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FILE NAME Jewelers JEWEL DATE 1987 July 24 DOC JEWEL014 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Research Report for Plaintiff Attorney 3367 18th Street NW Washington DC 20010 RE Irving Hammer July 24 Mitzi Ellis and Reed Bryan McCune Hiaasen Crum Ferris & One East Broward Boulevard Fort Lauderdale Florida 33301 Gardner 1987 Dear Ms. Ellis and Mr. Bryan I have completed the portion of my research that relies upon the resources of the Library of Congress Following this letter you will find my bill a lengthy memorandum explaining the documents I enclose and the documents I have photocopied from directories books and periodicals I cast a wide net to try to retrieve information regarding manufacturers of asbestos pads for information and soldering blocks and regarding Mr. Hammer's supply source M. Harris of 209 Canal Street I found one time supplier of asbestos pads Janos Industrial Insulation Corp. of Moonachie New Jersey time manufacturers of I also found two long- soldering blocks William Dixon Inc. of Carlstadt New Jersey and Novocol Chemical Syosset New York Mfg Co. of I did not find evidence regarding the of Myer Harris but I did current whereabouts determine his jewelry supply company went out of business in 1973 and that he left New York City or died in 1877 In a Congressional Hearing I found more discussion of the health risks that asbestos presents to jewelers As you can tell from always to photocopy document the size of the pile of documents I chose even if I doubted the usefulness of a In a only discussion with Barry remaining sources of Castleman he and I decided the information would be jewelers trade associations and jewelers themselves Dr. senses that contacts with both could Castleman may hold published information prove valuable as they that does not exist regarding asbestos products like elsewhere Please contact me if you would me to spend one day at a cost of no more than talking to jewelers and trade 200 association technical experts Page 2 Ms. Ellis and Mr. Bryan In case you have any questions regarding the material enclose please contact me next week at the following I numbers M W 202 202 342-0726 393-4055 Thank you very much for providing me with such an interesting research project with you in the future I look forward to working Sincerely yours Enclosures xc Barry Castleman Sc.D. 202 462-4055 INVOICE TO Mitzi Ellis McCune Hiaasen Crum Ferris & Penthouse Barnett Bank Plaza One East Broward Boulevard Fort Lauderdale Florida 33301 Gardner FROM Andrew O. Moore 3367 18th Street NW Washington DC 20010 Research Library of Congress Research July 8-18 Research July 20-24 Travel Photocopies 17.5 hrs 37 hours 6 hours hr " hr page Gross total Less advance TOTAL DUE 1125.50 MEMORANDUM TO Mitzi Ellis and Andrew Moore Reed Bryan RE Irving Hammer Research at the Library of Congress July 24 1987 This memorandum continues for several pages and divides into six parts Following an initial review of the general findings of my research the following depth discussions appear 1. Myer Harris -- When and where did his store and where did he live is he still operate when living Use Manhattan references 2 Industrial Chronology -- This chronology summarizes the information that Thomas Register of American as well as several jewelers Manufacturers industry directories provided The Chronology discusses occurrences and changes in the sale and manufacture of asbestos products and jewelry supplies 3 Sweet's Catalog File Review -- This brief the contents of two Sweet's catalog files chPrhootnoocloopgiyestreats show which companies offered asbestos paper millboard and wallboard for sale between 1938 and 1970. No later Sweet's files contain catalogs that specifically list these products 4 Jewelry Industry Health and Safety Review -- This section reviews articles and testimony which suggest three sourceos f asbestos exposure among jewelry workers in addition to from soldering pads exposure 5 Contextual materials review -- This section lists in the results of brief casting a wide net for information that could link asbestos asbestos producers and the jewelry trade The section also discusses the size of the industries