The Bemis Bag Company was founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1858. By the early 20th century, the company operated eight bag factories in various parts of the United States, including Seattle, making burlap and cotton bags for grain, flour, feed, and many other products. Amcor acquired the company in 2019.
The Seattle plant began with production of textile bags and expanded into manufacture of paper bags in 1941, with textile production phased out completely in 1978. The Seattle plant closed in 1993 and its production was transferred to the Vancouver, Washington plant.
Here, a man is cutting a red ribbon tied around the Kidder press with an oversized pair of scissors. A tag can be seen in the upper left of the photo that says "Merry Christmas Bemis Seattle."
ID Number: 1994.15.1.31.7
Date: 1981
Physical Description: 1 negative : color, 35 mm
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. View the finding aid for this collection at https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv74226
Credit: MOHAI, Bemis Company Records, 1994.15.1.31.7
