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Western Cooperage Company photograph album, 1930s
Overview of the Collection
- Photographer
- Webster & Stevens
- Title
- Western Cooperage Company photograph album
- Dates
- 1930s (inclusive)19301939
- Quantity
- 29 photographic prints (1 box, 2 folders) ; various sizes
- Collection Number
- PH1335
- Summary
- Photographs of the Western Cooperage Company in Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California in the 1930s
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Languages
- English
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The Western Cooperage Company began as a small company in Los Angeles in 1894 and grew to become the largest cooperage company on the west coast, with factories in Seattle, Aberdeen, and Los Angeles. First known as the Fremont Barrel Company in Seattle, the original small cooperage shop was founded by German immigrant Albert Buhtz Sr. and his sons in 1896, two blocks from its future site. In 1907, the Fremont Barrel Company reorganized as the Western Cooperage Company and moved to 1327 Ewing Street on the eastern shores of Lake Union. Albert J. Buhtz, Sr. became the Vice President of the Seattle branch. After transitioning into the new company, what used to take 3 men, 12-14 hour work days to make 10 barrels a day increased to 3000 barrels a day with 8-9 hour work days and a large workforce of expert workmen. The Western Cooperage Company was the leading manufacturer of barrels for Asian, Alaskan, and northern trade and northwestern fishing industries. The growth of fishing industries in Seattle necessitated the enlargement of the plant. Moving closer to the shores of Lake Union gave them the convenience of loading barges directly at the plant. The Western Cooperage Company prided themselves on labor saving machinery, some of which was supposedly invented and first used by them. The last assembly of barrels to come out of the Seattle factory was in 1970. The site is now home to Marine Divers Institute of Technology.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs of the Western Cooperage Company in Seattle and Los Angeles. The images include exterior views of buildings and raw materials, scenes of workers in various stages of production, machinery details, and some views of the aftermath of an earthquake in Los Angeles. Most of the photographs are by Webster and Stevens and Acme Photo.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
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AlbumReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/1 | 1-1 |
Western Cooperage Company building on Lake Union,
Seattle, WA Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-2 |
Three workers setting barrel staves Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-3 |
Worker setting barrel hoops Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-4 | circa 1930s | |
1/1 | 1-5 | circa 1930s | |
1/1 | 1-6 | circa 1930s | |
1/1 | 1-7 | circa 1930s | |
1/1 | 1-8 |
Workers finishing barrels Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-9 |
Finished barrels being stacked in factory Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-10--1-11 |
Workers making barrels in a cooperage
factory Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-12 |
Workers drilling bung hole into barrel Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-13 |
Factory interior with line shaft Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-14 |
Hydraulic machinery in factory interior Webster & Stevens, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-15 | circa 1930s | |
1/1 | 1-16--1-17 | circa 1930s | |
1/1 | 1-18 |
Los Angeles branch of Western Cooperage
Company Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-19 |
Los Angeles branch of Western Cooperage
Company Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-20 |
Barrels in various stages of creation Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-21 |
Barrels drying in a kiln Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-22 |
Water tank Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
1/1 | 1-23 |
Factory hydraulic pipes and dials Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photographer)
|
circa 1930s |
PhotographsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/2 | 2 |
Men working on barrels Acme Photo, Seattle, WA (photography)
|
circa 1930s |
1/2 | 3 | May 5, 1938 | |
1/2 | 4 | April 9, 1938 | |
1/2 | 5 |
Piles of barrels at Coca Cola warehouse after
earthquake, Los Angeles Photo Copy Services, Lost Angeles, CA (photographer)
|
March 1933 |
1/2 | 6 |
Piles of barrels at south end of stave warehouse after
earthquake, Los Angeles Photo Copy Servies, Lost Angeles, CA (photographer)
|
March, 1933 |
1/2 | 7 | March, 1933 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Coopers and cooperage--California--Los Angeles--Photographs
- Coopers and cooperage--Washington (State)--Seattle--Photographs
Corporate Names
- Western Cooperage Company--Photographs
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- Acme Photo (Seattle, Wash.) (photographer)
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)