East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
E-mail: archvies@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338
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Title: |
Pressmen's Home Photograph Collection |
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Collection Number: |
Accession No. 308 |
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Physical Description: |
27 5 x 7 Black and White Photographs |
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Creator: |
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Repository: |
Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University |
Provenance: The 38 photographs depicting Pressmen's Home were donated to the Archives of Appalachia by Jack Mooney on November 19, 1987. A 16mm color film entitled, "Partners in Printing," was donated by James Jack Mooney on November 4, 1992.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processing Information: Marie Tedesco and Georgia Greer completed processing, and the collection was opened for research in 1989.
The International Printing Pressmen and Assistants Union (IPP&AU) was founded in 1889. For nearly 20 years, the offices of the IPP&AU were located wherever the international secretary-treasurer and president maintained a residence. On July 15, 1907 the IPP&AU offices were housed on the seventh floor of the Lyric (Theatre) Building on Vine Street in Cincinnati, Ohio. On October 29, 1909 the IPP&AU offices were established on the 5th floor of the Second National Bank Building in Cincinnati, remaining there until removal to Pressmen's Home.
The location of the IPP&AU at Pressmen's Home was brought about by President George L. Berry's report to the 1909 convention that printing pressmen were the fifth group of trades in America to contract tuberculosis (consumption). After much deliberation, it was decided that a sanatorium should be constructed for IPP&AU members. It was further found that the best place for care of tuberculosis was within a 50 mile radius of Asheville, North Carolina. With this in mind, Berry and his associate, John Geckler, went to Asheville.
While in the south, Berry decided to visit his home place, Clinch Valley, Hawkins County, Tennessee. Time slipped away from Berry and his party, so they spent the night at Hale Springs, a 70-year-old health resort of the mineral water variety. Learning that the resort was up for sale by the District Chancery Court, Berry obtained an 18-month option at a price of $8,423.70 for the 260 acres of land. The property was 75 miles from Asheville, the 1324-foot elevation was judged the best for tuberculosis cure, and the pine covered mountains reportedly exuded an ozone particularly beneficial for TB-afflicted individuals.
At the convention of 1910 members voted approval for the sanatorium and school at the Hale Springs site. The first construction began on October 10, 1910. In May 1911 officials moved records of Berry and Secretary-Treasurer Charles B. Crowley from Cincinnati into the administration building at what came to be called "Pressmen's Home". Pressmen's Home became the site of the IPP&AU convention of June 1911 and was "convention city" for the next 41 years.
During the initial years of its existence, Pressmen's Home experienced significant growth. The Technical Trade School opened September 1, 1911, while the sanatorium opened October 12, 1916. A post office, general merchandise store, telephone company, chapel and hotel all opened before 1930.
As long as rail transportation was the predominant mode of transportation, access to Pressmen's Home was relatively easy. IPP&AU members and visitors disembarked at Bull's Gap and then drove to the complex. But, as planes supplanted trains, travel to IPP&AU conventions became more difficult. Consequently, in May 1967 members voted to move union headquarters to Washington, D. C. The president's office remained at Pressmen's Home until 1969, when the union sold the property to a group of developers who founded a resort called "Camelot". The resort failed, and the company soon declared bankruptcy. First Pennsylvania Trust Company of New Jersey bought the property in the early 1980s. Since 1984, however, First Pennsylvania has sold off parcels of land to various buyers.
The 38 photographs depict the land before the building of Pressmen's Home, Pressmen's Home buildings, the board of directors of IPP&AU, President Berry, and other union members. The 16mm color film entitled, "Partners in Printing," that was narrated by Chet Huntley and produced by the Printing Pressmen sometime during the late 1950s, has been added to the collection.
Important subjects covered in the collection include:
Berry, George Leonard, 1882-1948
International Printing Pressmen and Assistants' Union of North America
Pressmen's Home (Tenn.)
Printing-press
PR 1 Pressmen's Home Sanatorium, ND.
PR 2 Home for Superannuated Members, ND.
PR 3 Moving Washington hand press to B. Carroll Reece Museum, 1976.
PR 4 Memorial Chapel, ND.
PR 5 Technical Trade School Presses, ND.
PR 6 Technical Trade School Presses, ND.
PR 7 Technical Trade School Presses, ND.
PR 8 Washington hand press in B. Carroll Reece Museum, 1976.
PR 9 Washington hand press in front of Pressmen's Home, 1960s.
PR 10 Washington hand press in front of Pressmen's Home, 1960s.
PR 11 Members of "Little Dog Society" on an outing, ca 1914.
PR 12 Pressmen's Home Natatorium (swimming pool), ND.
PR 13 Pressmen's Home Second Training School built in 1948.
PR 14 Pressmen's Home First Training School (1911); became administration building after 1948.
PR 15 Pressmen's Home, ND.
PR 16 Pressmen's Home Natatorium, ND.
PR 17 Pressmen's Home, ND.
PR 18 Pressmen's Home Printing Press in Technical School, ND.
PR 19 Front Page of Convention Program of IPP&AU of North America, June 16, 1913.
PR 20 Pressmen's Home Technical Trade School, ND.
PR 21 Pressmen's Home Hotel Pressauna, ND.
PR 22 Pressmen's Home Memorial Chapel, ND.
PR 23 Union President George L. Berry's Mausoleum at Pressmen's Home, ND.
PR 24 Pressmen's Home Dairy Barn, ND.
PR 25 Union President George L. Berry in 1940s.
PR 26 Union President George L. Berry in 1907.
PR 27 Board of Directors of IPP&AU 1907: Left to right, P. J. McMullen, Secretary-Treasurer; P. J. Breen, Third Vice President; George L. Berry, President; W. L. Murphy, First Vice President; J. G. Warrington, Second Vice President.
PR 28 Property before Pressmen's Home, 1909.
PR 29 Panoramic View of Pressmen's Home, 1920s.
PR 30 Pressmen's Home Library in the Sanatorium, ND.
PR 31 Bull's Gap Train Station 1920s. This station was close to Hale Springs and Pressmen's Home.
PR 32 Ox-carts - Hale Springs, 1909.
PR 33 Members of the Union's "Little Yellow Dog Society," 1914.
PR 34 Members of the Yellow Dog Society with their "Yellow Dog" mascot, 1914.
PR 35 Pressmen's Home X-ray sanitorium ca. 1940s.
PR 36 East Tennessee State University Physical Plant employees moving press in 1976.
PR 37 East Tennessee State University Physical Plant employees moving press in 1976.
PR 38 Washington hand press at B. Carroll Reece Museum, 1976.
PR 39 Pressmen's Home Aerial Photo Poster, ND.
FILM LIST
1 16mm Color Film entitled, "Partners in Printing"
1 Betacam SP Preservation Master, "Partners in Printing"
1 VHS Access Copy, "Partners in Printing"
MTC 05/01 - modified GKY 03/13/02