "A" Mall. Textile Research Laboratory and Administration