Engineering, Building, and Architecture

Engine Room From Coast Guard Buoy Tender Oak

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.

Date: 1950s

Langes Legetoy Toy Grinder

This toy grinder was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This toy grinder was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The grinder consists of a cast metal base painted red, with a grindstone in the center that has a shaft and pulley wheel that allows the grindstone to be attached to a power source and spun. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329082
catalog number
329082
accession number
278175

Langes Legetoy Toy Punch Press

This toy punch press was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The press has a base made of cast metal painted red, with a flywheel that drives the press up and down. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy punch press was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The press has a base made of cast metal painted red, with a flywheel that drives the press up and down. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329078
catalog number
329078
accession number
278175

Model of Dr. Denis Papin’s Atmospheric Steam Engine, 1690

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1690
reconditioned
1955
ID Number
MC.244888
catalog number
244888
accession number
46812

Langes Legetoy Toy Lathe

This toy lathe was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The lathe is made of a cast metal base that is painted red.
Description (Brief)
This toy lathe was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The lathe is made of a cast metal base that is painted red. The pulley is used to spin the spindle part of the lathe, and the tool rest is able to slide to change the bed length. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329080
catalog number
329080
accession number
278175

Langes Legetoy Toy Dual Grinder

This toy grinder was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The grinder consists of two grindstones on a central shaft with a pulley in the center that spins both stones. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy grinder was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The grinder consists of two grindstones on a central shaft with a pulley in the center that spins both stones. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329081
catalog number
329081
accession number
278175

The Currents

date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.161
catalog number
336767.161
accession number
1978.2219

Langes Legetoy Toy Tumbler

This toy tumbler was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The tumbler is octagonal shaped with an opening latch and pulley to allow it to be connected to a power source. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy tumbler was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The tumbler is octagonal shaped with an opening latch and pulley to allow it to be connected to a power source. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329074
catalog number
329074
accession number
278175

Family Fallout Shelter

The family fallout shelter represents the public policy assumptions of the atomic age, namely, that with enough preparation, the American family and with it the nation's social and political fabric would survive a nuclear attack.
Description
The family fallout shelter represents the public policy assumptions of the atomic age, namely, that with enough preparation, the American family and with it the nation's social and political fabric would survive a nuclear attack. This free-standing, double-hulled steel shelter was installed beneath the front yard of Mr. and Mrs. Murland E. Anderson of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The Andersons purchased their shelter from J. L. Haverstock, a Ft. Wayne realtor who began selling family fallout shelters as a sideline in early 1955 after reading a promotional Life magazine article.
The Andersons maintained the shelter from its installation in 1955 through the 1960s, a period spanning the development of the hydrogen bomb and the Cuban missile crisis. Insufficiently anchored against Ft. Wayne's high water table when first installed, the shelter popped to the surface of the Anderson front yard in time for the Cuban missile crisis and was quickly reinterred in a frenzy of shelter building activity in 1961. The donors purchased the property, including the shelter, from the Andersons in 1968.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1950
date made
1950s-1960s
maker
Universal Tank & Iron Works, Inc.
ID Number
2005.0051.04
accession number
2005.0051
catalog number
2005.0051.04

Erector Set

date on box
ca 1954
date on booklet
ca 1929
maker
A.C. Gilbert Company
ID Number
1985.0634.01
accession number
1985.0634
catalog number
1985.0634.01

The Currents

date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.160
catalog number
336767.160
accession number
1978.2219

Niedringhaus’ Model of a Pallet Vault Storage System – ca 1953

This is a working model associated with U.S. Patent Number 2,709,547 issued to Marion W. Niedringhaus of Ladue, Missouri on May 31, 1955. The patent was for a container for storage and intra-warehouse transportation of household furnishings.Mr.
Description
This is a working model associated with U.S. Patent Number 2,709,547 issued to Marion W. Niedringhaus of Ladue, Missouri on May 31, 1955. The patent was for a container for storage and intra-warehouse transportation of household furnishings.
Mr. Niedringhaus noted that substantial costs were incurred by the then current practice of transferring furniture piece by piece between a moving van and a storage warehouse. His concept called for using modular containers (referred to as vaults) based on a pallet base which could be handled by standard forklifts. The standard size of a storage pallet was envisioned to be four by six feet on the base and six to nine feet tall. The design allowed various sizes and styles of furniture items to be stored in as little volume as possible in order to reduce warehousing charges. However, the primary benefit was the reduction in the number of forklift and dolly trips between the loading dock and the storage location in the warehouse. Another benefit was the ability to pack pallets closely and to be able to move one easily to get to others.
Two paperboard sheets preformed to the size and shape of the pallet surrounded the stacked furniture on the ends and sides. Rails on the pallet held the sheets firmly in place, and they overlapped in order to provide fully closed sides. A heavy paper bag fit over the top of the sheets and thus completed a neat, dust-proof enclosure. Mr. Niedringhaus described in detail how his pallet system would be used in a real warehouse environment. Individual components would be stored flat prior to use and could be assembled without use of special tools. He compared the relative advantages and cost savings of utilizing his system for storage relative to traditional methods.
A full description of the pallet vault along with complete diagrams of the patent can be found in the patent document online at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, www.uspto.gov. At his death in 1966 Mr. Niedringhaus was Chairman of the General Van and Storage Company of St. Louis, Missouri. A 1958 Popular Mechanics Magazine article described that company’s development and use of a pallet vault based upon Mr. Niedringhaus’ design.
The model’s construction is of wood, paper and fabric and is a highly detailed representation of the patent’s concept. The model illustrates a complete pallet vault to include the base, paperboard side panels, and paper top. The top is labelled “Pallet Vault” with U.S. and Canadian patent numbers.
The model includes additional features not described in the patent. A rectangular wooden framework is added atop the pallet base. The frame is slightly smaller than the base so that the side panels can fit snugly around it. It is somewhat shorter than the side panels and has an additional set of side rails approximately halfway up. Wooden slats are arranged on the top and intermediate side rails to support two tiers of furniture. The slats can be set to allow chair seat bottoms to rest on them with the chair legs extending below. The model includes one sofa on the base and five chairs arranged on the upper tiers. The furniture is highly detailed including decorative fabric upholstery.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1953
ID Number
2001.0237.2
catalog number
2001.0237.02
accession number
2001.0237
patent number
2,709,547

