The Brick Industry Collection contains booklets, photographs, certificates, and correspondence that provide insight on the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of bricks from the 1880s into the early 20th century. Many of the materials are from the local Hydraulic-Press Brick Company of St. Louis, a prominent business founded in 1868 and later owned by Henry W. Eliot, T.S. Eliot’s father. The company is known for its use and development of the hydraulic press, which allowed for the mass production of millions of bricks per year that were stronger because they were produced by steam-powered machines rather than hand-pressed. Most notable in the collection are the booklets, which include catalogs and publications from various brick and supply companies, showcasing machinery parts, brick mantel models, and house models built with the technology of the newer “Hy-tex” bricks.