Modeling and Hardening High Grade Mantles

From “Set of Postcards Depicting the Welsbach Factory in Gloucester, New Jersey”

This set of postcards depicts the scenes from the Welsbach Incandescent Gas Lighting Company factory at Gloucester, New Jersey. Originally a set of 46 postcards, this collection is missing cards number 20 and 31. The images cover the stages of production of mantels, from the “Laboratory for analysis of thorium minerals,” through sewing, collodionizing, hardening, trimming, and packing of mantels for shipment. Many cards show exclusively women working, supervised by men. A few cards show mixed gender workforces in particular aspects of the workflow. The labels describe each step of the production process.