USDA Environmental Chemistry Laboratory Collection on Poultry Feather Research

Collection

Identifier: MS0484

Staff Only

Content Description

The USDA Environmental Chemistry Laboratory Collection on Poultry Feather Research consists of photographs and negatives of poultry science activities and staff, business notes and correspondence, and approximately 30 samples of products made from feathers, such as fabric swatches, cardboard, and yarn.

Dates

Creation: 1943-1999
Creation: Majority of material found within 1998-1999

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Organizational History

In 1998, Walter F. Schmidt, chemist; Rolland M. Waters, chemist; George Gassner III, research biologist; Michael J. Line, senior engineer; and Clayton G. Thomas, process engineer, received a patent on a process for extracting fiber from feathers for potential use as textiles, paper, insulation, and other materials. These scientists worked in the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland.