Norton Grinding Machine Company Photograph Collection
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Norton Grinding Company
place: label: Place
content: Massachusetts -- Worcester
topic: label: Topic
content: Blue collar workers
label: Topic
content: Automobile industry and trade
label: Topic
content: Grindstones
label: Topic
content: Grinding
label: Topic
content: Shop interiors
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Assembled by the Norton Grinding Company; acquired prior to 1988.
creator: label: Manufacturer
content: Norton Grinding Company
setName: label: See more items in
content: Norton Grinding Machine Company Photograph Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents the operations, tools, machinery, products, and employees of the Norton Grinding Machine Company located in Wocester, 
Massachusetts.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Norton Grinding Manufacturing Company is the forerunner of what is now Norton Abrasives.  It was founded by Frank B. Norton and Frederick Hancock, two cousins from Vermont, who opened a pottery shop in Worcester in 1858.  F. B. Norton & Company sold redware and stoneware pottery until one of their employees, Sven Pulson, invented a grinding wheel.  Frank Norton would patent the invention and the company began manufacturing grinding wheels. Eventually, Norton would become a major manufacturer of abrasives along with other products for industry and home use. 

Sources: 

Norton Company at 100 Years: A Celebration of People and Technology, 1885-1985, Worcester Historical Museum, 1985


Wikipedia, Wikipedia.org
physdesc: label: Extent
content: .75 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1985, undated
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work & Industry in February 2022.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1551
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Exhibition catalogs
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged in two series. 

Series 1; Photographs, undated

Series 2: Other Materials, 1985
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2023. Finding aid encoded by Audrey Willius, intern, 2023.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Exhibition catalogs -- 1970-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Content Description
content: Collection consists of silver gelatin photographic prints documenting the operations, equipment, machinery, products, and employees of the Norton Grinding Company located in Worcester, Massachusetts. These photographs include images of grinding machines, grinding shops, grindstones, ground work pieces, lab experiments, plant interiors, and portable grinders. In addition there are images of grinding machinery in automobile, sewing, and pearl button manufacturing plants. Most of the photographs have descriptions of the prints but are not dated. The collection is arranged in two series.  Series one is photographs and series two is an exhbition catalogue published by the Worcester Historical Museum in 1985 celebrating the centennial of the Norton Grinding Machine Company.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution


Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subject Categories: Abrasive Industry, NMAH.AC.0060


Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, NMAH.AC.0143 


Singer Industrial Design Collection, NMAH.AC.0169


United Shoe Machinery Corporation Records, NMAH.AC.0277


Pratt, Read Corporation Records, NMAH.AC.0320


Iowa Button Industry Collection, NMAH.AC.0504


Industry on Parade Film Collection, NMAH.AC.0507


Max Holland Numerical Control Collection, NMAH.AC.0537


Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company Records, NMAH.AC.0977


Lockwood Greene Records, NMAH.AC.1113

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution


ILC Dover Apollo Reports and Aperture Card Drawings Collection, Accession 2016-0032