Records of Hercules Incorporated

For a more detailed inventory, please view this record in our library catalog: https://othmerlib.sciencehistory.org/record=b1065038~S6

The bulk of the collection covers the period 1913, shortly after the company's formation as a manufacturer of double base gun powders to 1976 when the company had greatly diversified, even expanding into rocketry. The Hercules Mixer the company's major internal organ gives a nice inside look into day to day life at Hercules, while the extensive collection of advertising materials, covering the years 1913 through 1952, documents the company's growth as a major manufacturer of chemical products. There is also a significant body of material detailing the operations of a Hercules Plant at San Diego, CA, instrumental in the production of acetone from giant kelp harvested from the coastal waters, which allowed Hercules to become a major provider of military explosives for the Allies in World War 1. The bulk of the collection is comprised of the serial title the Hercules Mixer and bound volumes of Hercules print advertisements collected by year. There are also important mini collections dealing with a World War 1 project to obtain acetone (for the manufacture of cordite) from giant kelp and the planning and construction of the Hercules Experiment Station.