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.
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.
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.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.
Donor: Lee Swanson, 1993.
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.
Also in the repository:
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.
1 reel (700 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
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.
1 reel (600 feet) : sound, color ; 16mm
This second version of film (footage re-cut) includes 20 minutes of additional recipes.
Advertising campaigns for Libby, McNeill & Libby, likely created for sales meeting.
Advertising campaigns for Libby, McNeill & Libby, likely created for sales meeting.
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.
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.
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.
1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Steamer. Man with bear cub. Drinking can of Libby's evaporated
milk. Tug with barge
1 reel (350 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
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.
1 reel (300 feet) : silent, black and white and color ; 16mm
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.
1 reel (1,100 feet) : silent, black and white and color ; 16mm
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.
1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Town seen from docks. Loading fishing boat at sunrise. Three
boats, the
1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Fishing Boats. Small boats hauling in nets seen from seining boat. At sea. Small boat burning.
1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm
Ketchikan harbor. Power boats speeding. Lines of small, newly built boats. Boats ready to be loaded into seining boat. Boats pulling in nets.
1 reel (400 feet) : silent, color ; 16mm