1906 Sweet’s: Manville versus Keasbey, Which One Guarantees Perfection?
I found a copy of Sweet’s 1906 Indexed Catalogue of Building Construction on EBay. This is 760 page compilation of catalogs for building construction was created by architects to overcome the challenges of staying current with the capability of particular products. As such, if you want to database the likely use of asbestos in construction during the 1900 era, this catalogue would be a good place to start your research. It was meant to be comprehensive.
The Endorsement of the catalogue compilation claims that almost 3000 architects had input one way or another. As stated:
Sort of a low tech Internet to enhance the identification of products and vendors by architects, engineers, and construction companies. Actually, just pulling a book of the shelf might have been even better than going through the downsides of the current Internet.
Of course, a number of asbestos manufacturers are included in the compilation, including Johns-Manville in back to back pages with Keasbey and Mattison. The interesting part is they make similar claims. Keasbey and Mattison claims on page 160 that:
“Our plant is the largest of its kind in the world. Our facilities for promptly filling all orders entrusted to us, regardless of quantity are unequaled...The operations of the Company penetrates every part of the world.”
Manville similarly claims on page 159 that:
This company is the largest concern in the world manufacturing Asbestos … We have unequalled facilities for all special work in Asbestos…”
Maybe, just maybe, they copied each other. Maybe.
My favorite part, however, is the claim by Keasbey that:
“Architects specifying our products obtain for their clients absolute freedom from all liabilities and disabilities of any kind whatsoever.”
Even in 1906, that statement would have been worthy of a lawyers white-out. No, wait. White-out wasn’t first used in commerce until January 27, 1966 (other correction fluid was invented in 1956). The entire catalogue should have been re-typeset if nothing else.
This was an interesting document that I did not even know existed a couple of weeks ago. Let me know what you think, either by leaving a comment or sending me an email at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com. Thanks. Marty