involved 6 Bibliography of important sources -- This section the title in full author if any and Library of Copnrgorveisdses Call Number for each book or periodical I photocopied SUMMARY FINDINGS -- Myer Harris jewelry supply store ceased doing business on Canal Street in or around 1973. Harris residential on Avenue A Manhattan does not appear in the listing book or in the cross telephone directory after 1977 Two jewelers are now in business at Harris old store location They are possible sources of information Harris vitality and whereabouts regarding Myer Page 2 MEMORANDUM Irving Hammer Research SUMMARY FINDINGS Continued - Janos Industrial Insulation Corp. formerly Janos Asbestos is the one firm that manufactured and sold asbestos table pads and mats through most of Irving Hammer's career Janos moved several years ago to New for many years in Manhattan Jersey but was headquartered -- Saunders Foundry Supply & Equipment Company is the one jewelry supply firm that advertised asbestos products in the Jewelers Keystone The most recent advertisement appeared in 1956 when the company was called Alexander Saunders Co. -- William Dixon Inc. is the one manufacturer of soldering blocks that produced asbestos blocks throughout Hammer's career Dixon is now a division of Grobet File Co. of America -- Three other firms manufactured asbestos soldering blocks for a significant length of time in New York City or nearby Arrow Supply and Tool and the John C. Fisher Mfg Co. both manufactured the blocks for several years Neither exists now Novocol Chemical Mfg Co. of Brooklyn has produced soldering blocks since 1960. Thomas Register does not clearly state that the blocks consist of asbestos in every issue Most recent edition does identify the blocks as asbestos -~- In more recent years two firms a while manufactured soldering blocks These firms are Hammel Riglander and DRS Neither appears on a current list of soldering block makers -- Over the years the manufacturers of asbestos millboard included Manville Ruberoid Philip Carey Co Celotex Keasbey & Mattison Detrick Industrial Insulations and GAF -- Mr. Hammer may have overlooked the following possible sources of asbestos exposure Construction of asbestos pads from asbestos powder sanding and buffing processes using asbestos tools and the construction of oven forms for casting -- The use of asbestos soldering pads prevailed in the jewelry industry and even in hobby jewelry activities for many years MEMORANDUM Part 1 July 24 Subject Myer Harris 1987 As the chronology Part 2 shows we can demonstrate that Myer Harris was in business from 1945 through 1973. selling jeweler's supplies Jeweler's Board of Trade Confidential Reference Book September 1945 Jeweler's Buyer's Directory 1946-47 Jeweler's Buyer's Guide 1947 Cole's Directory 1973 Manhattan Yellow Pages 1973 Mr. Harris opened his business at 124 Hester Street and later moved it to 209 Canal Street The move took place in 1951 Jeweler's Board of Trade Confidential Reference Book March 1951 Confidential Reference Book Sept. 1951 By 1960 M. Harris had Reference Book March grown in 1960 asset size Confidential After 1973 M. Harris does not appear under the Jewelry Supplies listing in the Manhattan Yellow Pages nor does the name appear next to the 209 Canal Street Address in Cole's Street Address or cross directory Since at least 1961 the Manhattan White listing for Myer Harris at 137 Avenue A. there was SP7-1449 777-1449 Pages show a residential The telephone number The most recent entries for Mver Harris at that address occur in the 1977-78 White Pages and the Cole's Directory for 1977 Subsequent issues of not show Myer Harris a different name and the White Pages and Cole's Directory do at that address and show a person address at that telephone number with Manhattan Directory 1961-62 Manhattan 1971-72 Manhattan Yellow Pages Cole's 1973 Cole's Metropolitan Metropolitan Householders Householders Directory 1973 Directory 1977 Manhattan Directory 1977-78 Manhattan 1979-80 The most recent Confidential Reference Book on the shelves of the Library of Congress for March 1972 shows M. Harris in business at 209 Canal Street More recent jeweler's directories published by Jeweler's Keystone beginning with