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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Fred Evans near former cannon house in front of Christ Church
Old cannon house in front of Christ Church, where powder was tested.
Fred Evans near former cannon house in front of Christ Church
Old cannon house in front of Christ Church, where powder was tested.
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?].
Testing area for powder, DuPont Experimental Station
View through doorway and down hall showing apparatus to test powder.
Damage to Upper Banks and Upper Yard from October 1890 explosion
View of several houses and yards damaged in explosion. Bell tower visible in background, field of cabbages or cauliflower in foreground. Typed caption: "Information supplied by Mr. Daniel Shields. Upper Yard--Residences (double houses) reading from right to left: Samuel Grogran, Tom Callahan, James Ward, Mary Dougherty. Building with tower known as Bell House, basement used in winter to split chestnut fence and rail posts for farm property. Willow for charcoal house stored in Bell House. Charcoal house to left of Bell House. Eleutherian Mills Barn in background. Vegetable garden (cauliflower) in foreground."
Employees in New Machine Shop at Hagley Yard
Identification by Edward L. Bader: Back row left to right: E.M. Taylor (Shop Superintendent), Ed Bader, and Fred Ivins. Front row left to right: William Waterbury, Duncan Thatcher.
Saltpeter refinery at Eleutherian Mills (Upper Yard)
Note by Macklem dated 1928 March 9: "In the background can be seen the residence of E.I. du Pont de Nemours, erected by him early in the last century and occupied by him as a home until the time of his death, after which his second son Henry du Pont lived here until his death in August 1889. The property now belongs to the estate of Col. Henry A. du Pont, the oldest son of Henry du Pont."
Saltpeter refinery at Eleutherian Mills (Upper Yard)
Note by Macklem dated 1928 March 9: "In the background can be seen the residence of E.I. du Pont de Nemours, erected by him early in the last century and occupied by him as a home until the time of his death, after which his second son Henry du Pont lived here until his death in August 1889. The property now belongs to the estate of Col. Henry A. du Pont, the oldest son of Henry du Pont."
Horse-drawn gunpowder wagon Deadwood, South Dakota
Man at left, on horseback, identified as Arthur Simpson (brother of W.S. Simpson, DuPont employee). Man at right with gun cradled in arms is identified as Robert Divinnell.
Alfred I. du Pont farewell party
The following people are identified on a tracing paper overlay: Alfred I. du Pont, Ernest du Pont, two unnamed drivers, Lynch (plumber), Joe Haley, John Andrews who "ran off with barn burning detectives who were pretending to be religious group," Mike Mahony's dad, Thomas Knox (Bader's brother-in-law burned in explosion of 1898), "old foreman," Dorman who "worked in packing house," Albert "Yabba" Buchanan who "ran ? plant with trains," and the Rowe brothers (cooper and painter). See tracing paper overlay for locations in photograph.
Laboring gang in Hagley Yard
Left to right: Unidentified, Sam Ferraro, unidentified, Benjamin Griffiths, possibly Louis Boubell.
DuPont Co. employees, farm workers
Left to right: William Snyder, Robert Betty, William G. Betty. South side of Eleutherian Mills Barn.
William Grimshaw Betty and Mrs. Betty
House at Hunter's Corner at intersection of Buck Road and Route 100.