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 12 items.
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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
Lockwood-Greene Records, 1883-2004 (bulk 1915-1930)
- Notes
- Lockwood-Greene is one of the nation's oldest engineering firms, tracing its roots to 1832, when Rhode Island native David Whitman began a machinery repair service. In the years of the early industrial revolution in textile manufacturing, Whitman added mill design services, which began a flourishing consulting business. He traveled throughout New England advising industrialists on the placement, design and construction of factories and the layout of the complicated system of machinery they contained. Whitman died in 1858. Amos Lockwood took over the business which he relocated to Boston. Stephen Greene joined the business in 1882, and the firm's scope expanded to supplying all necessary architectural and engineering services. Greene became president upon Lockwood's death in 1884. Eventually the company designed and built the first factory operated electrically from a remote power plant, as an alternative to steam power. They continued expanding, and eventually were designing a wider variety of structures, including newspaper plants, automotive factories, convention halls and schools. In the 1960s, the company's headquarters relocated to Spartanburg, South Carolina. In 2003, CH2M Hill, a global provider of engineering, construction services, and operations services, acquired the company
- Summary
- The Lockwood-Greene Records are a comprehensive range of documents related to the appraisal, building, construction, design, evaluation, and engineering of facilities for a variety of clients. The material covers the entire period of industrialization of the United States, and, provides a thorough record of the textile industry, both in New England and the South. Some of the textile mills are documented with unusual completeness, showing water and steam power layouts, factory village plans, and landscaping schedules. A broad range of other building typologies is also covered, including projects with public or retail functions, such as early automobile showrooms, hospitals, apartments and private dwellings, churches, and schools
- Cite as
- Lockwood-Greene Records, 1883-2004 (bulk 1915-1930), Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1883
- 2004
- 1883-2004
- bulk 1915-1930
- 1890-1900
- 20th century
- 21st century
- creator
- Lockwood-Greene Company
- designer
- Lockwood, Amos
- Greene, Stephen
- creator
- Whitman, David
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Greene, Stephen
- Local number
- 1997.0021 (NMAH Acc.)
- 2008.3059 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
James Kip Finch Collection, ca. 1723-1961
- Notes
- Fitch was a civil engineer
- Summary
- Autograph letters received or collected by Finch. Signers include many prominent scientists and engineers
- Date
- 1723
- 1961
- ca 1723-1961
- 18th century
- 19th century
- 20th century
- collector
- Finch, James Kip
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Washington Society of Engineers Records, 1905-1969
- Notes
- A professional society of engineers founded in November of 1905
- Summary
- The collection documents work conducted by the Washington Society of Engineers. A large portion of the papers are from the offices of Charles E. Remington, Former Treasurer of the Society. The collection includes administrative records, organizational information, financial records, business records such as meeting minutes, general correspondence, reprints, records of programs and events, academic papers, and reference files on members and activities of the Society
- Date
- 1905
- 1988
- 1905-1969
- 20th century
- donor
- Washington Society of Engineers
- Ellenberger, William J
- author
- Remington, Charles E
- collector
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 2007.3086 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
P.J. Bier Papers, 1915-1970
- Notes
- Engineer, Colorado, who worked for the Bureau of Reclamation from 1923 to 1954
- Summary
- The collection documents Bier's work with the Bureau of Reclamation on dams and power stations in Colorado and Mexico. It includes project files, reports, correspondence, notes, blueprints and technical drawings
- Cite as
- P.J. Bier Papers, 1915-1970, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1915
- 1915-1970
- 20th century
- creator
- Bier, P. J
- 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
- Subject
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Local number
- 2007.3087 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
J. G. Berger Papers, circa 1929-1936, 1952
- Notes
- New Jersey consulting engineer
- Summary
- These papers contain engineering reports from the estate of J. C. Berger, New Jersey consulting engineer, chiefly concerning highway relocation and railroad crossing appraisals
- Date
- 1929
- 1952
- circa 1929-1936, 1952
- 20th century
- 1920-1960
- author
- Berger, J. G
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Llewellyn N. Edwards Papers, 1925-1964
- Notes
- Edwards, bridge designer and engineer, worked from 1901 to 1943 for the Boston Bridge Works, the Boston and Maine Railroad, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, the Toronto Department of Works, the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, and the Maine State Highway Commission. Edwards also was interested in the history of bridge engineering, particularly early American bridges
- Summary
