Permissible gas mask for organic vapors, Type WIG G1, made by the Willson Products Division of The Electric Storage Battery Co., in Reading, Pa.
Gile Johnson Willson (1824-1888) and his son, Thomas A. Willson (ca. 1853-), both of Reading, Pa., began experimenting with optical glass in 1871, with the aim of making safety eyewear. T. A. Willson & Co. built a glass factory, hired workers from France and Belgium, and mounted an exhibit at the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876. The firm became Willson Goggles, Inc. in 1913, and later Willson Products. By 1966, the firm had become a Division of The Electric Storage Battery Co. The factory in Reading closed in May 2002.