Notebook of George Henry Strick of Swansea and Brynaman, tinplate manufacturer, recording detailed notes and observations of a visit to America, September-November 1890, where he met with fellow industrialists and visited numerous blast furnaces, steelworks, ironworks and other industrial sites in several states.
Beginning apparently in Philadelphia, PA, 25 September-1 October (ff. 1-4), Strick then participates in a lengthy excursion, visiting the Warwick Furnace, [Pottstown, PA], 6 October (ff. 4-9), Lebanon [Valley] blast furnace, [Lebanon, PA], [?7 October] (ff. 10-11), Altoona Railway Works, [Altoona, PA], 8 October (ff. 11-12), the Edgar Thomason and Homestead works, the Isabella and Lucy furnaces, the Carbon Iron Co. works and adjoining aluminium works, all in Pittsburgh, PA, 9-11 October (ff. 12-17), Joliet Steel Works, South Chicago, IL, 14 October (ff. 18-22), various mines and limestone quarries, Bessemer blast furnaces and steel rolling plant, Bessemer Steel Works and the Ensley and Thomas furnaces, all in Birmingham, AL, 16-17 October (ff. 22-31), blast furnaces in Talladega and Anniston, AL, 18 October (ff. 32-35), Basic Steel Works in Chattanooga, TN, and blast furnaces in South Pittsburg, TN, 20 October (ff. 35-38), the town of Middlesboro, KY, 21 October (ff. 38-42), zinc works and a blast furnace in Pulaski, VA, 22 October (ff. 42-44), and Baltimore, MD, 24 October (ff. 45-46), before returning to Philadelphia, 26-28 October (ff. 46-48). While in Philadelphia and Baltimore particularly (ff. 1-4, 45-48) he discusses with fellow tinplate manufacturers and importers the state of the tinplate industry and the level of tinplate exports from Wales to America, against the background of the Tariff Act of October 1890 (The McKinley Tariff). The notes were compiled by Strick in November 1890 during the return voyage (see f. ii).