Collections Item Detail

B+W photo of a toy drop test in U.S. Testing Co. facility, Hoboken, n.d., ca. 1975-1980.

Photograph

DescriptionBlack-and-white photo of a toy drop test in United States Testing Co. facility, 1415 Park Ave., Hoboken. No date, circa 1970s. 8" x 10" high print; 2 copies; documentation photograph taken by staff of the Photographic Department. Reverse of copy 1 penciled: 3294; reverse of copy 2 penciled: drop test. Donor Bill Willard (a long-time employee of the company) stated that the client was "Good Housekeeping", presumably the Good Housekeeping Research Institute associated with Good Housekeeping Magazine. An unidentified staff member in white lab coat is seen holding a wooden pull toy about approximately 40" above the floor using a 45" wood rule as guidance as he is about to drop it. On the table are other pulls toys: a Fisher Price stagecoach; a Looky Chug Chug locomotive (also made by Fisher Price) with some front wheels removed. --- Engineering Business & Commerce Toys Sciences Interiors

Entry/Object ID

2013.042.0003

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. Original or Copy: Original Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2013-06-27