Brandywine Valley oral history interviewees' photographs

About this collection

    The Oral histories on work and daily life in the Brandywine Valley (Accession 1970.370) collection contains oral history interviews conducted by Hagley staff between 1954 and 1990 with individuals who had worked at the DuPont Company powder yards on Brandywine Creek during the yards’ final decades of operation, or who had lived near the yards as spouses or children of DuPont Company workers. Click here to visit the digital collection for these recordings and transcripts.
    Some of the interviewees donated, lent for copying, or provided information about photographs depicting the workers' communities and powder yards. These photographs now form the Brandywine Valley oral history interviewees' photographs (Accession 2017.255) collection.
    Image: DuPont Co. workers enjoying a drink near the Club House at Thompson's Bridge. Click to view.

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Wooden keg mill (cooper shop) on Breck's Lane
Gentieu caption: "Factory where wood kegs are made. Man in center (Gailey Mathewson) has worked here for 50 years and is 77 years old and has only one lung, but seems good for many years yet." The following provided by F.L. Mathewson, grandson of Gilbert Mathewson, in 1966: Main Cooper Shop is building at far right, soaking pits were to right, off picture. Had slate roof and slate shingle siding. Pancake Run is in foreground, flowing under bridge to left. Left to right: Harry Carter (?); Gilbert Mathewson, boss of cooper shop; Frank Applegate; William Roe [Rowe?].
Cooper shop off of Breck's Lane in Henry Clay, Delaware
View looking from Upper Breck's Lane, Rockford Water Tower in distance.
Hagley Entrance Gate and New Machine Shop
Iron and stone lower gate (main entrance). Also called Centennial Gates.
Hagley powder yards entrance gate with New Machine Shop
New machine shop second from left.
Testing area for powder, DuPont Experimental Station
View through doorway and down hall showing apparatus to test powder.
Ballistics Laboratory at DuPont Experimental Station
Interior of laboratory with machinery.
DuPont Experimental Station
Interior of laboratory with machinery.
Dairy cow on Breck's Lane with Cooper Shop in background
Undated image, probably captured in 1909 or 1910.
Alfred I. du Pont with men from Henry Clay, Delaware at his Cherry Island, Maryland property
From left: George Cook, Alfred I. du Pont holding James Bromwell's grandson, Jim Cook, Casenove Gardner, the driver Mr. Edgar, and Ben Fletcher.
View from Rockford Tower, looking toward Wilmington
Looking down Red Oak Road, Rockford Village to left.
Ice jam on Creek Road (Main Street) along Brandywine Creek in Henry Clay, Delaware
Buildings left to right: Charles I. du Pont house, Pigeon Hole Row, Long Row. Rolling mills visible at far right.
High water on Creek Road (Main Street) along Brandywine Creek in Henry Clay, Delaware
Buildings left to right: Charles I. du Pont house, Long Row.

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