the 1975 issue do not list M. Harris among jewelers suppliers in New York The current Cole's Directory lists two businesses in operation at 209 Canal Street Besde Costume Jewelry since 1971 D. Weiss Jewelry since 1977 966-2884 925-5410 MEMORANDUM Part 2 July 24 1987 Subject Industrial Chronology This chronology traces developments along two lines 1 Asbestos products that the jewelry industry could 2 The jewelers supply industry itself use 1935 -- Swartchild & Co. Catalog Chicago advertises 3 of asbestos products -- a Perfection soldering bltyopceks an asbestos soldering pad and a corrugated asbestos soldering block In addition the catalog advertises a Wesgo soldering block The Wesgo trade name represents a product of Western Gold and Platinum Works a jeweler's and dentists supply firm in San Francisco California 1938 -- The Becken Book catalog also lists a perfection block The asbestos on this soldering round block is soft so that items may be pinned down for close work 1939-40- 1938 -- The Jeweler's Handbook lists six suppliers of machinery and shop equipment in New York City Thomas Register pads in New York Church Street lists City four suppliers of asbestos table including Janos Asbestos Co. on 1939 -+- The Thomas Register lists only three suppliers of asbestosd table mats United Asbestos Pad Co. is not listed 1940 -- The Confidential Reference Book includes 79 pages of listings of jewelers jewelry and jewelers suppliers in Manhattan and the Bronx Manville 1940 -- Thomas Register shows two New York City area suppliers of soldering blocks - William Dixon Inc. and & Smith Dixon along with Arrow Binney Supply and Tool are listed as suppliers of Jewelers Tools and Supplies Four suppliers of table mats appear Wallboard listings include the major asbestos firms -- Ruberoid the first Philip Carey Co. Janos Asbestos time at Cortlandt Street lists for 1941 ~- First edition of Jewelers Buvers Directory appears 1942-3 Oct. 44 - Jeweler's Handbook and 5 suppliers of New York City lists 16 suppliers machinearnyd shop Alexander Saunders advertises for the Jeweler's Keystone offering and mittens of small tools equipment in first time in asbestos gloves Dec. 44 - 1945 Thomas Register lists only William Dixon Inc. as a manufacturer of soldering blocks Dixon appears along with A. Saunders and Arrow Supply as a manufacturer of Jeweler's Tools and Supplies MEMORANDUM Part 2 Page July 2 24 1987 Subject Industrial Chronology 1945 -- 9/45 -- Janos Asbestos appears as a trade name in Thomas Register M. Harris appears in Confidential Reference Book at 124 Hester Street address 12/45 -- John C. Fisher Mgf Co. Inc of Long Island City appears in Thomas Register as a manufacturer of asbestos soldering blocks NY 1945-46 - Jeweler's Handbook includes advertisements for several firms Arcow Supply & Tool Alexander Saunders & J. Holland & Sons Inc. Anchor Tool Co. & Supply Co. Inc. and Lupomatic Tumbling Machine Co. Inc. 1946-47 - John C. Fisher Mfg Handbook Co. Inc. advertises in Jeweler's 1946-47 - M. 1947 -- M. Harris Harris appears appears in Jeweler's in Jeweler's Buyers Directory Buyers Guide 1948-49 - Jeweler's Buyer's Directory includes Arrow Supply & Tool advertisement that mentions charcoal blocks 1949 -- M. Harris advertises in Jeweler's Buyers Guide 1950 -- Thomas Register included in file as standard of reference 1950-51 - Jewelers Handbook includes William Dixon Inc. and lists only three sources of advertisement including Alexander Saunders supplies and tools in NYC 1951 -- Swartchild and Becken catalogs still offer asbestos products to jewelers Mid - M. Harris moves to 209 Canal Street between publications of March and September Confidential Reference Books 1951-52 - Final Library of Congress issue of Jeweler's Handbook 1953 - Jeweler's Buyers Guide lists M. Harris on Hester St. Final Library of Congress issue of this publication 10/54 12/54 -- Alexander Saunders advertises in Jeweler's Circular Keystone continues ten years after first appearance Advertisement mentions asbestos gloves for casting -- 1955 Thomas Register included as standard of reference 3/55 - Confidential Reference Book shows growth in assets of M. Harris MEMORANDUM Part 2 Page July 3 24 1987 Subject Industrial Chronology 