Erwin Loewy and Hydropress Inc. Documents
Held by Special Collections, Linderman Library
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
Call No.: SC MS 078
26 boxes; 36 linear feet
Abstract:
“Erwin Loewy and Hydropress Inc. Documents” consists of 26 manuscript boxes of correspondence, photographs, blueprints, magazines, clippings, ephemera, books, speeches, staff memorandum, reports, company histories, and passports, 1928-1959. Correspondence and photos related to donations of the materials to Lehigh University, 1990s, also added to this collection.
Contact Information:
Special Collections
Linderman Library
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA
Phone: 610-758 4506
Fax: 610-758 6091
URL: http://www.lehigh.edu/library/speccoll/specialcoll.html
Processed by
Special Collections staff
Repository
Lehigh University, Linderman Library, Special Collections
Creator
Loewy, Erwin
Loewy, Ludwig
Title
Erwin Loewy and Hydropress Inc. Documents
Restrictions to Access
This collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Erwin Loewy and Hydropress Inc., SC MS 078, Special Collections, Linderman Library, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Copyright Notice
Please inquire about copyright information.
Biographical Note
Erwin Loewy was born in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) on September 18, 1897. He and his brother Ludwig worked for a German shipbuilding firm (Schloemann), designing and managing, until the rise of the Nazi state. He escaped from Germany in 1935, and from France in 1940. He came to the United States and worked diligently to influence the Armed Forces and industry to accept the need for large extrusion presses to form airplane parts, as had already been developed in Europe. After World War II, he helped relocate some large presses from Europe. He and his company continued to develop extremely large presses for civilian use in the United States. Erwin Loewy died July 13, 1959.
The Loewy Family Foundation selected Lehigh University to carry on the excellence that the brothers had exhibited, and established the Loewy Chair (1992) and the Loewy Visiting Professorship (1999) in Materials Forming and Processing.
The following is a chronology of the life of Erwin Loewy (as supplied by Mrs. Linz) before 1915 in Berlin, Ludwig had a Tool and Machine Tool factory
1913 Schloemann and Ludwig Loewy went into business together
1914 Mr. Schloemann dies
1916 Company incorporated, 50% Ludwig Loewy and 50% Mr. Multhaupt
1925 Erwin joins his brother Ludwig at Scholoemann
1933 Ludwig establishes Loewy Engineering Co. Ltd. in England
1933 Erwin heads Scholoemann after his brother's departure for England
1935 Erwin leaves Germany, joins Ludwig in England. Then settles in Paris and establishes SPIDEM (Societe pour l'installation d'Etablessements Metalligues)
1935 The Hydropess Company, chartered Nov. 9, 1935 in England
1939 Erwin left France for the U.S.
1940 Incorporates Hydropress in the U.S.
Loewy Construction Co. is a division
Loma Machine is a division
Machinery & Supply is a division
Sintercast is a division
1942 Ludwig dies
1954 Erwin becomes chairman of the City Symphony Orchestra.
1955 Hydropess and Loewy Construction were bought by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
1959 Erwin Loewy dies July 13.
Loewy Engineering Co., Ltd, in England sold to Tube Investing
Loma Machine was sold to Hill Acme
Sintercast was sold to Chrome Alloy
Loewy Machine Supply was owned and operated by another brother, Alfred Loewy and his wife Rose Loewy, and is now in the hands of an in-law nephew.
Scope and Content Note
“Erwin Loewy and Hydropress Inc. Documents” consists of 26 manuscript boxes of correspondence, photographs, blueprints, magazines, clippings, ephemera, books, speeches, staff memorandum, reports, company histories, passports, and other miscellaneous material, 1928-1959. Correspondence and photos related to donations of the materials to Lehigh University, 1990s, also added to this collection.
Organization of the Content
Boxes 1--11, and 18--20 contain business, and personal files. Boxes 12 through 17 contain photographs, magazines, clippings and other ephemera. Three oversize volumes titled “The Heavy Press Program of the U.S.A.F.” by the Loewy Construction Co. (primarily photographs) are catalogued and filed separately under the call number SC T Z0058.
The material here is scattered business records, and personal material, donated by Mr. Loewy's daughter, Brigitte Dolores Linz, in 1994 and 1995. The materials in the boxes 21 through 26 were donated in 1999.
The Loewy Family Foundation established a memorial chair at Lehigh University, known as the “Loewy Chair in Materials Forming and Processing” currently held by Professor Betzalel Avitzur.
Catalog Terms and Keywords
Loewy, Erwin
Loewy, Ludwig
Schloemann, Walter
Scloemann-Siemag (Dusseldorf, Germany)
Hydropress, Inc. (New York)
Loewy Construction Co., Inc. (New York)
Loewy-Hydropress Division of the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation
U.S. Air Force Heavy Press Program
Extrusion
Metal forming
Hydraulic presses
Oil hydraulic machinery industry
Institute for Metal Forming, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
Misiolek, Wojciech Z.
