Douglas Fir Plywood Association's (DFPA) annual meeting. The Golden Jubilee Convention was held in Portland, Oregon June 19-21, 1955, celebrating 50 years of the plywood industry from its inception in 1905 to 1955. One of the highlights was the unveiling of an exposition. This appears to be the wives of delegates posing at the entrance of the exhibit hall.
Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Portland); Exhibition buildings--Portland; Exhibitions--Portland; Plywood;
The Douglas Fir Plywood Association's Plywood Memorial at the Forestry Building in Portland, Oregon. On display is the first plywood panel ever made from Douglas Fir. It was produced by the Portland Manufacturing Company for display at the Lewis and Clark International Exposition in Portland in 1905. Its production marked the birth of an industry that fueled the economy and development of the Pacific Northwest. The unveiling of the memorial was one of the highlights of the DFPA's Golden Jubilee, June 19-21, 1955, held in Portland.
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Portland); Exhibition buildings--Portland; Exhibitions--Portland--1950-1960;
Advertising set up for plywood, the building material of 1,000 uses. Photograph ordered by the Condon Co. for an ad in Life magazine for the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. The year of 1955 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the invention of plywood panels. The DFPA used this opportunity to further promote their product. Plywood is shown being used left to right as woodworking materials, in flooring, as furniture, in boats, as house siding, playground building materials, a doghouse for a real pig and in traffic signs. This surrealistic overview would be sure to catch the readers eye in the magazine.
Plywood; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma)--Products;
A full broadside view of a 160 foot vessel was taken on behalf of Birchfield Boiler, Inc., on September 22, 1955. Birchfield Boiler had expanded their shipbuilding and ship conversation departments over the past few years. They were builders of all steel welded vessels of many types and designs. They also fabricated the steel used in their shipbuilding. The company was owned by Alvin Davies who also owned and operated Tacoma Boiler Works and Ace Furnace.
Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boats; Birchfield Boiler, Inc. (Tacoma);
Photo of a worker running a sheet of metal through a large piece of machinery at Ace Furnace & Steel Co. This machine is either a shear press or a brace press. The company was built in 1930 and was owned by Alvin T. Davies. Davies also owned North End Lockers and was the president of Birchfield Boiler Inc. and Tacoma Boiler Works. He and his wife Ellen lived on Day Island. Ace Furnace produced steel and sheet metal products- furnaces, tanks, stacks and did electrical welding.
Ace Furnace & Steel Co. (Tacoma); Iron construction--Tacoma; Iron & steel workers--Tacoma; Metalworking--Tacoma;
Exterior of new anhydrous ammonia plant at Hooker Electrochemical, completed in May of 1952. The ammonia produced here was used by the Northwest's paper and pulp mills and fertilizer and explosive manufacturers. It was shipped entirely by tank car, each car held 26 tons. On completion of the plant, the entire production of 40 tons every 24 hours was already contracted for. The plant was slated for an immediate $6 million dollar expansion that would increase production by half. (TNT 10-19-1952)
Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Exterior of new anhydrous ammonia plant at Hooker Electrochemical, completed in May of 1952. Ammonia in gaseous form is composed of three parts of hydrogen to one of nitrogen. In the plant, the hydrogen and nitrogen are mixed in the proper proportion, subjected to 5,000 pounds to a square inch pressure and then sent to a converter and combined to make ammonia. The ammonia is placed in storage tanks outside the plant to await shipment by tank car. (TNT 10-19-1952)
Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Tacoma works rectifier station addition, Kaiser Aluminum. Other side of building with plant and yard on right, Dodge truck lower left. The plant underwent an expansion and modernization program, beginning in 1952, to increase production. Construction in the expansion program included an extension to the rectifier station building. The rectifier station is where power is converted from alternating to direct current.
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Tacoma); Aluminum industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Dodge trucks; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;
The launching of the A.M.S. (motor minesweeper) 116, hull 29 by the Pacific Boat Building Co. The ship is being assisted after launching by Foss Tug #11 and another unidentified tug. More large ships can be seen in the background. Naval rearmament fueled the Tacoma ship building economy with local firms holding a total of over 20 million dollars in Naval contracts. (T. Reporter, 7/23/1952, pg. 1 & 7/8/1952, pg. 8)
Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Launchings--Tacoma--1950-1960;
The launching of the A.M.S. (motor minesweeper) 116, hull 29 by the Pacific Boat Building Co. The rear of the hull draped in red, white and blue bunting can be seen as it slides down the ways. Spectators view from platforms inside the dry dock where the ship was constructed. This vessel was the first of five 144 foot vessels to be built by Pacific Boat. (T. Reporter 7/23/1952, pg. 1)
Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Launchings--Tacoma--1950-1960;
The launching of the A.M.S. (motor minesweeper) 116, hull 29 by the Pacific Boat Building Co. The hull of the boat is attached to the ways prior to the launching ceremony. The minesweepers which ranged in size from 57 feet to 171 feet were being constructed at Pacific, Tacoma Boat Building and J. M. Martinac, as well as smaller boats for the Navy at other Tacoma yards. (T. Reporter 7/8/1952, pg. 8)
Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Pacific Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Launchings--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Columbia Brewery's Annual Sales Meeting, 1952. Group of approximately 26 salesmen from Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska in front of the entrance to the Heidelberg Brewery. The men dressed in suits and ties pose for the camera, with the front row sitting in folding chairs. Robert S. Jamieson, seated fifth from the left, was the Sales Manager for the company.
Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Sales personnel--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--People;
Launching of A.M.S.(motor minesweeper) #113 at Tacoma Boat Building Company for the Navy. View of the rear of the ship draped with an American flag. "Brynn Foss" tugboat on left side. Several men on deck. Mount Rainier and tideflats in background. The keel of the vessel was laid Oct. 19, 1951 and the completed minesweeper was scheduled to be delivered in early 1953. It was the first of five to be built by the firm. (T. Reporter 7/22/1952, pg. 2 & 7/8/1952, pg. 8)
Launchings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Boat Building Co., Inc. (Tacoma);
Exposure showing small plywood fishing boats at the Puget Sound Boat Building Co. building. For DFPA. The small boats are backed by a larger fishing boat and two large ships. The boat building shed can be seen on the right hand side and industrial Tacoma in the background. In June of 1952, the Navy awarded a contract to Puget Sound to build 20 40 foot personnel boats at a cost of $300,000. This was in addition to an earlier Naval contract for 5 40 ft personnel boats of a different type at a cost of $85,000. The boat builder had lost an earlier Naval contract to an Eastern firm due to the claim that the Eastern yard was in a labor surplus area.
Exposure of Holroyd Co.'s concrete block plant next to Meadow Park golf course. The city directory does not give an address for this plant; advertisements of the time list it only as "gravel pit near Meadow Park." Picture is of a round block building with a square block entrance, possibly made of the same concrete blocks manufactured here. The use of this building is unknown.
Advertisers have developed a three-dimensional sign for Heidelberg Beer - a mobile that is attached to a beer stein depicting the Student Prince, one of the logos for Heidelberg Beer. The base suggests, "Have a Heidelberg".
Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Drinking vessels; Publicity;
Don Dunn and his family are seen outside the completed seven room modern home given to the 30 year old WWII veteran as part of the "Farm-in-a-Day" project at Moses Lake. Building the home, out buildings, and fences, and fertilizing and planting 80 acres took volunteers 22 hours. The "butterfly" house was designed by a group of five architects headed up by Paul Kirk of Seattle. Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (Popular Mechanics "They Built Him a Farm in a Day" Dec. 1952, pg 118-22+)
A view of the yard at George R. Marvin's plant on the Tacoma tideflats was taken on August 14, 1952. Stacks of materials used in the manufacture of cranes, special hoists and machinery of fabricated structural steel are stacked around the yard and a man is operating a mobile crane near the center. A long tank truck is seen at the rear.
George R. Marvin Co. (Tacoma); Steel industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hoisting machinery;
Workers, mostly women, are seen during several stages of the manufacturing process at St. Regis Paper Company's Vancouver, British Columbia, bag plant. On the right, conveyor belts bring the newly cut, pre-printed bags into the work area. Towards the rear on the left people are sewing glued tape over each end of the bags. A filter cord was applied across the needle holes to prevent shifting. A valve was created by a fold at one end of the bag near the sewn end. The bags would be filled through the valve and the pressure of the material in the bag closed the valve when removed from the filling machine. (St. Regis Paper Co. 1953 Annual Report)
Paper industry--Vancouver, B.C.; St. Regis Paper Co. (Vancouver, B.C.);
A man is running a printer for lables on bags at St. Regis Paper Company's Vancouver, British Columbia, bag plant. Labels have the name "British Columbia Cement Co., Ltd., Victoria, B.C" on them.
Paper industry--Vancouver, B.C.; St. Regis Paper Co. (Vancouver, B.C.);
Two men are laying a brick wall between pipes and an outside of wall at Rayonier's Grays Harbor mill in Raymond, Washington. The original Rayonier mill was in Shelton, Washington, and began operation in 1927. It used the amonia base sulphite process and manufactured cellulose chiefly for chemical conversion to cellophane. Ordered by Rayonier Inc. 161 East 42nd Street, New York. (Rayonier 1952 Annual Report)
Rayonier, Inc. (Raymond); Lumber industry--Raymond--1950-1960;
Three men are standing or sitting at plywood drafting tables at St. Regis Paper Company's new bag plant. Drawings of three different bag designs are posted on the left wall. A cabinet is seen on the right with many shallow drawers.
St. Regis Paper Co. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Mills--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paper industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