10/56 -- Final appearance in Jeweler's Keystone of an Alexander Saunders advertisement No mention of asbestos products 12/56 -- 1957 Thomas Register shows that Western Gold and producers of the Wesgo soldering block have moved Ptloatinum Belmont California 1958 1959 -- Final Library of Congress issue of Becken Book catalog lists Perfection Soldering Block for sale ~~ Western Gold and Platinum has affiliated with another company -- Wilbur B. Driver Co. 1960 3/60 6/60 ~- Novocol Chemical Mfg Co. Inc. of Brooklyn and Bedel Co. Inc. of Jamaica NY join ranks of manufacturers of soldering blocks B. Jadow Inc. joins list of manufacturers of the only company table mats all jewelers tools Janos Asbestos still listed as a manufacturer of asbestos information in Thomas Register -- Harris shows more growth in assets -- Harris does not appear in suppliers section of Jeweler's Directory Issue of wholesaler the Keystone nor as a 12/62 9/64 12/64 1965 6/65 1970 3/70 -- Final entry for Bedel Co. Inc. in Thomas Register First listing for Janos Asbestos in E. Rutherford NewJersey -- Luis Rosenthal appears in Confidential Reference Book as Miami source of jewelers tools and supplies -- 1965 Thomas Register listing of manufacturers of blocks includes two new New York soldering City firms DRS and Hammel Riglander & Co. Inc. The latter sells asbestos blocks DRS also appears as a manufacturer of jeweler's tools and supplies as does Hammel Riglander No NYC manufacturers of asbestos now lists in New Jersey table pads appear Janos ~- Confidential Reference Book pages included as reference -- Jeweler's Keystone Directory as reference ~- Thomas Register adds B. Jadow & Sons Inc. to list of manufacturers of soldering blocks -- Rosenthal Jeweler's Supply Corp. Reference Book Miami section appears in Confidential 6/70 -- Jeweler's Keystone directory as reference MEMORANDUM Part 2 page 4 Subject Industrial Chronology 1972 -~- First listing for Janos Asbestos Corp. in Moonachie NJ in Thomas Register 3/72 -- Final issue of Confidential Reference Book on shelves of Library of Congress Lists Harris in NYC and Rosenthal in Miami 1975 -- For first time Thomas Register lists William Dixon Co. as a division of Grobet File Co. of America Inc. Novocol Chemical Mfg Co. Alexander Saunders Co. in shows several subsidiaries Cold Spring Harbor NY 6/75 ~- Jeweler's Keystone included as reference does not list Harris . 6/77 -- Jeweler's Keystone directory contains advertisement for Rosenthal in Miami 1978 1979 1980 1980 1984 1986 --~ ---- -- -- A. Saunders catalog appears in Thomas Register catalog file Thomas Register shows name change to Janos Industrial Insulation Corp. and first catalog in catalog file Rosenthal advertises in Directory Thomas Register shows name change of Alexander Saunders to Saunders Inc. Same soldering block manufacturers as before Janos catalog included in catalog file Most recent edition of on Library of Congress Rosenthal has placed a Jewelers Keystone Diretory shelf included for reference larger advertisement on several pages Most recent edition of Thomas Register on Library of Congress shelf Novocol Chemical Mfg now the only firm in New York area to sell asbestos soldering blocks No Florida firms listed Gesswein is a large jewelry supply firm in Connecticut Paper Box Corp. of America sells Abest paper which may not be made of asbestos Saunders Supply & has changed names again to Saunders Equipment Co. Janos catalog appears Foundry in file MEMORANDUM Part 3 July 24 1987 Subject Sweet's Catalog File Sweet's Catalog File which I was of limited usefulness for reviewed from 1938 to the present a product as specialized as soldering blocks and pads for the jewelry industry The file for Mechanical Industries and later the Plant Engineering file did give some clues as to the manufacturers of millboard or wallboard made of asbestos or asbestos cement These files also suggest which manufacturers produced asbestos papers and textiles that could have gone into pads and blocks See Part 4 on Health and Safety issues for the Gail Martin article that mentions that some jewelers made it a practice to form asbestos powder into the pads and boards they used 1938 -- Catalogs from both of which Manville and