Description: This is a photo of Proctor and Gamble's Manufacturing, Administration, and Research building in Cincinnati, Ohio. This building housed the bakery research department's laboratories. This building is a part of the Ivorydale complex that consists of 120 buildings on 243 acres. The facility is located 5 miles north of Cincinnati. Also seen in the picture is the William Cooper Proctor Memorial. William Procter (1801-1884) and James Gamble (1803-1891) started the Procter & Gamble Company in 1837. Procter was a native of England who worked as a candle maker. Gamble, a soap maker, originally came from Ireland. The two men were brothers-in-law, having married sisters Olivia and Elizabeth Norris. Their father-in-law, Alexander Norris, persuaded them to go into business together selling soap and candles. During the Civil War, Procter & Gamble was awarded several contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles. The candle business was discontinued in the 1920s. In 1879, P & G began making their signature product, Ivory soap. By 1890 Procter & Gamble was a multi-million dollar corporation. The memorial seen in the foreground, dedicated on June 7, 1939, commemorates Procter's contributions to the Procter & Gamble Company, the most significant of which was the creation of the profit-sharing program in 1887. The voluntary program gave employees a stake in the company. Procter (1862-1934) was the grandson of the company's founder. This sculpture was created by Ernest Bruce Hasell. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F08_002_1
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Memorials--Ohio; Proctor and Gamble Company; Manufacturing industries
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows Camay soap pellets during production at a plant in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a note on its reverse which reads "The milled Camay is pressed together until all air has been removed." Camay is the name of a scented hand and body soap formerly produced by Procter & Gamble. It was first introduced in 1926 and marketed as a "white, pure soap for women," as many soaps of the time were colored to mask impurities. Camay is not sold widely in the United States any longer and is sold mostly to online distributors and Europe. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F08_003_1
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio); Proctor and Gamble Company; Manufacturing industries; Soap
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of long bars of soap about to be cut down into smaller bars. This is a step in the soap making process. The long bars of soap move to the right where piano wire can be seen. This is a part of the Proctor and Gamble manufacturing industry in Cincinnati, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F08_004_1
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Proctor and Gamble Company; Manufacturing industries; Soap
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is an aerial view of Procter & Gamble's Ivorydale facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Procter & Gamble Company Plant, located on Spring Grove Avenue between Mill Creek and Township Avenue in the Cincinnati suburb of St. Bernard, originally covered eleven acres in a section called Ivorydale. It was, and still is, one of the largest soap manufacturing plants in the world. William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, formed the company known as Procter & Gamble in 1837. The two men, immigrants from England and Ireland respectively, had settled earlier in Cincinnati and had married sisters. They decided to pool their resources to form their own company, formalizing the relationship on October 31, 1837. The original plant dates to ca. 1885 when Procter & Gamble expanded operations from their downtown location. The giant complex would eventually cover 243 acres with 120 buildings, including the 43-acre food plant built in 1911. During the 1930s, the buildings was described as being a maze of utilitarian gray stone buildings, interspersed with outdoor retorts and tanks, smokestacks and railroad tracks. The campus included its own fire station, dining rooms and recreational facilities. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F08_006_1
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Cincinnati (Ohio)--Aerial views; Proctor and Gamble Company; Manufacturing industries; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a photo from the Procter & Gamble Ivorydale facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. The photo shows 3 men in white outfits doing some type of work with a number of vats containing an unknown substance, but possibly soap. The Procter and Gamble Company Plant, located on Spring Grove Avenue between Mill Creek and Township Avenue, in the Cincinnati suburb of St. Bernard, originally covered 11 acres in a section called Ivorydale. It was and still is, one of the largest soap manufacturing plants in the world. The original plant dates from about 1885, when P&G expanded operations from their downtown location. The giant complex would eventually cover 243 acres with 120 buildings, including the 43 acre food plant built in 1911. During the 1930s, the buildings was described as being a maze of utilitarian gray stone buildings, interspersed with hugged outdoor retorts and tanks, smokestacks and railroad tracks. The campus includes its own fire station, dining rooms and recreational facilities. William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, formed the company known as Procter & Gamble in 1837. The two men, immigrants from England and Ireland respectively, had settled earlier in Cincinnati and had married sisters. The two men decided to pool their resources to form their own company, formalizing the relationship on October 31, 1837. The company prospered during the nineteenth century. In 1859, sales reached one million dollars. By this point, approximately eighty employees worked for Procter & Gamble. During the Civil War, the company won contracts to supply the Union army with soap and candles. In addition to the increased profits experienced during the war, the military contracts introduced soldiers