Communications

WANN Microphone

Tools of communication have transformed American society time and again over the past two centuries. The Museum has preserved many instruments of these changes, from printing presses to personal digital assistants.

The collections include hundreds of artifacts from the printing trade and related fields, including papermaking equipment, wood and metal type collections, bookbinding tools, and typesetting machines. Benjamin Franklin is said to have used one of the printing presses in the collection in 1726.

More than 7,000 objects chart the evolution of electronic communications, including the original telegraph of Samuel Morse and Alexander Graham Bell's early telephones. Radios, televisions, tape recorders, and the tools of the computer age are part of the collections, along with wireless phones and a satellite tracking system.

Place: New York

Rodgers telegraph relay

Telegraph relays amplified electrical signals in a telegraph line. Telegraph messages traveled as a series of electrical pulses through a wire from a transmitter to a receiver. Short pulses made a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash.
Description
Telegraph relays amplified electrical signals in a telegraph line. Telegraph messages traveled as a series of electrical pulses through a wire from a transmitter to a receiver. Short pulses made a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash. The pulses faded in strength as they traveled through the wire, to the point where the incoming signal was too weak to directly operate a receiving sounder or register. A relay detected a weak signal and used a battery to strengthen the signal so that the receiver would operate.
This telegraph relay appears similar to early units from the 1850s and '60s. The frame is marked "J. Rodgers New York" about whom we have no current information.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Rodgers, J.
ID Number
EM.181421
catalog number
181421
accession number
31652

Engraved woodblock of "Bringing down the batten"

This engraved woodblock of “Bringing down the batten” was prepared, after a photograph, by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Plate XXXVIII (p.390) in an article by Dr.
Description
This engraved woodblock of “Bringing down the batten” was prepared, after a photograph, by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Plate XXXVIII (p.390) in an article by Dr. Washington Matthews (1843-1905) entitled “Navajo Weavers” in the Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1881-82.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1884
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Matthews, Washington
Powell, John Wesley
block maker
A. P. J. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.1365
catalog number
1980.0219.1365
accession number
1980.0219

Engraved woodblock of "Weaving diamond-shaped diagonals"

This engraved woodblock of “Weaving diamond-shaped diagonals” was prepared, after a photograph, by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Plate XXXV (p.380) in an article by Dr.
Description
This engraved woodblock of “Weaving diamond-shaped diagonals” was prepared, after a photograph, by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Plate XXXV (p.380) in an article by Dr. Washington Matthews (1843-1905) entitled “Navajo Weavers” in the Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1881-82.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1884
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Matthews, Washington
block maker
W. T. & B.
ID Number
1980.0219.1359
catalog number
1980.0219.1359
accession number
1980.0219

Engraved woodblock of "Climbing the Grand Canyon"

This engraved woodblock of “Climbing the Grand Canyon” was prepared by F. S.
Description
This engraved woodblock of “Climbing the Grand Canyon” was prepared by F. S. King and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 on page 98 of John Wesley Powell's Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Thomas Moran (1837-1926) was the original artist.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875
1875
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Powell, John Wesley
original artist
Moran, Thomas
graphic artist
King, Francis Scott
maker
V. W. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.0474
accession number
1980.0219
catalog number
1980.0219.0474

Charles Wilkes

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1864
depicted (sitter)
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Chappel, Alonzo
publisher
Johnson, Fry & Co.
ID Number
2012.0093.29
accession number
2012.0093
catalog number
2012.0093.29

Gordon Franklin jobber

This old-style platen jobber was made by George P. Gordon, of New York, in about 1863. It was painted green.
Description (Brief)
This old-style platen jobber was made by George P. Gordon, of New York, in about 1863. It was painted green. Its chase measures 6 inches by 10 inches.
The Gordon Franklin was the single most famous and influential jobbing press of the nineteenth century.
George Phineas Gordon (1810-1878) was a printer who started building and patenting presses for job printers beginning in 1850. The most celebrated of his many presses was the Franklin, so called because Gordon, a spiritualist, said that Ben Franklin had described it to him in a dream. By 1858 this press was essentially in its final form, but over the next decades Gordon continued to modify and re-patent it. Upon the expiration of his patents, other manufacturers moved in with their own versions of the press.
This early example of a Gordon Franklin has neither impression throw-off mechanism nor a gate to lock the platen into position at the point of impression, two features used in Gordon’s later presses.
The press was lent to the Museum in 1968 under the catalog number 22318.
Donated by Neal Bezoenik, 1994.
Citation: Elizabeth Harris, "Printing Presses in the Graphic Arts Collection," 1996.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
circa 1858
date made
ca 1863
circa 1863
maker
Gordon, George P.
ID Number
1994.0380.01
catalog number
1994.0380.01
accession number
1994.0380

