Two views of a booster pump shaft used during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research at DuPont. In the top image, an accumulation of polymer is visible on the shaft, while agitators are wrapped…

Detail view of a steam-spinning apparatus with central booster pump on a Type-8 spinning machine used during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research at DuPont. The photograph is captioned "Figure…

Close-up view of an electric immersion heater used during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research at DuPont. The photographs is captioned "Figure 3," indicating that it appeared in a report or…

Two close-up views of an electric-heated grid and steam-spinning grid and block assembly used during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research at DuPont. The photographs are captioned "Figure 1" and…

Close-up view of a tandem hot-pin hot-plate draw system used at DuPont during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research. The photograph has been marked with several hand-drawn lines to depict the…

General view of a 50-pound autoclave first used for the production of "Fiber V," later branded as Dacron polyester fiber, at a DuPont semiworks facility. During production, a partially-evaporated salt solution was fed…

General view of a roll crimper used to crimp textile fibers during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research at DuPont. As visible in this photograph, fibers entered the machine via drive pulleys and…

General view of a roll crimper and puller used at DuPont during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research. Typically, such machinery was used to stretch, strengthen, and crimp textile fibers.

General view of a coiler mechanism used at DuPont during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research. Typically, this type of apparatus was used to coil tow, an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments,…

Detail view of a coiler head assembly mechanism used at DuPont during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research. Typically, this type of apparatus was used to coil tow, an untwisted bundle of…

Assorted apparatus and component parts, including a magnetic switch, mercury plunger, and rupture diaphragm, used during the early stages of nylon production and research at DuPont.

Two views of staple crimpers used at DuPont during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research. During production, a tow (an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments) was fed between two serrated rolls…

Close-up view of a continuous shaft drawtwister used during the early stages of nylon production and research at DuPont. As part of the cold-drawing process, drawtwisters were used to stretch the nylon filaments…

General view of a spinneret (front row, second from left) and assorted pack equipment, including a filter screen and gasket, used during the early stages of nylon production and research at DuPont. During production, a…

Close-up view of two hot relaxing plates on a drawing machine used at the DuPont plant in Seaford, Delaware during the early stages of synthetic fiber production and research. The plate on the left, labelled "Electric,"…

Close-up view of the wrap scraper blade on a drawing machine used at the DuPont plant in Seaford, Delaware during the early stages of nylon production and research.

Close-up view of the modified feed brake assembly on a nylon staple cutter used at the DuPont plant in Seaford, Delaware during the early stages of nylon production and research.

Three views of a nylon drawing machine and creel (a rack holding bobbins or spools for spinning) used at the DuPont plant in Seaford, Delaware during the early stages of nylon production and research.

Group photograph of technical staff working at the DuPont nylon plant in Martinsville, Virginia. An identification key accompanies the photograph.

Group photograph of staff responsible for the development and manufacture of the "Type 9" textile at the DuPont plant in Martinsville, Virginia. Team supervisor Joseph X. Labovsky is seated at the center of the…

Group photograph of staff from DuPont's nylon plant in Martinsville, Virginia. Caroline Cooper, the first forewoman promoted to shift supervisor, is visible in the front row, fourth from right. The rest of the…

Group photograph of staff from DuPont's nylon plant in Martinsville, Virginia. Supervisor C.P. White is visible in the front row, far left side. The rest of the individuals depicted in the photograph are unidentified.

Group photograph of DuPont shift supervisors and foremen at the nylon plant in Martinsville, Virginia. This photograph was taken on the occasion of team supervisor Joseph X. Labovsky receiving his 20-year service pin…

Group photograph of DuPont shift supervisors and foremen responsible for the development of the "Type 9" textile at the DuPont plant in Martinsville, Virginia. Team supervisor Joseph X. Labovsky is seated on the far…

Portrait of DuPont chemist Joseph X. Labovsky (1912-2013), taken at the DuPont pilot plant in Seaford, Delaware during the early stages of nylon production and research.

Joseph X. Labovsky was born in Kiev, Ukraine on…