Maryland Historical Society Library - Crown Cork and Seal Collection - PP33

Collection finding aids of Photograph Collections
in the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Maryland Historical Society Library

CROWN CORK AND SEAL COLLECTION

1939-1945

PP33

PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION
MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
201 W. MONUMENT ST.
BALTIMORE, MD 21201

Finding aid created by Katherine Cowan
with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
October 1999

History

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 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 1990s, moved out of its plant in Baltimore city. The company and its subsidiaries still manufacture cans and other food containers in the Rosedale section of Baltimore Co., and in Salisbury, Belcamp, and Havre de Grace, Md.

Collection Origin

Purchase, 1981 (75774).

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of 12 photographic negatives and positives on 11 x 14 inch (14 x 17 inch?) glass plates. The plates were used as an intermediate 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. (Note: Documentation of the collection from the auction house where purchased states that the plates are ca. 14 x 17 inches, and that they originated ca. 1915.)

Arrangement

The negatives are arranged according to negative catalog numbers. The inventory states that they are cataloged as Z11 negatives, although they are said to be 11 x 14 inch plates. In fact, the number for 11 x 14 inch glass plate negatives is Z10, while Z11 is used for 14 x 17 inch plates. The collection materials were not found as of 10/27/99, so the discrepancy could not be resolved.

Container List

1 Box (? – COLLECTION NOT FOUND)

Z11.1 – 9/4/40 CEM. 86847 "Golden Age Orange Soda Artificial Flavor & Color 1/10 of 1% Benzoate of Soda" BROKEN.

Z11.2 – 7/13/43 Black CEM. D.E. 84185 "Free state supreme mellow-aged beer Free State Brewery Corp. Baltimore, MD."- BROKEN IN HALF.

Z11.3 – 6/17/40 -Blue- CEM. 86276 "Old Antique Ginger Ale". (see Zll.7.PP331).

Z11.4 – 7/22/40 NFKE?3 79063 "The Queen City Brewing Co. Cumberland, MD.

Maryland & Garrett County Beer Tax Paid One Pint or Less".

Z11.5 – 10/24/41 CEM Dk. Blue 89134 "Minick's Cream Soda Minick Bros. & Co., Inc. Brooklyn, N.Y.".

Z11.6 – 10/13/41 CEM 89093 "Root Beer Artificial Flavor and Color".

Z11.7 – 6/17/40 -Red- CEM 86276 "Pale Dry" (see Z11.3.PP331).

Z11.8 – 11/29/45 CEM 90548 "Lovit Orangeade Fitger Brewing Co. Duluth Minn.

Z11.9 – 9/12/45 CE24 90821 "Kola Peoria Hires Bottling Co. Peoria, Ill.".

Z11.10 – 1/8/42 CEM 84000 "Pijua"n Refrescos CamagUey Hecho en Cuba".

Z11.11 – 9/19/40 CEM -Black- 86965 (Line drawing of colonial-type courthouse).