Engraved woodblock of the "Arikara sign for lie or falsehood"

This engraved woodblock of an “Arikara sign for a lie or falsehood” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1881 as Figure 233 (p.
Description
This engraved woodblock of an “Arikara sign for a lie or falsehood” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1881 as Figure 233 (p. 393) in an article by Garrick Mallery (1831-1894) entitled “Sign Language Among the North American Indians” in the First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1879-80.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1881
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Mallery, Garrick
block maker
V. W. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.0340
accession number
1980.0219
catalog number
1980.0219.0340

Trolling for Blue Fish

Lithograph, hand colored. Drawn by Frances Flora Bond Palmer (1812-1876), known as Fanny, and printed by Currier & Ives in 1866.
Description
Lithograph, hand colored. Drawn by Frances Flora Bond Palmer (1812-1876), known as Fanny, and printed by Currier & Ives in 1866. This print is rated as one of the "Best Fifty" large folio Currier & Ives prints, and Palmer has other prints ranked among the best in large and small folio sizes.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1866
original artist
Palmer, Frances F.
publisher
Currier & Ives
ID Number
GA.21322
catalog number
21322
accession number
245107

Battle of Bunker Hill/ The Path to Liberty is Bloody

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Baillie, James S.
ID Number
2013.0309.09
accession number
2013.0309
catalog number
2013.0309.09

Hoe large cylinder press No. 82

This large cylinder single-revolution flatbed press, No. 82, was made by R. Hoe & Company of New York in about 1879; it bed dimensions are 19 inches by 25 inches.The first flatbed cylinder presses seen in the United States were English Napiers, imported in the 1820s.
Description (Brief)
This large cylinder single-revolution flatbed press, No. 82, was made by R. Hoe & Company of New York in about 1879; it bed dimensions are 19 inches by 25 inches.
The first flatbed cylinder presses seen in the United States were English Napiers, imported in the 1820s. Robert Hoe copied a Napier in 1829 and produced a large cylinder press of his own design in 1830. Originally his press was to be manpowered, but a few years later it was converted to steam. The Single Large Cylinder proved to be the Hoe Company’s longest-lasting press.
The drum cylinder press was advertised for fine book and newspaper work. But cylinder presses had a reputation for breaking the brittle stereotype plates used in the publishing trade. So, until electrotyping was introduced in the mid-century, publishers preferred to protect their valuable stereotypes with the slower, safer, Adams bed-and-platen machine, and the cylinder press was left with job and newspaper work.
This model would print better than 1,000 impressions an hour. It cost about $1,500 in 1879, when it was purchased new by the Washington printers Judd & Detweiler.
Donated by Judd & Detweiler, 1968.
Citation: Elizabeth Harris, "Printing Presses in the Graphic Arts Collection," 1996.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1879
maker
R. Hoe & Company
ID Number
GA.22944
accession number
281773
catalog number
GA*22944

Engraved woodblock of a "Navajo blanket"

This engraved woodblock of a "Navajo blanket" was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 53 (p.387) in an article by Dr.
Description
This engraved woodblock of a "Navajo blanket" was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 53 (p.387) in an article by Dr. Washington Matthews (1843-1905) entitled “Navajo Weavers” in the Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1881-82.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1884
printer
Government Printing Office
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
block maker
W. T. & B.
author
Matthews, Washington
ID Number
1980.0219.1180
catalog number
1980.0219.1180
accession number
1980.0219

Dance at the League

Scene of a dance at the Art Students League in New York City, 1919. The artist included herself in the print, near the top. She has drawn many of the people as caricatures, including fellow artist John Sloan and his first wife Dolly, in the center.Currently not on view
Description
Scene of a dance at the Art Students League in New York City, 1919. The artist included herself in the print, near the top. She has drawn many of the people as caricatures, including fellow artist John Sloan and his first wife Dolly, in the center.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1919
depicted
Sloan, John
Bacon, Peggy
original artist
Bacon, Peggy
graphic artist
Bacon, Peggy
ID Number
GA.22176
catalog number
22176
accession number
272554

Engraved woodblock of hilltop pueblos

This engraved woodblock of hilltop pueblos was engraved and printed by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology in about 1880.Currently not on view
Description
This engraved woodblock of hilltop pueblos was engraved and printed by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology in about 1880.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
block maker
A. P. J. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.1813
catalog number
1980.0219.1813
accession number
1980.0219

Emigrants Departing for the West

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
September 2, 1871
associated date
1871
graphic artist
Harper & Brothers
Jewett, William Samuel Lyon
Jewett, William Samuel Lyon
ID Number
GA.309390.06
catalog number
309390.06
309390.06

