Inventor Name
United Shoe Machinery Corporation
Repository
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
Archives Center
P.O. Box 37012
MRC 601/Room 1100
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202-633-3270
http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives
Physical Description
145 cu. ft.
Summary
The United Shoe Machinery Company was formed by the merger of three competing shoe machinery firms in 1899. In 1903, it began construction of a new factory in Beverly, Mass, about 35 miles from Boston. At its peak, this company employed 9,000 workers and produced 85% of all shoemaking machines in the United States. Collection includes approximately 5,000 glass plate negatives (1909-1932) and 1.5 cu. ft. of safety negatives (1932-1960s) documenting different types and models of shoe-making machines produced by USMC. Other major records include a sampling of important research project files, scrapbooks concerning advances in shoe-making technology by USMC, company catalogs, and other items; Turner Tanning Machinery Co. Photographs, 1926-1937 (8" x 10" photoprints, some in albums); pictures taken in the Beverly factory; and color and black-and-white 16mm motion pictures, ca. 1934-1972.
Finding Aid
http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC0277.pdf