Instruments & Innovation

General view of an unidentified female employee inspecting a treating tub used to purify ethyl cellulose at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The Hopewell plant commonly produced ethyl cellulose,…

General view of the interior of a portion of the Hercules Powder Company plant facilities in Hopewell, Virginia, with view of assorted industrial apparatus and machinery and several unidentified employees. The Hopewell…

Close-up view of ethyl cellulose being transferred to a storage bin at the Hercules Powder Company's Ethyl Cellulose plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The employee visible in the photograph is unidentified. Ethyl cellulose…

General view of an unidentified employee inspecting the control board for a Solvent Recovery system at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, the system was…

General view of an unidentified employee inspecting control switches at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, the control switches were explosion-proof, one…

General view of an unidentified employee examining a control panel used in the production of ethyl cellulose at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Ethyl cellulose manufactured by the Hercules…

General view of an unidentified employee inspecting the Hydrochloride Rotary System at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The system was likely used during the production of so-called "chemical…

General view of an unidentified employee examining a control panel used in the production of ethyl cellulose at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Ethyl cellulose manufactured by the Hercules…

Close-up view of an unidentified employee removing a sample of ethyl cellulose from a machine at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, the sampling was one…

Two views of an unidentified employee adjusting the Stern Shredder machine at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The shredder was used to process linter sheets of cellulosic fibrous materials, such…

Close-up view of sheets of so-called "chemical cotton" moving through a Layboy No. 2 Paper Machine at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified cellulose obtained from…

General view of employee Andrew Roberts operating pulping equipment at a Hercules Powder Company pilot plant in Hopewell, Virginia. This pulping equipment was likely used to produce dissolving pulp, also known as…

Detail view of the side of a paper machine used in the production of so-called "chemical cotton" at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified cellulose obtained from…

General view of employee W.L. Caricofe, Jr. discharging loose pulp from a dryer at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The loose pulp dryer was likely used to process cellulosic fibrous materials,…

General view of employee H.M. McClure discharging sheets of so-called "chemical cotton" from a Layboy No. 2 Paper Machine at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified…

General view of employee Elizabeth Booth operating a hydraulic press in the Viscose Laboratory at a Hercules Powder Company pilot plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Several stacks of viscose, a semi-synthetic fiber, are…

General view looking down either side of a riffle trough at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The trough may have been used to clean and catch particles during the production of so-called…

General view of employee Johnnie Shands loading bales of so-called "chemical cotton" onto a skid at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Chemical cotton, a type of purified cellulose obtained from…

Two views of the Fourdrinier No. 2 Paper Machine in use at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The Fourdrinier machine was used to dewater sheets of so-called "chemical cotton," purified cellulose…

General view of a washing tub in use at the Hercules Powder Company's Ethyl Cellulose plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, constant agitation and continual charges of water were used…

Close-up view of several rolls of sheeted cotton linters mounted on spindles at the Hercules Powder Company's Ethyl Cellulose plant in Hopewell, Virginia. Per notations accompanying the photograph, the cotton was…