Exterior shot of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association Circus. A banner outside displays the words "Plywood Jubilee" and "Free Show." Flood lighting can be seen at the top and bottom of the structure.

Laborers at the U.S. Plywood Co. in Seattle.

African American laborer seen in front of what appears to be a large, sealable container for treating lumber with arsenic to prevent rot.

Members of the Western Retail Lumbermens' Association pose in February of 1927 in front of a little bungalow erected on the roof of the Winthrop Hotel in honor of the group's annual convention. The bungalow was made entirely of local wood and demonstrated its use in construction. When the 24th annual convention concluded February 26, 1927, new leaders had been elected for the coming year. Pictured leaders are, back row, left to right: George A. Heilman (Wyo.), H.J. Sawtelle (Mt.), W.B. Hussman (Idaho), I.G. Kjosness (Idaho), and R.O. Bushong (Ore.) Front row, left to right, F.C. Kendall (Spokane), J.W. Burt (Mt.), Robt M. Graham (Mt.), R.M. Cross (Utah) and E.J. Ostrander (Idaho.) (TDL 2/27/1927, pg. A-5; TNT 2/23/1927, pg. 7) (WSHS- negative A893-0)

Washington Lumber Dealers Association (Tacoma); Business people--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Several unidentified members of Tacoma's Chamber of Commerce paid a visit to the Danish motorship "Tacoma" when she docked at the Defiance Lumber Mill on her maiden voyage January 14, 1927. They posed with members of the crew for this portrait. The "Tacoma" was built in Copenhagen for the Orient Steamship Company of Copenhagen. She was loading Northwest lumber enroute to Japan. She was 400 feet in length with a beam of 55 feet. She ran under the power of two diesel engines with a crew of 15 officers and 34 crewmen. (TNT 1/14/1927, pg. 20) (WSHS)

Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Cargo ships; Shipping--Tacoma--1920-1930; Orient Steamship Co. (Copenhagen); Commerce--Tacoma--1920-1930; Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma)--1920-1930;

A hanging, mobile sign promoting Douglas Fir Plywood. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

A young man is building a cabinet or desk. Legs that look like pipes are sticking straight up as he tightens a screw in one of the supporting members.

Plywood; Woodworking--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The interior Weyerhaeuser's bleached Kraft mill at Longview, Washington, showing overhead duct work and machinery in place. Ordered by Drew Engineering Company, Portland, Oregon, manufacturers of industrial air systems.

Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Longview); Mills--Longview; Lumber industry--Longview; Drew Engineering Co. (Portland); Machinery;

The interior Weyerhaeuser's bleached Kraft mill at Longview, Washington, showing the "wet end" of the paper producing process. The prepared pulp is diluted in the "headbox" with large quantities of water and evenly distributed on a fine, large, bronze wire woven as an endless belt 130 feet long and 216 inches wide and traveling at a speed of several hundred feet a minute. Ordered by Drew Engineering Company, Portland, Oregon, manufacturers of industrial air systems.

Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. (Longview); Mills--Longview; Lumber industry--Longview; Drew Engineering Co. (Portland); Machinery; Fans (Machinery);

Plywood was used for sheathing and concrete forms during construction at the new Custer School. The school was designed by Lea, Pearson & Richards. The building was dedicated September 30, 1953. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Reinforced concrete construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Custer School (Lakewood);

St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company milled lumber used by 20th Century Construction Company in building DeLong School. View from off-site of building under construction with rough framing and roof beams in place.

St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company milled lumber used by 20th Century Construction Company in building DeLong School. Interior view of office building or house. Plan for school on panel; signs leaning against wall describing concrete subfloors.

New DFPA offices in the Fuller Building as pictured on September 18, 1953. This appears to be the mailroom. The Douglas Fir Plywood Association's headquarters in Tacoma was the center of the industry's national promotion of fir plywood. The cost of this promotion was over 2.5 million a year, much of it spent in postage. The DFPA was the highest volume customer of the Tacoma Post Office. TPL-8393

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Offices--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office workers--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association created laboratories to maintain high quality standards of its plywood; plywood was constantly being tested for durability and to detect any flaws. View of sheets of plywood in the D.F.P.A. warehouse undergoing testing. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Plywood; Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma;

United States Plywood Corp.'s logging operation at Kosmos, Wa., eight miles southeast of Morton in south central Lewis County. A tall timber is circled by ropes and pulleys. A piece of large hoisting machinery can be seen. The ropes possibly helped bring down the trees down safely when the timber was cut.

Plywood; Lumber industry--Kosmos--1950-1960; United States Plywood Corp. (Seattle);

Logging mill at Summit. Men working on-site with portable log sawing machinery. Cut logs and lumber, automobiles and truck in background. For Export Pacific, taken on November 23, 1951.