Avitzul, Betzalel
Related Material
Loewy Construction Company, Inc. The Heavy Press Program of the U.S.A.F . SC T Z0058 (3 oversize volumes)
Loewy Brothers Exhibition (Lehigh Collection Vertical File) SC LVF L827
Detailed Description of Collection
Box 1: Personal
Folder 1.01 Biographical material (some in longhand) 1940s
Folder 1.02 Miscell. personal material (photocopies) 1930s-1950s
Folder 1.03 Money matters 1950s
Folder 1.04 Memberships
Folder 1.05 Personal-persons he helped 1940s
Folder 1.06 Estate of Ludwig Loewy 1950s
Folder 1.07 Overseas Business 1950s
Folder 1.08 Correspondence re releasing foreign properties and restitution 1950s
Folder 1.09 A wedding invitation and dinner menu 1958
Folder 1.10 Correspondence and other material re Longpont, Loewy's Paris residence
Box 2: Business Files 1950s
Folder 2.01 A
Folder 2.02 B
Folder 2.03 C
Folder 2.04 D
Folder 2.05 E
Folder 2.06 F
Folder 2.07 G
Folder 2.08 H
Folder 2.09 I, J
Folder 2.10 K
Folder 2.11 L
Folder 2.12 M
Folder 2.13 N-P-Q
Folder 2.14 R
Folder 2.15 S
Folder 2.16 T
Folder 2.17 U-V-W
Folder 2.18 X-Y-Z
Box 3: Business Files
Folder 3.01 Keelevite Rotary Pumps description and blueprints 1941
Folder 3.02 London Mails (kept back during war) correspondence 1940
Folder 3.03 Schloemann Engineering correspondence and blueprints 1940s
Folder 3.04 Schloemann Engineering correspondence and blueprints 1940s
Folder 3.05 Schloemann Engineering
Folder 3.06 Lists of orders received
Folder 3.07 Orders, open - for Bournemouth 1940s
Folder 3.08 French hydraulic contracts 1940s
Folder 3.09 Four 'high foil' mill 1952
Folder 3.10 Other employees 1950s
Folder 3.11 History of Loewy Construction Co. 1950s
Folder 3.12 Estate of A.B. Cudabec. 1940s
Box 4: Engineering Proposals and Reports
Folder 4.01 K.B. Wolfe correspondence (re Air Force) 1950s
Folder 4.02 Sterling Engineering correspondence 1950s
Folder 4.03 Albert Lustig (correspondence) Gafit Ltd. 1940s
Folder 4.04 Ganz automobile new design 1948
Folder 4.05 Report on the establishment of a Duplex and Bessemer Steel Plant for the Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. of Hammond, ID: 1941 (photocopy)
Folder 4.06 Modernization report on extrusion and forging facility plant, Adrian, MI 1956 (bound)
Folder 4.07 Survey, ABrass forging, small tubing@ by W. W. Cotter 1945 (bound)
Folder 4.08 Extrusion in Gersman 1945 (bound copy)
Folder 4.09 “Plastic forming of metals” A talk by Alexander Zeitlin 1955 (bound)
Folder 4.10 Report on an extrusion plant prepared for Bridgeport Brass Co., by Loewy Construction Co. 1953 (bound)
Folder 4.11 Harvey Machine Co. proposal for Copper & Brass Rod mills by Loewy Construction Co. 1953 (bound)
Box 5: Loewy Construction Co. correspondence, including replies
Folder 5.02 Gafit 1950s
Folder 5.03 Gumbel, E.J. correspondence and reports by him on fatigue of metals
Folder 5.04 Gunex 1950s
Folder 5.05 India. Spelting & Refining Co., Aliem Industries 1950s
Folder 5.06 Jerex Corp. extrusions 1950s
Folder 5.07 Kritscher, A.F. 1950s
Folder 5.08 Malaxa, Constantin letter in longhand 1958
Folder 5.09 McNair, L.W. Dow Chemical 1950s
Folder 5.10 Moskovics, F.E. and report 1950s
Folder 5.11 Nehlsen, Gertrude 1950s
Folder 5.12 Randak, (Loan) and correspondence 1950s
Folder 5.13 Spidem 1950s
Folder 5.14 Trimback, R.F. (Dick) Air Force 1950s
Folder 5.15 Van Campen, J.H. correspondence and report 1950s
Folder 5.16 Wester Copper Mills, Ltd. 1950s
Box 6: US Air Force
Folder 6.01 Air Force correspondence 1950s
Folder 6.02 Staff memos correspondence 1950s
Folder 6.03 Contracts and correspondence 1950s
Folder 6.04 Air Force correspondence to and from 1950s
Folder 6.05 Personnel 1950s
Folder 6.06 Air Force mission papers 1940s-1950s
Folder 6.07 Air Force correspondence late 1950s
Folder 6.08 Wright Field clipping and correspondence 1940s-1950s
Folder 6.09 Wright Field plans and correspondence 1940s
Folder 6.10 Testimonials, publicity re Armed Services 1950s
Box 7: Miscellaneous materials
Folder 7.01 Envelope of Railroad schedules
Folder 7.02 3 Western Union telegraph blank books, some carbons remain
Folder 7.03 2 sheets of blank notepaper with company pictures on front
Folder 7.04 3 issues of “Loewy Visioneer” 1958
Folder 7.05 copies of company articles, employees etc. 1940s
Folder 7.06 Security clearance information
Folder 7.07 Speeches given (several) 1940s-1950s
Folder 7.08 Missiles publicity
Folder 7.09 Miscellaneous files inc. organization chart of Loewy Construction Company.