- The papers include captioned photographs of dirt roads in North Carolina and Mississippi, 1913; articles, including reprints from engineering journals; typed and handwritten notes on bridges; a handwritten, bound bibliography on bridges; typed notes on bridges and bridge history, including some drawings; correspondence, most relating to his research on the history of bridges but also relating to other topics; reports on landslides in California; a partial manuscript (L-Z) for a glossary of terms relating to bridge engineering and construction; a typescript of "A Manual of Bridge Construction;" a manuscript of "Bridge Construction in America"; and extensive correspondence with J. P. Snow on the history of wooden bridges
- Date
- 1911
- 1911-1950
- 1925-1964
- 20th century
- author
- Edwards, Llewellyn N. 1873-1952
- collector
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 2007.3077 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Alaskan Railroad and Bridge Construction Collection, 1909-1910
- Summary
- Photographs of the Miles Glacier, 1909; Copper River and Northwestern Railway; and the Copper River Railway. Also includes the Copper River Bridge Engineer's Report, 1910, with drawings, notes, and date
- Date
- 1864
- 1864-1883
- 1909-1910
- 20th century
- 1900-1910
- 19th century
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Copper River Railway
- Copper River and Northwestern Railway
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, 1826-1880s, 1951 (bulk 1860s-1940s)
- Notes
- The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) was the nation's first extensive steam powered railroad. It was founded by Baltimore merchants in 1827 as a means of promoting trade and making Baltimore competitive with other east coast ports. The original intent of the founders was to provide direct and fast access to the Ohio River, and the markets that the river reached. The railroad, however, went beyond the Ohio River and its lines went as far west as St. Louis and Chicago. The B&O was also known for its use of an electric locomotive in the mid 1890s. It also had a completely air conditioned train, and it was a forerunner in the use of diesel-electric locomotives. Company activities paralleled those of other American railroads and over the course of its life included expansion, near bankruptcy, innovations, regulations, and finally buyout. In February 1963, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) completed its purchase of the B&O. Today B&O is part of the CSX Transportation (CSX) network
- Summary
- The main collection consists of correspondence, invoices, drawings, photographs, and negatives and other printed literature documenting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from its inception in 1827 to its merger with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in the 1960s. It includes records dealing with the engineering, construction, and maintenance operations of the railroad: correspondence and other material on routes, land surveys, and construction, circa 1826-1861; specifications, cost statements, bids, drawings, tracings, and blueprints concerning construction, repair, and upkeep of bridges, trestles, shops, depots, and other structures, ca. 1858-1943; maps and profiles, 1850, 1853, 1890, 1899-1900, 1911; and negatives and prints of construction, buildings, structures, and track, 1913-1914, 1921-1930. Also, correspondence of John W. Garrett (1820-1884), president of B&O, 1858-1884, concerning Ohio River bridges, requests for employment, and bridges, trestles, and tunnels, 1858-1880; and correspondence of Benjamin H. Latrobe as president of the Pittsburgh and Connelsville Railroad, 1861-1865
- 1961 gift: Six railroad car drawings
- 1979 gift: An album of cyanotype photographs depicting all bridges, stations, and other structures along the B&O's Philadelphia Division, 1891
- Second 1979 gift: Letters, 1829, 1871, 1872, and 1874, mostly relating to bridges
- Cite as
- Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, 1826-1880s, 1951 (bulk 1860s-1940s), Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1826
- 1880
- 1826-1880s, 1951 bulk 1860s-1940s
- 19th century
- 1860-1890
- 20th century
- donor
- Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
- O'Connell, Rosalie
- author
- Latrobe, Benj. H (Benjamin Henry) 1807-1878
- Garrett, John W (John Work) 1820-1884
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 236163 (NMAH Acc.)
- 1979.0895 (NMAH Acc.)
- 1979.0912 (NMAH Acc.)
- 2007.3209 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Charles T. G. Looney Papers, 1917-1971
- Notes
- Charles T. G. Looney (1906-1987) consulting engineer and college professor taught at the University of North Carolina, 1936-1937; University of Iowa, 1937-1943; Johns Hopkins University, 1943-1946; Yale University, 1946-1958; and the University of Maryland, 1958-1972
- Summary
- The papers of Charles T. G. Looney contain handbooks, lectures, manuals, pamphlets, regulations reports, and research bulletins on structural design, concrete and steel materials testing, impact and stress studies, bridges, earthquakes, and erosion, building codes, waterpower, mathematical calculations, professional associations, and related engineering topics. Also includes lecture notes for courses taught by Hardy Cross at the University of Illinois. Archives Center
- Cite as
- Division of the History of Technology, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1917
- 1971
- 1917-1971
- creator
- Looney, Charles Thomas George 1906-1987
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Cross, Hardy
- Local number
- 2007.3148 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH