The Seattle Division of Todd Shipyard Corporation originated in 1916, when the William H. Todd Corporation purchased the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company (formerly Moran Brothers Shipyard). Originally located on the Seattle waterfront, the shipyard built cargo vessels for the U.S. Shipping Board during World War I. Todd moved the operation to a new plant on Harbor Island in 1918, under the name of its new subsidiary, Todd Dry Docks, Inc.

The Todd Dry Docks Harbor Island yard underwent a huge expansion in 1940 to accommodate wartime demands, and with the Todd facility in Tacoma became the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation. The yard ultimately completed 45 destroyers and converted or repaired 576 ships for war service. In June 1944, the Washington shipyards were renamed Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc. The Tacoma Division closed in 1952, and the Seattle Division continued at Harbor Island with ship building and repair operations for the next several decades.

This photograph of a welder at Todd Shipyards was taken by Josef Scaylea in 1952. Scaylea (1913-2004) worked for 35 years as chief photographer for the Seattle Times, winning over 1000 awards for his photographs highlighting the scenery and people in the Pacific Northwest. He donated a collection of his photographs and photography equipment to MOHAI in 1993.

Handwritten on image: Josef Scaylea.
Handwritten on verso: 1956. Graveyard Shift Welder, Todd Shipyards.