Lumber industry--1950-1960;

Mill at Summit. Part of a series taken on November 23, 1951 of lumber operations with portable log sawing machinery, lumber and logs on wooded site. For Export Pacific.

Lumber industry--1950-1960;

Two men observing gages in humidity chamber of plywood laboratory at Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Testing--Tacoma; Product inspection--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Research facilities--Tacoma; Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma);

Two men observing mechanical equipment in humidity chamber of plywood laboratory at Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Line in upper left is deteriorating diacetate negative damage.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Testing--Tacoma; Product inspection--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Research facilities--Tacoma; Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma);

Testing hardwood at the Plywood Research Foundation. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood Research Foundation (Tacoma); Plywood; Research facilities--Tacoma; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Laboratories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Product inspection--Tacoma; Testing--Tacoma;

A workman moves a stack of cartons of Wesco's sweet peas using a forklift in a large warehouse. The pallet supporting the cartons has been made using plywood. Cartons of StarKist tuna are stacked on the other side of the doorway. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exposure of "concentrated load test" at DFPA lab. Scientists measure results as several 50 pound weights, totaling 500 lb., are place on top of a circle of plywood. Random testing of the plywood produced in all mills provided quality control. Two laboratories, one in Tacoma and another in Eugene, conducted a continuing program of testing and research funded and supported by the industry itself.

Plywood industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Testing; Experiments; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

The Douglas Fir Plywood Association presented a display showing how plywood was used by several industries in the Northwest in the Washington Hall in Portland, Oregon. Washington Hall was part of an earlier exposition in Portland. The hall where the display was housed has been built with columns the look like the trunks of trees. Sky lights in the roof allow plenty of natural light into the interior of the large hall.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Portland); Exhibition buildings--Portland; Exhibitions--Portland;

The Douglas Fir Plywood Association presented a display showing how plywood was used by several industries in the Northwest including the boat and ship industry, heavy construction, home building and on farms.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Portland); Exhibition buildings--Portland; Exhibitions--Portland;

The Douglas Fir Plywood Association presented a display showing how plywood was made and some of its many uses in the Washington Hall in Portland, Oregon.

Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Portland); Exhibition buildings--Portland; Exhibitions--Portland;

One of the final stages in plywood manufacture is setting the glued and layered sheets of wood veneers in a hot press as shown at Anacortes Veneer, Inc., Anacortes, Washington. A sheet of plywood is placed on each layer of the press and the stacks are placed under pressure for differing lengths of time depending on the type of plywood being manufactured. This produces an irreversible bond between the plys stronger than the wood itself. The press is open in this view showing the sheets of plywood. Ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (The Plywood Age, Robert M. Cour)

Anacortes Veneer, Inc. (Anacortes); Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Large piece of equipment, the "Challoner 790", for auction at Wheeler Osgood factory liquidation. The door manufacturer closed its doors in 1952 and liquidated all assets. Certain former employees of the plant announced that they intended to form a co-operative to acquire and operate the factory, after the new owners announced their intention to liquidate. This move was opposed by the Lumber and Sawmill Worker's union and never came to fruition. Other companies that looked at the plant included Boeing, who were looking for a warehouse for its Seattle factory. The building was finally scheduled for demolition when no sale went through and burned down during the process in July of 1959. (TNT 2-26-1952, pg. 1)

Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Machinery; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Large desk with 2 swivel chairs behind it, 4 other chairs and a sofa. Exposures of office furniture for auction at Wheeler Osgood factory liquidation. Once the world's largest manufacturer of doors, the factory went out of business in 1952 and was sold for liquidation for approximately $650,000. The company suffered from labor troubles, reorganization and finally a strike by the Lumber and Sawmill Workers' union. (TNT 2-26-1952, pg. 1)

Wheeler, Osgood Co. (Tacoma); Factories--Tacoma--1950-1960; Office furniture; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Elevated view of Tacoma Fire Station No. 16 under construction. Workers install roof sheathing by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Narrows Bridge and old Highway 16 in background. Area just being developed. This $24,000 structure at 6th Ave and Meyer St. was dedicated on July 20, 1952. The 12 man crew and one engine provided fire protection to the Highlands district from Stevens St. to the Narrows bridge and also to University Place. This building was razed and replaced in 1999.

Plywood industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Carpentry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fire stations--Tacoma; Tacoma Fire Department, Fire Station No. 16 (Tacoma);

Log dumping at Olympia. St. Regis Paper Company. View of logs floating in water as photographed on October 23, 1951.

Logs;