Libby, McNeill & Libby Company Salmon Division film collection, approximately 1935-1970
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Libby, McNeill & Libby. Salmon Division
- Title
- Libby, McNeill & Libby Company Salmon Division film collection
- Dates
- approximately 1935-1970 (inclusive)19351970
- Quantity
- 15 reels (7,500 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
- Collection Number
- PH0824
- Summary
- Six commercial films of the Libby, McNeill & Libby Company and eight home movie reels documenting cannery life in southeast Alaska. Home movie series includes footage of Filipino cannery workers, known as the Alaskeros, celebrating the Philippines' Independence Day.
- Repository
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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
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The original films are not accessible due to preservation concerns. Viewing copies are available and arrangements can be made to view the film by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the University Libraries 21st Century Fund
Historical Background
The company Libby, McNeill, & Libby was founded in 1869 by Arthur Libby, Archibald McNeill, and Charles Libby. It started in Chicago as a producer of canned beef packed in brine. The company's pyramid-shaped metal containers proved popular and by the 1880s it was selling several million dollars of canned meat per year. Around 1906, the company expanded into canning fruit and vegetables in California, Florida and Hawaii. The company expanded into salmon canning in Alaska in approximately 1913.
Although the brand still exists, Libby, McNeill and Libby is no longer an independent company. In 1971, the fruit and vegetable branch of Libby, McNeill & Libby was purchased by Nestlé of Switzerland. The meat canning division was acquired by ConAgra in 1998.
The salmon-packing industry began in 1864 in California. It quickly spread north and by 1900, Alaska was the world base of the salmon-packing industry. The salmon canned in Alaska was mainly sold in American markets
The term "salmon-packing" encompasses not only the cleaning, cooking and canning of the caught salmon, but also all the processes involved in salmon fishing or salmon hatching. In the beginning, the salmon-packing industry consisted of manual labor supplied by Chinese and Native Alaskan seasonal laborers. However, the early 1900s saw increasing mechanization of the canning process. Where it once took a crew of 300 for an output of 3,000 cases per day. By the mid-1930s, due to increasing mechanization, the same amount could be produced by a crew of 75.
Content Description
Contains six commercial films of the Libby, McNeill & Libby Company and eight home movie reels documenting cannery life. Home movie series includes footage of Filipino cannery workers, known as the Alaskeros, celebrating the Philippines' Independence Day.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from the collection in digital format
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Donor: Lee Swanson, 1993.
Processing Note
Processed by Marion Brown, 2009; Alden Lee, 2013 ; Elizabeth Russell, 2014. Processing completed by Andrew Weaver, 2014.
Original films cleaned, cored and canned by Libby Burke, 2002.
Related Materials
Also in the repository: Libby, McNeill & Libby Records (Mss Coll 4449)
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Commercial Films
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Description: Spotlight on Alaska
Overview of Alaska, including Juneau, the Alaska Highway, Matanuska Valley, Taku Harbor and the salmon canneries of Libby, McNeill & Libby. The last section follows Father Hubbard and his companion on his journey to find the Lost Lake of the Tulsequah Glacier.
Original1 reel (700 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1945Container: Viewcopy VC14.2, Item 1 -
Description: Salmon: Catch to Can
Detailing the process of catching salmon, the canning process and recipes for canned salmon.
First version of film.
Presented by the United States Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the Canned Salmon Institute. Produced by Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and MPO Productions.
Original1 reel (600 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1965Container: Viewcopy VC14.1, Item 2 -
Description: Salmon: Catch to Can1 reel (800 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
This second version of film (footage re-cut) includes 20 minutes of additional recipes.
Dates: circa 1965Container: Reel 3, Item 3 -
Description: Libby Sales, Part 11 reel (1,100 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
Advertising campaigns for Libby, McNeill & Libby, likely created for sales meeting.
