# The Work We Share — Tillamook

A Zucker & Co Production.

All 20 photographic shots are original photographs by Russell Lee, October 1941. No AI-generated imagery, colorization, or invented historical scenes. The film preserves monochrome and uses proportional resizing and slow linear zooms. Website photographs use the same original archive.

Credit: Russell Lee / Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Collection. The records state no known restrictions; the FSA/OWI black-and-white collection is public domain.

Narration: original authored script, synthetic ElevenLabs Benji. Not a recorded interview.

Music: “Reawakening” by Scott Buckley, released under CC BY 4.0. https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/library/reawakening/ ; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; www.scottbuckley.com.au . Excerpted, mixed and faded. Carry this attribution in any YouTube description.

Independent documentary concept. No endorsement by Tillamook, the photographer or the Library of Congress is implied. Historical photographs are dated 1941 and do not show present-day operations or the Highway 101 plant opened in 1949.

## Photographs

### 2017744479

Packing cheese into molds, Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017744479/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017744479.tif (4279 × 3049). SHA-256: 1130c496c3ed3a18efcc76915e79592948299010918e3099d2d19a2bdcf4a8a1

### 2017816234

Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook County, Oregon. Salting the curd in process of making cheese

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816234/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816234.tif (13728 × 10476). SHA-256: f10375568b8e2c32691804caf4805e2e9c6d639b02987a555f8dbd51f41a91d7

### 2017816235

Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook County, Oregon. A lactic ferment starter is added when the milk is poured into these 10,000 pound stainless steel vats. Worker is testing acidity of curdling milk

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816235/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816235.tif (13905 × 10563). SHA-256: 61b3d873f8c1342f7bbd721d4318945d31055cef19e5bea0ef3e71ac6b05aa9a

### 2017816243

Breaking up curdling milk is one of the first steps of cheesemaking. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon. This also distributes evenly the lactic ferment starter

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816243/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816243.tif (13998 × 10729). SHA-256: 172ed9b468a80df10a40179bbbe818131972b465fa0551e1abf20077d75e087d

### 2017816244

Putting cheesecloth on molds in which the cheese will be pressed. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook County, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816244/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: images/2017816244.jpg (842 × 1024). SHA-256: 77ad4419bda528f7b9f1030e4c27ebb3006859a9f208d9a3486869a28f7a2985

### 2017816249

Dairy farmer who had brought his milk into the Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816249/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816249.tif (10618 × 13789). SHA-256: 53c160b0ef63e8dd5b69abd4af2590bad6fb8358e2f59d7b1c80e08c86e6affc

### 2017816251

Preparing the culture which will be used the next day in cheese making at the Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816251/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: images/2017816251.jpg (780 × 1024). SHA-256: 55a2c17decd973f5df4d9a0beff8642251c6684d4f89bd83ab410ab37556e2b3

### 2017816252

Lining with cheesecloth the molds in which cheese will be pressed. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816252/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816252.tif (10566 × 13777). SHA-256: 3958b8c300e6203b872399c05a0fcda97ed79400a9af8e2c47d113f44c9721e9

### 2017816254

Samples of milk. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon. Each dairyman's milk is tested twice a month at the cheese plant. Average butter fat content for last year was above 4.4 percent

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816254/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816254.tif (13788 × 10616). SHA-256: 44c82d67c7d6b07727f25f0e1de2bdd1f2d74c12664ec8a2926460215ee4e8fa

### 2017816255

Dairy farmer takes home his empty milk cans from the Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816255/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816255.tif (13896 × 10569). SHA-256: e6d28fabf5953e4ea824273e2da9115b25634ffd3c6b231b3083694b750f3f5a

### 2017816257

Milk pouring into vats where it will be processed into cheese. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816257/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816257.tif (10560 × 13773). SHA-256: 59034ef885d2b302851ded0eaf4802b8d5ff39891a14f98fbbbca22ebfbfcd37

### 2017816266

Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon. Trimming mold off aging cheese

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816266/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816266.tif (13747 × 10523). SHA-256: 1321c43af9e6065422599b2c4eb73fa404a5756fc074ff9316573bfb5c71cf62

