B+W photo of Romex wire wear test at U.S. Testing Co. facility, Hoboken, n.d., ca. 1975-1980.
Entry/Object ID
2013.042.0005
Description
Black-and-white photo of Romex wire wear test at United States Testing Co. facility, 1415 Park Ave., Hoboken. No date, circa 1970s.
8" x 10" wide print; documentation photograph taken by staff of the Photographic Department. Reverse has penciled number: 5857
Donor Bill Willard (a long-time employee of the company) provided basic description of scene as titled.
An unidentified staff member is seen pulling a single wire through an overhead test set-up of four wood joists that are have multiple rows of drilled holes through them. Presumably abrasion measurements. (Romex is a brand name for an electrical wire / cable - see notes.)
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Engineering
Business & Commerce
Sciences
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 - 1980
Place
Location
Hoboken
Notes
Date: 1970-1980
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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from internet 2013:
The History of Romex®
The Romex® brand of Non-Metallic Building Wire (“NM”) originated in 1922 with its development by the former Rome Wire Company, a predecessor to General Cable Corporation. On September 5, 2001, Southwire purchased the electrical building wire assets of General Cable Corporation. One of the most valuable assets purchased by Southwire in that acquisition was the Romex brand of Type NM cable. The Romex brand of Type NM cable has now been promoted and sold by Southwire and its predecessors for 88 years and Southwire considers its Romex trademark to be one of its most valuable brand names. Romex is a federally registered trademark and we vigorously monitor and protect the use of the Romex brand in North America and around the world. Don’t just look for generic NM cable, look for Southwire’s Romex® brand Type NM cable!
Original or Copy: Original
Status: OK
Status By: dw
Status Date: 2013-06-27