offered wallboard the and Philip Carey millboard Co. 1939 -- Same as 1938 1945 -1946 - 1950 -- Celotex and Ruberoid catalogs offering wallboard Manville catalog for the first time lists Chemstone which sounds as though in a small form it could serve as a soldering block Manville offers wallboard millboard and Chemstone Keasbey & Mattison Company offer millboard rollboard and asbestos paper Ruberoid offers asbestos papers and millboard 1953 -- First issue of Plant Engineering file Keasbey Mattison Co. advertises asbestos paper and millboard 1955 -- Catalogs for Manville Keasbey and Mattison and Ruberoid 1960 1965 1970 -- Detrick Industrial Insulations sells DETROC Asbestos Board Ruberoid sells millboard and asbestos papers -- Philip Carey Mfg Co. sells asbestos paper rollboard and millboard Ruberoid sells paper rollboard and millboard -- GAF offers asbestos paper rollboard and millboard NOTE None of these products are necessarily used in the jewelry industry In fact they are primarily construction materials used for their insulating and fireproofing properties Nevertheless it seems possible to cut a piece of asbestos paper or millboard to use it as a table pad MEMORANDUM Part 4 Subject Jewelry Industry Health and Safety I came across two respectable publications ( and no disrespectable publications that link asbestos to ill health among jewelry workers In addition older documents I located point to longstanding concerns about the health risks jewelry workers face An article by Gail M. Martin Safety and Health and OSHA hazards of jewelry work In on page 30 Martin writes in the January 1978 issue of Job publication discussed the a discussion of soldering practices Soldering in many jewelry shops is done on heat- resistant asbestos to asbestos fibers boards Workers may be exposed in sanding operations which remove metal traces when production switches from a less expensive to these boards a more precious metal are made house from Also many of powdered asbestos as a result workers may be exposed to asbestos fiber during construction The Subcommittee on Labor Standards of the House Committee on Education and Labor held a special hearing on October 2 1979 in Providence Rhode Island to discuss occupational disease and was compensation therefor in the jewelry industry This hearing one of a series that focused on different occupational diseases including other asbestos conditions The first witness Dr. Philip J. Landrigan of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH cited asbestos as an example of a substance to which jewelry workers undergo exposure that could produce irreversible damage He said Asbestos boards are used in many small jewelry shops on counter a heat resistant tops for example surface Asbestos to provide fibers are used as an abrasive in sanding and polishing operations and in many of these operations asbestos fibers can be liberated into workplace air It is significant that sources of exposure by Further testimony from Dr. Robert F. Weisberg Dr. Landrigan adds to the possible mentioning exposure during polishing the Rhode Island Health Department by mentions a National Cancer Institute study of jewelry industry mortality which the Library of Congress card index This might be available from conducted in New York and computer files did not the NCI at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville Maryland Maryland # Weisberg mentions asbestos among other hazardous substances found in jewelry industry sites MEMORANDUM Part 4 Page 2 Subject Jewelry Industry Health and Safety Robert B. Jones program associate at the Rhode Island Lung Association testified that the Association lists asbestos as a source of progressive and disabling restrictive lung disease He presented a slide show to the committee and later submitted a monograph to the hearing record In the section of the monograph on soldering asbestos receives a mention Soldering presents possible exposure to asbestos dust Forms used in the ovens to hold jewelry items are made from dry powdered asbestos Toxic dust levels have been recorded when the dry powder is mixed into a paste Controls such as respirators and ventilation must be utilized during this procedure toxic ceramic soldering boards