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 37 items.
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Toy Power Shovel
- Description
- Kentontoys, manufactured by the Kenton Hardware Company of Kenton, Ohio, was born out of the Kenton Lock Manufacturing Company in the 1890s, which produced cast iron locks, doorknobs, and hardware for furniture. In 1894, Kenton ventured into the newly expanding market of toy banks and eventually produced many different types of toys well into the 20th century. This toy steam shovel called the “Marion,” from around 1930, represents a power shovel produced by another important Ohio company, the Marion Steam Shovel Company.
- Toys such as this shovel raise questions about the relationship between technological innovation and social impact. The use of steam-powered vehicles to move large amounts of earth and other natural obstacles made it possible to expand into previously remote areas. The Marion Steam Shovel Company provided shovels that helped alter land for the expanding railroads and for the digging of the Panama Canal.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1930
- maker
- Kenton Hardware Company
- ID Number
- DL*295669.0640
- catalog number
- 295669.0640
- accession number
- 1971.295669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scofield-Thacher Engineer's Slide Rule
- Description
- This 22-inch, two-sided wooden slide rule has scales that are printed on paper but not engine-divided. On the front of the base, logarithmic scales are labeled B and C on the left and D and D on the right. The C scale is the inverse of the B scale and is also labeled RECIPROCALS. The first D scale runs from 1 to 3.16, and the second D scale runs from 3.16 to 10. These scales are labeled ROOTS.
- Four identical scales are on the slide, all logarithmically divided from 1 to 10 and labeled A. Two of the scales are at the left end of the slide, and two are at the right end of the slide. These scales are also identical to the B scale. Written in pencil on the back of the slide and underneath the slide is the number 1103. The bottom of the base is marked: Patented July 2, 1901.
- The back of the base has scales divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 and from 3.16 to 10 to 3.16. These scales are both labeled F at both ends. The slide also has scales divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 and from 3.16 to 10 to 3.16. These scales are both labeled E at both ends. Faded red numbers from 1 to 4 also appear on all four scales. Written in pencil on the back of the slide and underneath the slide is: 1102. The bottom of the base is marked: Patented July 2, 1901.
- The top edge of the rule is marked: THE ENGINEERS (/) SLIDE RULE. It is also marked: From E. M. Scofield, Bridge Engineer. (/) Sta. A, – Youngstown, – Ohio. (/) Rule sent prepaid on receipt of price. (/) Factory, – Youngstown, Ohio. The paper pasted on this edge also has the formula ex/f, a description of how to solve this formula with the instrument, and tables of equivalents. The bottom edge of the rule gives seventeen more formulas and instructions. It is marked: DIRECTIONS FOR SCALES A • B • C & D (/) FOR "Op." READ "OPPOSITE" (/) FOR "—" READ "ON SCALE" (/) FOR "Ans." READ "FIND ANSWER" (/) FOR LAST SIX PROBLEMS REVERSE SLIDE.
- Edson Mason Scofield (1867–1939) developed this rule in 1891 while he worked for Edwin Thacher (inventor of the cylindrical slide rule bearing his name; see, for example, MA*312866). Thacher applied for a patent on the design in 1900 and assigned a half-interest to Scofield when the patent was issued in 1901. According to the instrument, Scofield may have distributed the rule himself.
- It was also sold by Eugene Dietzgen Company of Chicago from about 1901 through at least 1931. The price for model 1787 ranged from $5.00 to $7.00. By 1926 Dietzgen marked the rule with its company name. Meanwhile, Scofield went on to become president and chief engineer of the National Bridge Company of Pittsburgh in 1901. From 1903 he and his brother, Glenn M. Scofield, operated the Scofield Engineering Company in Philadelphia, New York City, and Los Angeles. This example belonged to Robert A. Cummings, a civil engineer who was the father of the donor. Compare to MA*333710.
- References: Edwin Thacher, "Slide Rule" (U.S. Patent 677,817 issued July 2, 1901); Catalogue & Price List of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 173; Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 12th ed. (Chicago, 1926), 177; Conrad Schure, "The Scofield-Thacher Slide Rule," Journal of the Oughtred Society 3, no. 1 (1994): 20–25; Peter M. Hopp, Slide Rules: Their History, Models, and Makers (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 1999), 161.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1901-1926
- maker
- Scofield, E. M.
- ID Number
- MA*325990
- catalog number
- 325990
- accession number
- 258733
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scofield-Thacher Engineer's Slide Rule
- Description
- The scales on this 22-inch, two-sided wooden slide rule are printed on paper. The front has two scales on the left end of the base labeled B and C and two scales labeled A on the left end of the slide. These scales run half the length of the instrument. The B and two A scales are identical, divided logarithmically from left to right and running from 1 to 10. The C scale is divided logarithmically from right to left and runs from 10 to 1. It is labeled RECIPROCALS.
- The right end of the base has two D scales, both labeled ROOTS, with two additional A scales on the right end of the slide. The A scales are divided logarithmically from left to right and run from 1 to 10. The top D scale runs from 1 to 3.16 and shows square roots of the numbers on the A scale below it. The bottom D scale runs from 3.16 to 10 and shows square roots of the numbers on the A scale above it, between 10 and 100. Written in pencil on the back of the slide and underneath the slide is the number 1096.
