Founded in 1889, the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company was also called Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock, Associated Shipbuilders, and Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company. The company participated in most major construction sites in the Pacific Northwest, and they are responsible for many ships, including some of the Washington State ferries and many naval vessels during and after World War II. Lockheed Shipbuilding continued to build ships ranging from dredges, tugs and ferries to mine sweepers, ice breakers and guided missile frigates, mostly for the Navy, Coast Guard, and the states of Washington and Alaska, until their closure in 1988.

This photograph, taken January 19, 1944, shows two African American employees dancing, one male and one female, both wearing work gear, while other employees look on with refreshments. Perhaps the occasion is a launch party at the shipyard on Harbor Island at the mouth of the Duwamish River in Seattle.

Stamped on verso: Jan 19 1944
Handwritten on verso: Margie Johnson