Box 8: Publications, Publicity
Full box of publications, publicity, press releases of various companies (not described in item level)
Box 9: More Company Files
Folder 9.01 Publicity files news releases
Folder 9.02 Folder listing acquisitions?? #22000-220099 (1936-1939)
Folder 9.03 Metal protection
Folder 9.04 Colombia 1941
Folder 9.05 Correspondence 1940s
Folder 9.06 Correspondence 1940s
Folder 9.07 Names, finances 1940s
Box 10: Blueprints
A box full of blueprints, not sorted
Box 11: 3 Loose-leaf notebooks of photos
Folder 11.01 Speech and presentation to Munitions Board, Feb. 20, 1950
Folder 11.02 Large Press Photos
Folder 11.03 Confidential report and pictures of “Visit to England, 1942”
Box 12: Photographs
Photographs number 1 through 50 (all approx. 7 x 9 in.) of Loewy and others and plant (some identified)
Box 13: Photographs
Photographs number 51 through 104
Numbers 51 through 92 of factory (all approx. 7 by 9 inches)
Numbers 93-98 are small ones of Loewy and “Bud” Rentschler at the signing of the transfer of Loewy Hydropress to a division of Baldwin Lima-Hamilton.
Numbers 99-104 are colored prints taken at a Holiday party for employees
Box 14: Photographs [Larger prints]
Two shots from William Knox Pre-Christmas luncheon, Dec. 1958, with Loewy in them. (includes information and identifications)
Two shots in factory
Thirteen shots showing crack in forging
Presentation to 9020th Air Reserve Squadron, Nov. 1958; speech and photos in notebook
Framed certificate “Assoc. of Iron & Steel Engineers”
Small framed portrait of Loewy
Three large group shots taken at IAS Honors Night Dinner (1 in 1958; 2 in 1959)
Box 15: Ephemera
Samples of aluminum coatings
Stack of temperature charts from temperature chart
Rolled print
Mounted bookend “First Extrusion 8000 Ton Press ‘Rhoda’ Designed and built by Loewy Construction Co.; erected by Pacific Crane & Rigging Co. Extrusion ratio 32-1 Sept. 1956”
Box 16: Magazines and clippings
Montreal Star Weekly, May 16, 1959
Colliers, April 27, 1956
Radio News, August 1946
Radio Electronics, January 1946
Man, November 1956
Iron Age, January 1951
New Yorker, January 1957
Business Week, June 1950
Seaports and the Transport World, July 1956 (2 copies)
12 misc. clippings from newspapers
Box 17: Magazines
6 Fortune Magazines
November 1943; December 1946; October 1948; December 1951;
February 1954; March 1957.
Box 18: Proposals and Publicity
Proposal for 60’’ Loewy Sheet Feed for Gary Sheet & Tin Mill, 1955
Loewy Construction Company Data Book, 1955
Hydropress Publicity Pages (in two green folders)
Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Annual report, 1954 and 1959
“Past and present developments and advances in Hydraulic Press manufacturing methods”
2 speeches and photos from Society of Automotive Engineers, 1950 (bound)
“The Production of large forgings for airplanes on hydraulic die forging presses,” 1950
Loewy Plant, London, 1952 (description and drawings)
“Techniques Francaises” English issue, January 1953.
Wyman-Gordon pamphlet on heavy presses
Presidential address by W.R. Barclay, Institute of Metals, London, 1936.
Reprint from Fortune Magazine, “New Ways to Shape Metal,” 1957.
Business Week, Mar. 26, 1955, with article about heavy presses.