are available and should be used in place of asbestos boards Heat resistant asbestos boards used for hand soldering are periodically scraped clean releasing asbestos fibers Jones testimony adds a 4th source of asbestos to the existing list of 3-- soldering pads sanding and soldering block construction Jones mentions as well the construction of oven forms of Two earlier publications cite the danger to the system jewelry work A 1938 respiratory in the Rhode Island survey of industrial hygiene risks as does jewelry industry focuses on respiratory a section of the Almanac no later editions appeared on the Library of Congress shelves of the International Jewelry Workers Union for 1923 * telephone inquiry at the National Cancer Institute Document Reference Section as well produced no record of such to an article published in as the National Library of Medicine a study The library did refer me 1980 sponsored by OSHA on the causes of death among jewelry workers in Massachusetts A MEMORANDUM Part 5 Page 1 Subject Contextual materials This section collects miscellaneous information A. Census data on asbestos products and jewelry B. Product information on asbestos textiles into four categories manufacturing C. Guides to making jewelry that suggest the use of asbestos D. Who's Who in the Jewelry Industry for 1980 products A. The 1937 Census of Manufactures shows the size and in the asbestos products industry rapid growth The industry produced 898,043 in 1937 worth 456,873 lbs of table mats and protectors The 1939 Census of Manufactures shows that the jewelers findings and materials industry employed over 3,000 people principally in Rhode Island and produced 30,000,000 worth of products B. Manhattan a consultant and the Asbestos Textile Institute published product descriptions between 1940 and 1961. mats D.V. Rosato the consultant as a use of asbestos paper lists table pads and C. Books from 1945 and 1960 both describe the use of an asbestos soldering pad for jewelry work The later book includes a list of suppliers which features William Dixon Inc. D. Who's Who in the Jewelry Industry does not list Myer Harris in its 1980 edition but does list Luis Rosenthal and Morton Shor The Library of Congress collection included neither earlier nor later editions of this book 12 MEMORANDUM PART 6 Bibliography of important sources Thomas Register of American Manufacturers 1938-1986 Library of Congress Catalog No. T12.T6 Sweet's Catalog File -- Mechanical TA215.S86 1938-1953 Sweet's Catalogs Plant Engineering File TA215.S8 1953-1970 Swartchild & Company Catalog Becken Book Wholesale Catalog The Jewelers Board of Reference Book of the United States Trade Confidential Jewelry Trade in the The Jeweler's Handbook TS549.S8 TS759.B4 1951 1938,1951,1958 HF5585.J4J37 38- 3/72 TS758.J37 1939-40 -1951-2 The Jeweler's Buyers Directory HD9747.U5J5 1941-42 -1948-49 Jewelers Buyers Guide HD9747.U5J52 1947- 1953 Jeweler's Keystone Jeweler's Keystone Directory TS720.J5 TS720.C47 10/44 6/21/77 1980-1984 Who's Who in the Jewelry Industry HD9747.U52W47 HD9747.U52W47 1980 The Census of manufactures 1937 HD9715.U52A5 1937 Manufactures 1939 Industries Jewelry HD9747.U52A5 1940a Asbestos Jesse M. Textiles Weaver and Textile Products TN930.W37 1940 Art metal work and jewelry by Louis J. Haas NK6404.H3 1945 Asbestos its industrial applications D.V. Rosato TN930.R6 1959 How to Make Modern Jewelry Charls J. Martin TS725.M28 1960 Handbook of Asbestos Textiles TN930.A75 1961 International Jewelry Worker's Union Almanac HD6515.J4163 1923 A Survey of Industrial Hygiene Conditions in the Jewelry Industry of Rhode Island Joseph Wuraftic and Clarence V. Hickey HD7269.J42U58 1938 MEMO Part 6 Page 2 Bibliography of Important Sources Hidden Jeopardy for Jewelry Workers Gail Job Safety and Health January 1978 Vol 6 Martin No. 1 HD 7260.J6 Occupational Diseases and their Compensation J74.A23 Part 4 Jewelry Industry Vol 54 Part 4 Hearing before the Subcommittee on Labor Standards Committee on Education and Labor House of Representatives Providence RI Oct. 2 1979 OTHER TRADE JOURNALS Very few supplier advertisements Manufacturing Jeweler Sweet's Product Design ANJRA Bulletin Catalog National Jeweler American Jewelry Manufacturer File