from all over the country to Procter & Gambles products. Once the war was over and the men returned home, they continued to purchase the company's products. In the 1880s, Procter & Gamble began to market a new product, an inexpensive, yet high quality, soap. The company called the soap "Ivory." In the decades that followed, Procter & Gamble continued to grow and evolve. The company became known for its progressive work environment in the late nineteenth century. William Cooper Procter, William Procter's grandson, established a profit-sharing program for the company's workforce in 1887. He hoped that by giving the workers a stake in the company, they would be less inclined to go on strike. Over time, the company began to focus most of its attention on soap, producing more than thirty different types by the 1890s. As electricity became more and more common, there was less need for the candles that Procter & Gamble had made since its inception. Ultimately, the company chose to stop manufacturing candles in 1920. In the early twentieth century, Procter & Gamble continued to grow. The company began to build factories in other locations in the United States, because the demand for products had outgrown the capacity of the Cincinnati facilities. The company's leaders began to diversify its products as well and, in 1911, began producing Crisco, a shortening made of vegetable oils rather than animal fats. In the early 1900s, Procter & Gamble also became known for its research laboratories, where scientists worked to create new products. Company leadership also pioneered in the area of market research, investigating consumer needs and product appeal. As radio became more popular in the 1920s and 1930s, the company sponsored a number of radio programs. As a result, these shows often became commonly known as "soap operas." Throughout the twentieth century, Procter & Gamble continued to prosper. The company moved into other countries, both in terms of manufacturing and product sales, becoming an international corporation. In addition, numerous new products and brand names were introduced over time, and Procter & Gamble began branching out into new areas. The company introduced "Tide" laundry detergent in 1946 and "Prell" shampoo in 1950. In 1955, Procter & Gamble began selling the first toothpaste to contain fluoride, known as "Crest". Branching out once again in 1957, the company purchased Charmin Paper Mills and began manufacturing toilet paper and other paper products. Once again focusing on laundry, Procter & Gamble began making "Downy" fabric softener in 1960 and "Bounce" fabric softener sheets. One of the most revolutionary products to come out on the market was the company's "Pampers", first test-marketed in 1961. Prior to this point, there were no disposable diapers. Babies always wore cloth diapers, which were leaky and labor intensive to wash. Pampers simplified the diapering process. Over the second half of the twentieth century, Procter & Gamble acquired a number of other companies that diversified its product line and increased profits significantly. These acquisitions included Folgers Coffee, Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals, Richardson-Vicks, Noxell, Shultons Old Spice, Max Factor, and the Iams Company, among others. In 1996, Procter & Gamble made headlines when the Food and Drug Administration approved a new product developed by the company, Olestra. Olestra, also known by its brand name Olean, is a substitute for fat in cooking potato chips and other snacks. Procter & Gamble has expanded dramatically throughout its history, but its headquarters still remain in Cincinnati. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F08_007_1
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Proctor and Gamble Company; Manufacturing industries; Soap
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1943, this is a photograph of boiling soap at one of the Procter and Gamble buildings. The Procter and Gamble Company Plant, located on Spring Grove Avenue between Mill Creek and Township Avenue, in the Cincinnati suburb of St. Bernard, originally covered 11 acres in a section called Ivorydale. It was, and still is, one of the largest soap manufacturing plants in the world. The original plant dates to about 1885, when Proctor and Gamble expanded operations from their downtown location. William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, formed the company known as Procter & Gamble in 1837. The two men, immigrants from England and Ireland respectively, had settled earlier in Cincinnati and had married sisters. The two men decided to pool their resources to form their own company, formalizing the relationship on October 31, 1837. During the Civil War, the company won contracts to supply the Union army with soap and candles. In addition to the increased profits experienced during the war, the military contracts introduced soldiers from all over the country to Procter & Gambles products. Once the war was over and the men returned home, they continued to purchase the company's products. In the 1880s, Procter & Gamble began to market a new product, an inexpensive, yet high quality, soap called Ivory soap. Over time, the company began to focus most of its attention on soap, producing more than thirty different types by the 1890s. As electricity became more and more common, there was less need for the candles that Procter & Gamble had made since its inception. Ultimately, the company chose to stop manufacturing candles in 1920. In the early twentieth century, Procter & Gamble continued to grow. The company began to build factories in other locations in the United States, because the demand for products had outgrown the capacity of the Cincinnati facilities. The company diversified its products and began producing products such as Crisco, Tide laundry detergent, Prell shampoo, Crest toothpaste, Downy fabric softener and Bounce fabric softener sheets, and Pampers, the first disposable diaper. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F08_008_1
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio); Proctor and Gamble Company; Manufacturing industries; Soap; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)