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Crown Cork and Seal photograph collection

 Collection
Identifier: PP 0033

Abstract

This collection contains photographic negatives and positives on glass plates, used by the Crown Cork and Seal Company of Baltimore in the manufacture of bottle caps. The dates of the collection span 1939-1945.

Dates

  • 1939-1945

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

The reproduction of materials in this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine and satisfy copyright clearances or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information visit the MCHC’s Rights and Permissions page.

Biographical / Historical

The Crown Cork and Seal Company of Baltimore was founded in 1892 by William Painter soon after he patented the “crown cork”. The plant was located in the Canton area of Baltimore City. In 1898, Painter automated the process of filling and capping bottles. The company grew quickly, and by the time of Painter’s death in 1906, the company had plants in Europe, Asia, and South America. By the 1930s, Crown Cork and Seal produced half of the world’s supply of bottle caps. The company moved its headquarters to Philadelphia in 1958, and in the 1900s moved out of Baltimore City. The company and its subsidiaries still manufacture cans and other food containers in the Rosedale section of Baltimore County, and in Salisbury, Belcamp, and Havre de Grace, Maryland.

Extent

4.25 Linear Feet (3 flat boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The negatives are arranged according to negative catalog numbers in three boxes.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased in 1981.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of twelve photographic negatives and positives on 17 x 14 inch glass plates. The plates were used as an alternative step in the photolithographic process of printing bottle caps, designed for printing 72 caps onto sheet metal stock. They originated in 1939-1945, at the Crown Cork and Seal Company of Baltimore. Included are soda and beer bottle cap designs for companies in Baltimore and elsewhere in Maryland, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, and Cuba.

Title
Guide to the Crown Cork and Seal photograph collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
Katherine Cowan
Date
1999-10
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Revision Statements

  • 2020-01-16: Manually entered into ArchivesSpace by Mallory Herberger.
  • 2011: Finding aid revised by James Singewald.

Repository Details

Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository

Contact:
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750