"Franklin" common press, replica

This full-size working replica of the 'Franklin' Press was made by ClintonSisson in 1984.The press was made for the exhibition “After the Revolution: Everyday Life in America 1780-1800,” in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, 1985.Purchased from Sisson, Foss &
Description (Brief)
This full-size working replica of the 'Franklin' Press was made by Clinton
Sisson in 1984.
The press was made for the exhibition “After the Revolution: Everyday Life in America 1780-1800,” in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, 1985.
Purchased from Sisson, Foss & Co., 1985.
Citation: Elizabeth Harris, "Printing Presses in the Graphic Arts Collection," 1996.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1984
maker
Sisson, Clinton
ID Number
1985.0717.01
accession number
1985.0717
catalog number
1985.0717.01

Engraved woodblock of three individuals, two on horses and one standing

This engraved woodblock of three American Indians, two on horseback and one standing, was engraved by F. S. King and printed by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology in about 1880.Currently not on view
Description
This engraved woodblock of three American Indians, two on horseback and one standing, was engraved by F. S. King and printed by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology in about 1880.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
block maker
V. W. & Co.
graphic artist
King, Francis Scott
ID Number
1980.0219.1242
catalog number
1980.0219.1242
accession number
1980.0219

Futurist Picture of the Opening Game

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914
maker
Day, Jr., Benjamin Henry
Daugherty, James Henry
ID Number
1980.0576.264
accession number
1980.0576
catalog number
1980.0576.264
80.0576.264

Engraved woodblock of an "Iroquois mask"

This engraved woodblock of an "Iroquois Mask" was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published as Plate XXII.49 (p.
Description
This engraved woodblock of an "Iroquois Mask" was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published as Plate XXII.49 (p. 189) in an article by William Healey Dall (1845-1927) entitled “On Masks, Labrets, and Certain Aboriginal Customs with an Inquiry into the Bearing of Their Geographical Distribution” in the Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1881-82. According to the annual report, the mask was “used by the order of ‘Falsefaces’.” Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was the original artist.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1884
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Dall, William H.
original artist
Morgan, L. H.
block maker
A. P. J. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.0437
accession number
1980.0219
catalog number
1980.0219.0437

Scrubbing the Side

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1939
graphic artist
Chong, Fay
ID Number
GA.17547
catalog number
17547
accession number
159,237

Kodak Bullet Camera

Special edition souvenir "Bullet" camera sold at the Eastman-Kodak Pavilion at the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair.
Description (Brief)
Special edition souvenir "Bullet" camera sold at the Eastman-Kodak Pavilion at the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair. The camera's faceplate features the Fair's dominant architectural features, The Trylon and the Perisphere.
The Trylon was a 610 foot triangular pylon, and the Perisphere a massive globe, 180 feet in diameter. A 950 foot ramp known as the Heliceline connected the two, and together, the three features constituted the Fair's "Theme Center." Images of the Trylon and Perisphere were used as logos for the Fair, and were featured on an abundance of souvenir items.
At the Fair, the "Bullet" camera sold for $2.25. Fairgoers also had the option of buying a Kodak "Brownie" camera for $2.75. After purchasing their cameras, visitors could take advantage of the Kodak-Photo Garden, which featured a number of snapshot ready tableaux as well as views of some of the Fair's most interesting features.
During its run, the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair attracted nearly 45 million people to its site in Flushing Meadows. At the Fair, visitors were introduced to advancements in such technologies as television, color photography, synthetic materials and robotics, as well as a wide variety of consumer goods and entertainments.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1939
Associated Date
1939
1940
ID Number
1989.0438.1740
catalog number
1989.0438.1740
accession number
1989.0438

The Rocky Mountains:Emigrants Crossing the Plains

Lithograph with hand coloring. Wagon train winds its way from left to right, facing viewer, with mountains in the distance. Two Indians on horseback at right view the settlers and wagons, which are pulled by oxen.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Lithograph with hand coloring. Wagon train winds its way from left to right, facing viewer, with mountains in the distance. Two Indians on horseback at right view the settlers and wagons, which are pulled by oxen.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1866
graphic Artist
Currier & Ives
original artist
Palmer, Frances F.
ID Number
GA.21332
catalog number
21332

Be-In/ Central Park/ Easter Sunday/ March 26

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1967
maker
Max, Peter
ID Number
2014.0281.01
accession number
2014.0281
catalog number
2014.0281.01

Dreamland

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1883
publisher
Klackner, C.
etcher
Ferris, Stephen James
maker
Weldon, Charles Dater
ID Number
2017.0262.01
accession number
2017.0262
catalog number
2017.0262.01

We've a Million in the Field

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1860
1860s
graphic artist
S. T. Gordon & Son
composer
Foster, Stephen Collins
ID Number
2013.0094.03
catalog number
2013.0094.03
accession number
2013.0094

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