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Wooden box used by Hercules Powder Company , Kenvil, New Jersey, to store high explosives. The box held 50 pounds of powder packaged in 4" x 8" lots. The box's edges are dovetailed rather than nailed, indicating that it was probably manufactured in the late 19th-early 20th century. Similar boxes would have been packed by women working at the Hercules plant during World War II. The box features a drawing of Hercules on one side and a warning on the top: "High explosives Dangerous. These explosives were inspected and found in good condition before they were packed. Keep in a cool, dry, well ventilated place." Gunpowder explosions at the Kenvil plant on September 12, 1940, killed 51 and injured 200. |
