Call Number:

064.004

Repository:

Science History Institute Archives

Extent:

93 linear feet (93 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Collection or item title, Othmer Library of Chemical History, Science History Institute..

Date:

1942-1998 (inclusive) and 1963-1986 (bulk)

Form:

Photographs, Photograph collections, Photography -- Negatives, and Slides (photography)

Abstract:

Photographs and slides depicting the facilities, operations, and products of the Dow Chemical Company, primarily dating from the second half of the twentieth century. This collection is Section 10 of the Dow Chemical Historical Collection.

Based in Midland, Michigan, the Dow Chemical Company was incorporated by Herbert H. Dow in 1897. In its early years, the Dow Chemical Company specialized in the commercial manufacture and sale of bleach based on Herbert Dow's new and more efficient "blowing out" process for extracting bromine from brine. Amidst the outbreak of World War I and shortage of German-manufactured chemicals, the company expanded into the production of calcium chloride, magnesium metal, acetyl salicylic acid, and other chemicals and established its first research laboratory in 1919. In the ensuing decades, Dow flourished as a manufacturer of magnesium and synthetic rubber during World War II, as well as innovative consumer products like Saran Wrap. Today, Dow is a multinational corporation manufacturing and selling a large variety of chemical, plastic, and agricultural products to industry and consumers alike.

For a more detailed inventory, please view this record in our library catalog: https://othmerlib.sciencehistory.org/record=b1069527~S6

This collection is Section 10 of the Dow Chemical Historical Collection formerly housed at the Post Street Archives in Midland, Michigan and consists of photographs and slides depicting the facilities, operations, and products of the Dow Chemical Company. The images primarily date from the second half of the twentieth century, with the bulk of materials created between 1963 and 1986. The majority of the collection consists of photographs of Dow personnel and products, both of which are arranged alphabetically by the subject of the photograph. Photographs from Dow{u2019}s Ludington Plant, including images of laboratories, plant facilities, and staff activities, also make up a significant portion of the collection. Glass and 35mm slides from various company events and presentations, along with corresponding scripts, form a small subset of materials within the larger collection.