Alana Staiti - Chemical Heritage Foundation

This summer I'm interning in the Special Collections department at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) in Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia. The CHF is an organization that promotes research in and education about the history of chemistry. I'm particularly interested in learning about the CHF's relationships with other institutions, including cultural organizations, chemical companies, and academic institutions. I'll get back to that shortly, but first I should tell you about how I spend most of my time. I have been scanning and cataloging advertisements from the Dow Chemical Company from the 1920s through 2006. The company's archives were formally acquired by the CHF in 2008.

Some of you may have never heard of Dow, but you have certainly heard of their products. Dow is a huge multi-national company that was (is) responsible for making Saran Wrap, household cleaners, herbicides and pesticides (including DDT in the 40s and 50s), plastics, industrial chemicals, and aircraft equipment. The ads that I'm scanning are geared to ordinary consumers and the magazines they came from include The Saturday Evening Post, Time, Newsweek, Better Homes & Gardens, and the Country Gentleman. Judging from the above list of products, it's safe to say that Dow has pervasively influenced American consumer culture; at the very least, who hasn't heard of Saran Wrap?!

I really enjoy being able to read through all of the ads. The former environmental science student in me, however, struggles with the new-found knowledge that while Dow's old products may have helped shape an American consumer lifestyle, they also probably contributed to many forms of environmental degradation. I was especially stunned to learn that Dow pushed for DDT's use in mid-century agricultural magazines (of course, this was before people knew about DDT's negative effects on animals). I brought this up to my supervisor and asked whether the museum tries to negotiate these issues at all through exhibitions, programs, or lectures -- namely, the unintended consequences of chemistry broadly. She said that they would like to probe these issues, but it's difficult for the CHF to present controversial subjects because of its affiliations with certain chemical companies. Cataloging Dow's ads has helped me recognize the historical significance of this company; at the same time, it has led me to think about the broader political and environmental consequences related to a chemical company's long-lasting influence on American consumer culture.