Dates: 1966Container: Reel VC426, Item 4 -
Description: Libby Sales, Part 21 reel (1,100 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
Advertising campaigns for Libby, McNeill & Libby, likely created for sales meeting.
Dates: 1966Container: Reel VC427, Item 5 -
Description: Silver Harvest1 reel (625 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
Brief overview of salmon, including fishing, hatcheries, different types of salmon, Alaskan canneries and recipes using canned salmon.
Presented by Canned Salmon Institute ; produced by Evans/Pacific, Inc. ; writer, Irene Foster ; studio photography sound and editing, SAN-TEC AUDIO VISUAL.
Dates: post 1966Container: Reel 6, Item 6 -
Description: Treasures of Canned Salmon1 reel (600 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
Brief overview of salmon industry, including hatcheries, different types of salmon, Alaskan canneries and recipes using canned salmon.
Presented by the Canned Salmon Institute ; producer, Evans/Pacific, Inc, an STC Production ; narrator, Jim Dai.
Dates: circa 1970Container: Reel 7, Item 7
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Home Movies of Fishing and Cannery Work
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Description: Coastal Scenery
Alaska shoreline, mountains, scenery. Steamer arriving, workers disembarking. Cannery nets with fish. Net mending. Laying out nets on dock. Docks at low tide. Black bear. Waterfall. Black bears eating out of pan. Trollers on open sea. Shoreline from boat.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1944Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 8 -
Description: Dock Work
Steamer. Man with bear cub. Drinking can of Libby's evaporated milk. Tug with barge Ketchikan. Traps. Unloading salmon and halibut on dock. Dry dock. Floating traps. Dead bald eagle displayed, three men showing wingspan. Town bar. "Libby's" sign on tug.
Original1 reel (350 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1944Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 9 -
Description: Loading and Unloading Product
Docks. Small vehicle pulling trailer, trailer off-loading. Boxes on ramp. Men on ship, loading and stacking boxes. Loads being hoisted and dropped onto ship by crane. Cannery workers loading cans. Machinery. Cans coming off, being off-loaded, labeling machine, can rolling, machine making boxes marked "Libby's salmon." Machines boxing cans, applying adhesive to top of box, sealing box.
Original1 reel (300 feet) : silent, black and white and color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1945-1946Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 10 -
Description: Leisure Activities
Woman and child on dock visiting fisherman before boat leaves, waving goodbye. Harbor scenes. Pacific Northern Airlines plane landing. Panel truck. View from plane of mountains and shoreline. Women entering kitchen, male chefs, workers going into mess hall. Camp activities, baseball. Libby's cannery. Native children in fur. Float plane taking off. Open boat with fish coming in. Green Cross flag being raised. Filipino workers on dock having coffee. Fleet of brown open boats. Building boats. Houses with boardwalks. Big crabs being held up by man. Philippines Independence Day party. Men in chef's outfits.
Original1 reel (1,100 feet) : silent, black and white and color ; 16mm
Dates: 1947Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 11 -
Description: Canning Process
Man pulling net from trap. Nets on boom. Cans from above being moved by chain lifter. Men pull stacks of cans from round machine. Cans of salmon on conveyor belt. Salmon cleaning machine. Salmon swimming. Checking gutting, filling cans, cans in machines. Fishing boats, mountain scenery. Red seaplane landing, fishing troller. Harbor, hosing roof, ice floes.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1947Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 12 -
Description: Boats Being Loaded
Town seen from docks. Loading fishing boat at sunrise. Three boats, the Walworth, the Muskrat, and the Ketchikan.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Dates: circa 1949Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 13 -
Description: Small Fishing Boats at Sea
Fishing Boats. Small boats hauling in nets seen from seining boat. At sea. Small boat burning.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Dates: 1952Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 14 -
Description: Ketchikan Harbor
Ketchikan harbor. Power boats speeding. Lines of small, newly built boats. Boats ready to be loaded into seining boat. Boats pulling in nets.
Original1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Dates: 1952Container: Viewcopy VC14.3, Item 15
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