Call Number:

RTC

Repository:

Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library

Extent:

8.8 linear feet (21 containers)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box and folder number], RTC Shipbuilding Company records, 1921-1965, Independence Seaport Museum Archives, Philadelphia.

Date:

1921-1965 (inclusive)

Creator:

RTC Shipbuilding Co. (Camden, N.J.).

Form:

Brochures, Business records, Clippings, Correspondence, Financial records, Measured drawings, Photographs, and Ships plans

Abstract:

In 1940, Leroy M. Robinson (President), George R. Taylor (Vice-president), and John P. Carson (Secretary and Treasurer) formed RTC Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. Their initials are the basis for the name of the company. All three men were former executives at J. H. Mathis Company. Subsequent to the death of Robinson and the retirement of Taylor in 1946, Carson became the firm's president and assumed sole ownership. The RTC Shipbuilding Company records evidence the shipbuilding and repairs conducted by this company from 1934 to 1965. The collection also includes an impressive photographic documentation of the daily work performed on the RTC Shipyard. Heavily involved in ships designed for the Navy in World War II, as well as in building fishing vessels in subsequent years, one of the strengths of this collection lies in the hundreds of records found in the “Shipbuilding records” series. The “Photographs” series is also a strength of the collection, with many images of RTC ships under construction on the worksite and on the water. Additional series, “Business records,” and “Printed materials,” can also be found in this collection.

In 1940, Leroy M. Robinson (President), George R. Taylor (Vice-president), and John P. Carson (Secretary and Treasurer) formed RTC Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. Their initials are the basis for the name of the company. All three men were former executives at J. H. Mathis Company. Subsequent to the death of Robinson and the retirement of Taylor in 1946, Carson became the firm's president and assumed sole ownership.

Prior to World War II, the yard produced two oil barges, one tugboat, and six oil tankers. During World War II, twenty-eight self-propelled oil tankers were built for the U.S. Navy. For excellence in workmanship and its high rate of production, the company received two Army-Navy "E" awards, each with four stars. After World War II, the yard returned to commercial work and developed the largest trade in repair of medium size work boats and naval vessels in the Delaware Valley Area.

RTC Shipbuilding Company was located at Delaware Avenue and State Street in Camden, New Jersey. After the company closed, a prison complex was built on the site and, as of 2010, a new development project is planned for the location.

The RTC Shipbuilding Company records document the shipbuilding and repair work conducted by this company from 1934 to 1965. The collection also includes impressive photographic documentation of the daily work performed at the RTC Shipyard. The firm was heavily involved in building ships for the Navy in World War II and, later, after the war, in building fishing vessels. The actual construction of these ships is well documented here, comprising the largest and most thorough group of records in the collection. The collection also includes impressive photographic documentation of the ships as well as daily work performed at the RTC shipyard. The collection is divided into four series: “Business records,” “Shipbuilding records,” “Printed materials,” and “Photographs."

The “Business records” series contains miscellaneous correspondence, orders requests, patents, and notices related to the day to day operations of RTC Shipbuilding Company from 1940 to 1960. The series also includes an invitation to an event celebrating RTC’s award of the Army-Navy “E” Series pennant for excellence in 1942 and an invitation to the launching of the ship Morania Abaco on December 9, 1957. Researchers should note that there is very little in the way of general business records, and that a majority of the firm’s surviving records are directly associated with the shipbuilding records and job orders.

The “Shipbuilding records” series, which dates from 1936 to 1965, houses a wide variety of documentation related to shipbuilding and ship repair projects completed by RTC. Researchers will find some or all of the following documents for each ship or project represented: calculations, correspondence, cost data analyses, design plans, installation drawings, materials orders, notes, parts lists, pricing estimates, specifications, work lists and work sheets. The series is divided into four subseries, which reflect the company’s original filing schemes: “Hull numbers,” “Job orders,” “Subject files” and “Other classifications.” The “Hull numbers” subseries, is arranged numerically according to RTC’s hull numbering system. The “Job orders” subseries, is arranged numerically by the job order received by RTC. The “Subject Files” subseries, 1936-1965, is arranged alphabetically by company name or personal name. The “Other Classifications” subseries is divided into three different classifications. The letter “P” refers to an unknown number scheme. The letters “YRBM” refers to submarines, and the letters “YTB” correspond to harbor tugs. The materials are arranged alphabetically by classification letter and range in date from 1950 to 1960. Records in this subseries include design plans, repairs, specifications and cost estimates.

The “Printed materials” series contains tear sheets, articles, brochures and clippings related to naval engineering from 1935 to 1958. This material is arranged alphabetically by subject and covers naval topics such as cruisers, Seine boats and yachts. Many of the tear sheets and articles come from The Rudder and National Fisherman publications.

The “Photographs” series, 1921-1958, provides visual documentation of the ships that RTC built or repaired, the shipyard, RTC employees at work and company events. It is arranged into five subseries: “Hulls,” “Unidentified Hulls,” “RTC Shipyard,” “Corporate Events” and “Edward G. Brownlee’s photographs of RTC Shipbuilding.” The “Hulls” subseries is arranged numerically by hull number, 110 to 239, and shows a wide representation of the ships that were built by RTC. The photographs show ship launchings and christenings, on ways, framings, trial trips and ships in use on various bodies of water. When noted in the title, negatives of photographs are included in the folders. A few of the folders contain newspaper clippings regarding the launch or christening of a specific ship.

The “Unidentified Hulls” subseries contains photographs of ships that are not identified by hull number. It is arranged alphabetically by ship part or name. There are photographs of various ship systems, a launching, and Seine and tug boats. The material is generally undated. The “RTC Shipyard” subseries contains photographs of construction sites, railways, shipyard, and a company truck. It is arranged alphabetically by subject, and dates from 1939 to 1949. The “Corporate Events” subseries consists of photographs of various events that either the RTC Shipbuilding Company held or whose representatives attended. The images are arranged alphabetically by event name, including dinners, a Christmas party, the Army-Navy “E” Pennant ceremony, a union contract signing and a meeting. The photographs range in date from 1942 to 1955.

The “Edward G. Brownlee” subseries houses photographs, negatives and rolls of film shot by Edward G. Brownlee, an employee of RTC Shipbuilding Company and other Philadelphia region shipbuilders. It is arranged by the number provided on each roll. The photographs, negatives, and rolls of film date from 1921 to 1957. There is a corresponding notebook, which identifies the subject, location or ship, camera settings and the date of the rolls of film. Included at the end of the subseries are two boxes of glass negatives of French ship prints. All are prints of engravings by Jean-Jerome Baugean, a French maritime artist. It is currently unknown how these glass negatives came into the collection or who they originally belonged to.

This collection houses the only known records of the RTC Shipbuilding Company. Though there is not documentation for all the work the firm completed, most researchers looking for records on particular vessels will likely find something here. The collection’s photographs are particularly interesting. In addition to evidencing the work of RTC, candid and posed shots more generally could be used to evidence work at a typical mid-twentieth century shipyard.