### 2017816270

Pushing the cheddared curd to the sides so that the whey can run off through the middle aisle. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816270/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816270.tif (13814 × 10577). SHA-256: 1ec6e9616e951c3d0b04f9742dfa953052c250a95e9c55e129f1355e4b9cfa17

### 2017816271

Dairy farmer brings his milk into the Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816271/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816271.tif (10614 × 13790). SHA-256: 91e95c00562c0111554e9b9f00a580a915789d675a86f2f212f1c9054a511330

### 2017816273

Cans of milk arriving early in the morning at the Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816273/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: images/2017816273.jpg (1024 × 846). SHA-256: d4eebb675ac6cd22af74f91dcebed5cf9001db43b6b9be8a3a3928d1785269ad

### 2017816274

Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816274/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816274.tif (13886 × 10628). SHA-256: bd2ebc31f87558ddf7a32648fad4f9c4f2b6755a04dce11afc3bfe313997ae94

### 2017816276

Testing the acidity in curdling milk at the Tillamook cheese plant. Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816276/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816276.tif (13829 × 10538). SHA-256: 6196c4111509a327de9e72dc1a9e258cfefdd412d5db29dbe2fac4a7142af969

### 2017816284

Stirring up the curd so that the whey can drain off. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816284/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816284.tif (8579 × 6340). SHA-256: 01971be766d7d30a0768614539ae4e182d6f82e1543e588aeba361a37f3ae169

### 2017816286

Applying pressure to curd in molds. This process removes moisture and forms a close texture in the cheese. Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816286/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: images/2017816286.jpg (1024 × 739). SHA-256: 3c8392861df2c7698fae3fba8cfc96dbb12896faae45fe68dfcca282750087a0

### 2017816265

Tillamook cheese plant, Tillamook, Oregon. Cheese aging. Cheese made in Tillamook county had a value of 1,765,482 dollars in 1940

Russell Lee, 1941 Oct.. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017816265/

Rights advisory: No known restrictions. For information, see U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photographs http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/071_fsab.html
Original: originals/2017816265.tif (10616 × 13882). SHA-256: 313b4cf883afcb14c82095368756191ff8382aa96002637b3194b7367155ea51

## Story sources

# Story sources — checked September 9, 2026

1. Tillamook, Our Co-op (August 11, 2020): https://www.tillamook.com/news/co-op . Supports 1909 formation and formerly independent creameries coming together to achieve consistency. Used as the company's account, without adopting its superlative quality claims.
2. Tillamook, About Us: https://www.tillamook.com/about-us . Confirms current farmer-owned cooperative and growth beyond the original coastal operation, including Boardman and milk supply partners. No claim that all current output comes from small coastal farms.
3. Tami Parr, Tillamook Cheese, Oregon Encyclopedia / Oregon Historical Society (updated May 3, 2024): https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/tillamook_cheese/ . Corroborates 1909 association; independent plants made cheese for TCCA in 1940. Current Highway 101 plant opened 1949, later than our photographs. Records the 1960s split and 1969 reorganization; film does not claim uninterrupted corporate form or uninterrupted harmony.
4. Library of Congress LOT 142: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004673771/ . Russell Lee, October 1941. Cataloged 33 prints; 32 corresponding digital records returned online. Captions document the exact work depicted. Every used photograph retains its individual item metadata.
5. Library of Congress FSA/OWI Black-and-White Negatives: https://www.loc.gov/collections/fsa-owi-black-and-white-negatives/about-this-collection/ . Public-domain collection; individual records state no known restrictions. Credit Russell Lee, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection.
6. Scott Buckley, Reawakening: https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/library/reawakening/ . CC BY 4.0; commercial reuse allowed with attribution. Original licensed audio retained from the series; new mix is excerpted and faded.

## Editorial boundaries

The archive portrays Tillamook cheese work in October 1941, not the company's 1909 founding and not the present-day factory. Unnamed workers are not identified as founders or current owners. No assertions about a depicted person's private thoughts or descendants. Film's reflective lines about work and reputation are original editorial narration, not historic quotations. Source facts and period captions supply the factual basis; no AI imagery or colorization is used.

Opening/final phrases are original authored narration. A separate spoken guard phrase, “Thank you for watching,” is excluded from the finished film after a verified silence boundary.