Engineering, Building, and Architecture - Overview
Not many museums collect houses. The National Museum of American History has four, as well as two outbuildings, 11 rooms, an elevator, many building components, and some architectural elements from the White House. Drafting manuals are supplemented by many prints of buildings and other architectural subjects. The breadth of the museum's collections adds some surprising objects to these holdings, such as fans, purses, handkerchiefs, T-shirts, and other objects bearing images of buildings.
The engineering artifacts document the history of civil and mechanical engineering in the United States. So far, the Museum has declined to collect dams, skyscrapers, and bridges, but these and other important engineering achievements are preserved through blueprints, drawings, models, photographs, sketches, paintings, technical reports, and field notes.
"Engineering, Building, and Architecture - Overview" showing 516 items.
Page 1 of 52
- No Image Available
Holton Duncan Robinson Papers, 1889-1938
- Notes
- Bridge designer, consulting engineer, and authority on bridge cable construction
- Summary
- Papers documenting the career of bridge designer and engineer Holton Duncan Robinson. The collection includes photographs, including cyanotypes, of bridges under construction; five patents; correspondence; programs; articles; and an 1889 notebook containing calculations
- Cite as
- Holton Duncan Robinson Papers, 1889-1938, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Ann Robinson Henshaw
- Date
- 1889
- 1889-1938
- 20th century
- 1900-1950
- creator
- Robinson, Holton Duncan 1863-1945
- donor
- Henshaw, Ann Robinson
- Local number
- 2007.3045 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Howard University School of Engineering : acetate film photonegative, ca. 1930s.]
- Summary
- One student with machinery, uncaptioned. "Agfa Safety Film" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1940
- ca 1930s
- 20th century
- 1930-1940
- photographer
- Scurlock, Addison N. 1883-1964
- film manufacturer
- Agfa
- Subject
- Howard University
- Local number
- 618ns0178959hu.tif (AC Scan)
- Freezer box 35
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
J. Parker Snow Collection, 1882-1933 (bulk 1930-1933)
- Notes
- Bridge engineer
- Summary
- Snow's engineering notebook, 1882; notes relating to his writings on the history of wooden bridges; drafts and manuscripts for articles he wrote on the development of wooden bridges; and correspondence, especially with engineering journals relating to efforts to get his manuscripts published
- Cite as
- J. Parker Snow Collection, 1882-1933 (bulk 1930-1933), Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1882
- 1882-1933
- bulk 1930-1933
- 20th century
- 1930-1940
- 1850-1900
- creator
- Snow, J. Parker
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 2007.3098 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Robert Scofield Condon Engineering Papers, ca. 1924-1973
- Notes
- Robert S. Condon, engineer at Continental Can Co., was born in Bloomington, Ill. Graduate engineer, University of Illinois. Married Catherine Behrens, 1924 (d. 1958); they spent 15 years in Rutland, Vermont, where he was a founder of the Fibre Can Machinery Corp., later sold to the Continental Can Co. His second wife was Ilza de Souza Condon. After retirement, Condon continued consulting work; his last project was the "Marvel" pencil pointer or sharpener
- Summary
- Documents and photographs (including prints and negatives) relating to the patents, inventions, and designs of mechanical engineer Robert Scofield Condon. The bulk of the material concerns the development of his small "Marvel" pencil sharpener
- Cite as
- Robert Scofield Condon Engineering Papers, ca. 1924-1973, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1924
- 1924-1973
- ca 1924-1973
- 1920-1980
- 20th century
- author
- Condon, Robert Scofield (engineer) 1896-1973
- donor
- Condon, Robert B
- Subject
- Fibre Can Machinery Corp. Rutland (Vt.)
- Continental Can Co
- Local number
- 1991.8049 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Howard University School of Engineering : acetate film photonegative, ca. 1930s.]
- Summary
- Uncaptioned. Four students working with large machinery. "Agfa Safety Film" edge imprint. Technically excellent image
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1940
- ca 1930s
- 20th century
- 1930-1940
- photographer
- Scurlock, Addison N. 1883-1964
- film manufacturer
- Agfa
- Subject
- Howard University
- Local number
- 618ns0178956hu.tif (AC Scan)
- Freezer box 35
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Howard University School of Engineering : acetate film photonegative, ca. 1930s.]
- Summary
- Three students with machinery, uncaptioned. "Agfa Safety Film" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1940
- ca 1930s
- 1930-1940
- 20th century
- photographer
- Scurlock, Addison N. 1883-1964
- film manufacturer
- Agfa
- Subject
- Howard University
- Local number
- 618ns0178957hu.tif (AC Scan)
- Freezer box 35
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Howard University School of Engineering : acetate film photonegative, ca. 1930s.]
- Summary
- Three students with machinery, reading gauges: uncaptioned. "Agfa Safety Film" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1940
- ca 1930s
- 20th century
- 1930-1940
- photographer
- Scurlock, Addison N. 1883-1964
- film manufacturer
- Agfa
- Subject
- Howard University
- Local number
- 618ns0178960hu.tif (AC Scan)
- Freezer box 35
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Alexander Binder Company Records, 1910-1965 (bulk 1921-1955)
- Notes
- Clinton B. Alexander patented and sold loose-leaf binders, tape splicers and plummet adjustors for plumb bobs
- Summary
- The collection consists of samples of marketing and sales materials produced by other businesses in the 1920s and 1930s, correspondence between Alexander and his vendors and customers, sales records sorted by year, and artifacts such as binders and material samples related to the production of binders
- Cite as
- Alexander Binder Company Records, 1921-1965, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1921
- 1921-1965
- 1910-1965 bulk 1921-1955
- 20th century
- creator
- Clinton B. Alexander Binder Company Washington, D.C
- Creator
- Alexander, Clinton B
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 2007.3162 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
North American Water and Power Alliance Records, 1964-1990
- Notes
- The North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA) was a large-scale, transcontinental water transfer plan designed by the Ralph M. Parsons Corporation in 1964
- Summary
- The collection contains a promotional video, correspondence, reports, articles, and newsletters, among other materials, which describe NAWAPA and reveal efforts to gain federal government and private sector support for the project, in response to concerns about energy and water resources and the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer in the High Plains states
- Cite as
- North American Water and Power Alliance Records, 1964-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1964
- 1964-1990
- 20th century
- 1950-2000
- creator
- Ralph M. Parsons Corporation (Pasadena, Calif.)
- author
- North American Water and Power Alliance
- collector
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 2007.3124 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Charles Adler, Jr. Collection, ca. 1920-1980
- Notes
- Adler, professional engineer and inventor, resided in Baltimore, Md., all his life. At 14 he patented an electric automotive brake. After attending Johns Hopkins University and serving briefly in the Army, he joined the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, developing safety devices. In 1928 he developed the first sound-activated (by auto horn) traffic signal. Was granted over 60 U.S. patents (of which he donated 10 to the Government), was a licensed pilot and a member of numerous professional engineers' societies. Member, Maryland State Aviation Commission, 1953-1959; served on the Maryland Traffic Safety Commission from 1952 until his death
- Summary
- Contains much biographical information on Adler and his career. Newspaper clippings, photographs and other memorabilia detail his activities. Adler's published writings include articles in periodicals and newspapers. Numerous patent applications, related correspondence and royalty receipts relate to his inventions
- Cite as
- Charles Adler, Jr. Collection, ca. 1920-1980, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1920
- 1980
- ca 1920-1980
- 20th century
- 1920-1980
- author
- Adler, Charles Jr (engineer inventor) 1899-1980
- donor
- Ascher, Amalie Adler Mrs
- Local number
- 1990.3049 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
