Earl Dotter historic workplace images collection, 1910s-2024
Navigate the Collection
Summary
- Creator:
- Dotter, Earl
- Abstract:
- Earl Dotter (born 1943) is an American photographer and labor activist based in Maryland; Dotter's work has focused on documenting workers in hazardous occupations and conditions, and includes the creation of the exhibit, "Badges: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers." The collection contains nearly 250 workplace badges and identification cards collected by Earl Dotter throughout the twentieth century, notebooks and handbooks, matted prints, exhibit displays, posters, and other assorted materials. Employees featured in the badges and cards worked in a variety of industries such as household goods; textiles and clothing; automobiles and other forms of transportation such as railroads and ships; machinery; construction; steel, oil, and electricity; and manufacturing more generally. They were exposed to asbestos and other hazardous chemicals during their work for local, major national, and government-associated companies throughout the United States. Badges and cards include company names and portraits of employees and sometimes additional details such as names, employee ID numbers, dates, signatures and fingerprints, and biographical information. Topics largely focus on asbestos and how it was used in various industries in the twentieth century, the health-related impacts resulting from exposure for employees, and various litigation and advocacy efforts related to raising awareness about asbestos and other harmful chemicals. Acquired by the Archive of Documentary Arts.
- Extent:
- 9.5 Linear Feet
- Language:
- Materials in English.
- Research Center:
- Archive of Documentary Arts
- Collection ID:
- RL.13189
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection consists of nearly 250 workplace badges and flat identification cards collected by Earl Dotter throughout the twentieth century, notebooks and handbooks, matted prints, exhibit displays, posters, and other assorted materials. Badges and cards include company names and portraits of employees, and sometimes additional details such as names, employee ID numbers, dates, signatures and fingerprints, and biographical information. They also showcase workers across various industries and demographic backgrounds, particularly throughout World War I and World War II. Some employees or companies have multiple badges, identification cards, or additional materials, including Harold Tuttle, Ernest Long, Paul A. Villa Jr., Johns-Manville, and Kaiser shipyards. Some notable companies include Baldwin Hill Co., Chevrolet, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., Johns-Manville, Johnson & Johnson, Texaco, W.R. Grace & Company, as well as many associated with the United States government. Exhibit materials are related to "Badges: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers" including posters signed by Dotter. Topics largely focus on asbestos and how it was used in various industries in the twentieth century, the health-related impacts resulting from exposure to asbestos and other chemicals for employees, and various litigation and advocacy efforts related to raising awareness about asbestos and other harmful chemicals.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Earl Dotter (born 1943) is an American photographer and labor activist based in Maryland. Dotter's work has focused on documenting workers in hazardous occupations and conditions. His work has included photography and activism in documenting coal miners, commercial fishing, 9/11 emergency first responders, healthcare staff, immigrants, asbestos workers, and more.
"Badges: A Memorial Tribute to Asbestos Workers" is an exhibit curated by Dotter that first debuted in 2015 at the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization meeting. Featuring photo identification badges of employees who were harmed from asbestos exposure while employed alongside displays, it was updated and shown in numerous locations including the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati, and the University of Texas at Tyler, Texas.
Source: "About: Earl Dotter," https://earldotter.com/about/; accessed May 2026.
- Acquisition information:
- The Earl Dotter historic workplace images collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2024.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Tere Elizalde, May 2026
Accessions described in this collection guide: 2024-0166
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged in the followings series: Workplace badges and identification cards; Exhibit materials.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
Contents
Using These Materials
- Using These Materials Links:
-
Using These Materials
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.
- Before you visit:
- Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Earl Dotter Historic Workplace Images collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1jj2h