Manuscripts Collection
Photographs, design blueprints, motion picture films, and correspondence of a metal fabricating company established in 1927 as general manufacturing agents for various products. The company fulfilled defense contracts during World War II and manufactured lawn mowers and similar items afterward.
Photographs document each stage of product production: components used in it; assembly line workers (including women); the packing and shipping of the units; the managers of the firm; construction of company buildings; and marketing and advertising of the firm's products, especially lawn mowers.
Microfilm (3 reels) consists largely of blueprint drawings of product designs. Films document lawn mower tests.
These documents are organized into the following sections:
A print version of this finding aid is available in the repository; filed in ALPHA notebooks under the heading: J.M. Dalglish Company.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics,
persons or places should
Accession number: 14,685
Processed by: David B. Peterson, 1992
Catalog ID number: 09-00037469
Personal letters (1942) to Herbert F. Dalglish from his mother Grace and wife Cecile while he was in Washington, D.C. (?); interoffice communications (1947); prospectus for the J.M. Dalglish Company (1947); application for a position with the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company by Herbert Dalglish (1949); and three agreements between Herbert Dalglish and Simon C. Ryan relating to Dalglish's patents (1951).
General business materials including correspondence with and membership roster of the Jefferson Islands Club and correspondence with a member, Harry B. Hawes; minutes of LEMA (Lawn Equipment Manufacturers Association), a proposed organization to promote an extended lawn equipment sales season; and salesmen's itineraries.
Dunning was a patent attorney.
Several advertisements for lawn mowers and a small tractor, and a booklet describing products Dalglish produced during World War II, its management, and its future plans. The second folder contains an assortment of photographs, blueprints, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous material. Includes a copy of a booklet, "Dalglish Engineered Products."
Blueprints of lawn mowers and parts, as well as some correspondence and engineering records of designs for their chocks, balks, mooring bitts, rudders, rocking rollers, and packing cases. Microfilm prepared by the company.
More drawings and blueprints of rudders, mooring bitts, rocking rollers, balks, bolts and brushes, chocks, and hatchets. Microfilm prepared by the company.
Blueprints of rudder stock, mooring bitts, chocks, milling machine layout, lugs, hose end plug, balks, contract of normal spending, and lawn mowers.
These are enlargements of photographs found in the photograph albums in Box 3.
A portable aluminum floating bridge erected in the field, used by the U.S. Army. The Army acquired plans from the British which were redesigned by Dalglish engineers. The company completed 900 sets. A more complete description can be found in the booklet, "Dalglish Engineered Products," in Box 1.
Large contra-guide rudders for the T2 tanker. Dalglish engineers redesigned much of the internal structure.
These held down the main engine plates on cargo vessels.
Includes building and interior office scenes, and personnel.
Three sheets on grey paper, apparently for advertising purposes, and ten sheets of sepia-finished photographs.
Includes: Building construction, Balk, Rudder, Bailey bridge, Roller chocks, Mooring bitts, ans Miscellaneous.
Includes: Pans, Shovels, Offices and manufacturing plants (interior and exterior views), Personnel (not identified), and Shop photographs.
Miscellaneous photographs.