Tube Investments Ltd. Director’s report and accounts, and Chairman’s statement, 1965.
Esso Oilways, Feb. 1957
American Aviation, March 28, 1955.
“Extrusion of Nickel alloys” reprited from Machinery, April, 1945.
BLH Loewy-Hydropress Division, publicity folder
The Loewy Visioneer, Sept. 1959
“The Story of Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton”
Box 19: Miscellaneous Personal and Business
Folder 19:01 Hannach, Kurt biography & references (and mention of Ludwig Loewy Co.)
Folder 19.02 Loewy Engineering Company Business 1937-1940
Folder 19.03 Loewy Engineering Ltd. Housewarming, 1954 (program and photos)
Folder 19.04 Other People, getting out of Germany
Folder 19.05 Erwin Loewy, getting out of Europe
Folder 19.06 Erwin Loewy, escape speech
Folder 19.07 Erwin Loewy, death of
Folder 19.08 Settling estate
Folder 19.09 Taper Prints
Folder 19.10 Alexander, Robert. Correspondence
Folder 19.11 Sterling Engineering (Loewy owned)
Folder 19.12 Steinkraus-Bridgeport Brass
Folder 19.13 Trip to Europe with Gen. Clark, 1946
Folder 19.14 Personal, and New York traffic--
Box 20: Articles of Incorporation and Publicity Photos
Folder 20.01 History of Ludwig Loewy and Schloemann
Folder 20.02 Loewy Const. Co., Incorporation
Folder 20.03 Sale to Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton, Dec. 1954
Folder 20.04 Articles of Incorporation, Hydropess Co. 1935.
34 photos of large presses (one with Erwin posed with press)
New York Times Magazine, Nov. 25, 1956, with article about Space Program
New York Times Magazine clipping, Jan. 8, 1956 with photo of big press
THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL WAS DONATED IN 1999.
Box 21: Material
Folder 21:01 Correspondence re leaving Germany 1930s-1940s
Folder 21:02 Original letters 1940s
Folder 21:03 Patents
Folder 21:04 Machinery
Folder 21:05 Yields, etc. (charts)
Folder 21:06 Aktiebolaget Sewedish Artid, power of attorney, 1945
Folder 21:07 Piece lists available 1941
Folder 21:08 Correspondence re death of Erwin Loewy 1959
Folder 21:09 Letters after death of Ludwig Loewy 1942
Folder 21:10 Correspondence 1928-29
Folder 21:11 Correspondence 1940
Folder 21:12 Correspondence 1040-41
Folder 21:13 Correspondence 1942
Folder 21:14 Correspondence 1943
Box 22: Material and Photographs
Folder 22:01 Photos
Folder 22:02 Defense Department material
Folder 22:03 Correspondence in German
Folder 22:04 Patents-lawsuits-agreement 1940s
Folder 22:05 Colonel Randak 1958
Folder 22:06 Biographies of Lowenstein and Meyerbach
Folder 22:07 Reports of Nonferros Institute
Folder 22:08 Correspondence re German plants 1939-43
Folder 22:09 Trip arrangements 1941-43
Folder 22:10 Correspondence re trip to England to settle Ludwig Loewy estate 1943
Folder 22:11 Correspondence re trop to England by Erwin Loewy 1943-44
Folder 22:12 Correspondence with Freeman re delivery of presses
Folder 22:13 Navy visits to companies
Folder 22:14 Correspondence re contracts
Folder 22:15 Advertising
Folder 22:16 Statements of company 1951
Box 23: Material
Folder 23:01 Blueprints of office in Empire State Building 1956, and office staff list 1944
Folder 23:02 Production charts 1940s
Folder 23:03 Copies of Government letters re Hydropress 1945-55
Folder 23:04 Price charts and trends (Elements)
Folder 23:05 Set of Canadian tool charts
Folder 23:06 Statements - drawings and correspondence re extrusion press 1940s
Box 24: Published material
Box of published pamphlets and magazines...advertising and some with article about Hydropress
Box 25: Correspondence and photographs
Folder 25:01 Correspondence re donations to Lehigh and photos
Folder 25:02 Correspondence and photocopies 1940s
Folder 25:03 Photos and clippings
Folder 25:04 Photos
Folder 25:05 Published material
Box 26: Material and photographs
Folder 26:01 Rocket spar model
Folder 26:02 Ten passports for Loewy family
Folder 26:03 Clippings, Holiday Greeting cards, and JUDE applique
Folder 26:04 Photos of European trip 1945
Folder 26:05 Travel and ticket stubs
Folder 26:06 German map, 1945
Folder 26:07 Air Force publicity
Folder 26:08 Correspondence and photos
Folder 26:09 Photos - Gunex
Folder 26:10 Photos
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