- The back of the rule contains two scales on the base labeled F and two scales on the slide labeled E. The top F scale runs the length of the scale and is divided logarithmically from 1 to 10. The sections between 1 and 2, between 2 and 3, between 3 and 4, and between 4 and 5 are subdivided. The lower F scale is similarly divided, but starts from the center of the rule (running from the square root of 10, or 3.16, to 10 and then from 1 to the square root of 10). The E scales are identical to the adjacent F scales. Written in pencil on the back of the slide and underneath the slide is the number 1097.
- The bottom of the base on both sides is marked: Patented July 2, 1901. The top edge of the rule is marked: THE ENGINEERS (/) SLIDE RULE. It is also marked: From E. M. Scofield, Bridge Engineer. (/) Sta. A, – Youngstown, – Ohio. (/) Rule sent prepaid on receipt of price. (/) Factory, – Youngstown, Ohio. The paper pasted on this edge also has the formula ex/f, a description of how to solve this formula with the instrument, and tables of equivalents. The bottom edge of the rule gives seventeen more formulas and instructions. It is marked: DIRECTIONS FOR SCALES A • B • C & D (/) FOR "Op." READ "OPPOSITE" (/) FOR "—" READ "ON SCALE" (/) FOR "Ans." READ "FIND ANSWER" (/) FOR LAST SIX PROBLEMS REVERSE SLIDE.
- Edson Mason Scofield (1867–1939) developed this rule in 1891, while he worked for Edwin Thacher (inventor of the cylindrical slide rule bearing his name; see, for example, MA*312866). Thacher applied for a patent on the design in 1900 and assigned a half-interest to Scofield when the patent was issued in 1901. According to the instrument, Scofield may have distributed the rule himself. It was also sold by Eugene Dietzgen Company of Chicago from about 1901 through at least 1931. The price for model 1787 ranged from $5.00 to $7.00. By 1926, Dietzgen marked the rule with its company name. This instrument is identical to MA*325990.
- John N. Welsh (1904–1999), the donor of this slide rule, was a chemical engineer who obtained his B.S. from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1925. He was associated with Hall Laboratories, Inc. of Pittsburgh (later CALGON) from 1939 through at least 1968. By 1972, when this slide rule was briefly placed on exhibit, Welsh was living in Florida.
- References: Edwin Thacher, "Slide Rule" (U.S. Patent 677,817 issued July 2, 1901); Catalogue & Price List of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 173; Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 12th ed. (Chicago, 1926), 177; Conrad Schure, "The Scofield-Thacher Slide Rule," Journal of the Oughtred Society 3, no. 1 (1994): 20–25; Peter M. Hopp, Slide Rules: Their History, Models, and Makers (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 1999), 161; Who's Who in Engineering (New York and West Palm Beach: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1964), 1996.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1901-1926
- maker
- Scofield, E. M.
- ID Number
- MA*333710
- catalog number
- 333710
- accession number
- 300658
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
- No Image Available
Matthew Mawhinney Industrial Furnace Collection, 1917-1978
- Notes
- Matthew Mawhinney, an engineer specializing in industrial furnace design and operation, collected this material during his career with Salem Engineering Co. and later as a consulting engineer
- Summary
- Several engineering textbooks authored by Mawhinney as well as correspondence relating to his articles in professional journals and presentations to meetings of engineers. His correspondence with industrial companies and photographs of furnaces and other equipment are also included
- Cite as
- Matthew Mawhinney Industrial Furnace Collection, 1917-1978, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1917
- 1917-1918
- 1917-1978
- 1930-1950
- Creator
- Mawhinney, Matthew engineer (collector)
- collector
- Engineering and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Salem Engineering Co
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
[Trade catalogs from R. C. Beardsley]
- Date
- 1900s
- Company Name
- R. C. Beardsley
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_7860
- Data source
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries
- No Image Available
[Trade catalogs from Commonwealth Engineering Co. of Ohio]
- Date
- 1900s
- Company Name
- Commonwealth Engineering Co. of Ohio
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_10942
- Data source
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries
- No Image Available
[Trade catalogs from Gaylord W. Feaga Co.]
- Date
- 1900s
- Company Name
- Gaylord W. Feaga Co.
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_14599
- Data source
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries
- No Image Available
[Trade catalogs from H. K. Ferguson Co.]
- Date
- 1900s
- Company Name
- H. K. Ferguson Co.
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_14793
- Data source
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries
- No Image Available
[Trade catalogs from A. M. Kinney, Inc.]
- Date
- 1900s
- Company Name
- A. M. Kinney, Inc.
- Related companies
- Processes Research, Inc.; Dodson, Kinney & Lindblom ; Kinney & Ehlers, Inc. ;
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_23839
- Data source
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries
- No Image Available
[Trade catalogs from Covington & Cincinnati Bridge Co.]
- Date
- 1800s
- Company Name
- Covington & Cincinnati Bridge Co.
- Record ID
- SILNMAHTL_11865
- Data source
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries
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