B+W photo of coffin life test for water leakage at United States Testing Co., 1415 Park Ave., Hoboken. N.d., ca. 1970-1985.
Entry/Object ID
2013.042.0024
Description
Black-and-white photo of coffin (or casket) life test for water leakage at United States Testing Co., 1415 Park Ave., Hoboken. No date, circa 1970-1985.
8" x 10" wide print; documentation photograph taken by staff of the Photographic Department, but not so marked. Reverse blank.
Donor Bill Willard (a long-time employee of the company) provided primary description of scene. Joe Travelli, another former company employee, related that the metal coffin was made in Hoboken by the New Jersey Casket Company, just a few blocks away at 1330 Clinton Street.
While the sign on the casket indicates "Test in Progress", a man, very much alive, is lying in the coffin and smoking a cigarette. How and if he was part of the test is not apparent and seemingly unlikely. Note no liner in the casket lid showing construction details such as welded seams.
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Engineering
Business & Commerce
Sciences
Signs
Interiors
Acquisition
Accession
2013.042
Source or Donor
Willard, Bill
Acquisition Method
Gift
Credit Line
Gift of Bill Willard in tribute to United States Testing Co., Hoboken.
Made/Created
Artist
n/a
Date made
1970 - 1985
Place
Location
Hoboken/Teterboro, NJ/
Notes
Date: 1970-1985
Dimensions
Height
8 in
Width
10 in
Condition
Overall Condition
Good
General Notes
Note
Notes: United States Testing Co., Inc., 1415 Park Avenue, Hoboken. No longer in Hoboken.
Building was erected in 1918. (Initially occupied by B.F. Goodrich Co.) U.S. Testing signed lease Feb. 1, 1926 for building and grounds; company left Hoboken ca. 2000, for Fairfield, N.J., and building was converted to a parking garage; demolished winter 2013.
U.S. Testing was founded 1880 and located in New York City until it moved to Hoboken which became its new headquarters with several branches in other American cities. It became a subsidiary of SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance, a Geneva based company founded in 1878) in 1963 (SGS U.S. Testing Company Inc. filed as a Foreign for Profit Corporation on Wednesday, October 16, 1963 in the state of New Jersey.) In May 1996, the name was changed to SGS U.S. Testing Company, Inc.
Subsidiaries of U.S. Testing that were located at the Hoboken address:
Nationwide Consumer Testing Institute (established circa 1963.)
Research and Testing Co., Inc.
Qualitest Inc.
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Original or Copy: Original
Status: OK
Status By: dw
Status Date: 2013-06-27