The Currents

date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.159
catalog number
336767.159
accession number
1978.2219

Märklin Toy Power Hacksaw

This toy power hacksaw was manufactured by the Märklin Company around 1950. The toy hacksaw has a tin base and clamp with a saw shafted to a flywheel.
Description (Brief)
This toy power hacksaw was manufactured by the Märklin Company around 1950. The toy hacksaw has a tin base and clamp with a saw shafted to a flywheel. The hacksaw toy could be connected to the drive wheel of a toy steam engine for power and operate just like its full size counterpart.
The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys such as this one.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329069
catalog number
329069
accession number
278175

Model of Oliver Evans Flue Steam Boiler

This is a model of an early (ca 1802) boiler designed with an internal flue. The concept for the flue boiler was originally devised by John Smeaton of England ca 1770. But it is Oliver Evans who is credited with the practical development of an internal flue boiler.
Description
This is a model of an early (ca 1802) boiler designed with an internal flue. The concept for the flue boiler was originally devised by John Smeaton of England ca 1770. But it is Oliver Evans who is credited with the practical development of an internal flue boiler. In the “flue boiler” type design an outer cylinder contains the water and steam, and a smaller inner cylinder contains the heat source and conducts the hot gases to the chimney. Prior to this development boilers were normally spherical with heat being applied externally.
Evans in the United States and Richard Trevithick in England were pioneers in developing high-pressure steam engines based on boilers of this type. They reached pressures of 120 pounds per square inch. However, high pressure steam was not widely adopted for many years, and flue boilers were initially developed with the goal of obtaining the largest heating surface possible without regard to increasing strength.
The model was made by the Smithsonian in 1955.
date made
1804
1955
ID Number
MC.314650
catalog number
314650
accession number
208322

The Currents

date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.163
catalog number
336767.163
accession number
1978.2219

Langes Legetoy Toy Grinder

This toy grinder was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This toy grinder was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The grinder consists of a cast metal base painted red, with a grindstone in the center that has a shaft and pulley wheel that allows the grindstone to be attached to a power source and spun. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329083
catalog number
329083
accession number
278175

Langes Legetoy Toy Circular Saw

This toy circular saw was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The circular saw is in a cast metal base painted red and could spin when its shaft was attached to an engine. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy circular saw was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The circular saw is in a cast metal base painted red and could spin when its shaft was attached to an engine. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329079
catalog number
329079
accession number
278175

The Currents

date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.157
catalog number
336767.157
accession number
1978.2219

Langes Legetoy Toy Drill Press

This toy drill press was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The toy is made of cast metal painted red but is missing the ribbed steel band that runs from the lower pulley to the upper pulley to spin the drill. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy drill press was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The toy is made of cast metal painted red but is missing the ribbed steel band that runs from the lower pulley to the upper pulley to spin the drill. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329076
catalog number
329076
accession number
278175

Mural Painting, The Currents

These ten painted aluminum panels comprised a wall mural aboard the ocean liner SS United States. Called “The Currents,” the mural depicts the Atlantic Ocean with the direction of the ocean’s currents rendered in stylized, dimensional arrows.
Description
These ten painted aluminum panels comprised a wall mural aboard the ocean liner SS United States. Called “The Currents,” the mural depicts the Atlantic Ocean with the direction of the ocean’s currents rendered in stylized, dimensional arrows. The continents are applied to the panels in gold leaf, while the ocean is painted in various shades of blue and green. Aboard the ship this mural was located on the starboard side of the first class observation lounge. “The Currents” and a companion mural called “The Winds” were painted by artist Raymond John Wendell.
Designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs, the SS United States was created out of an unusually close connection to the federal government. During the Second World War, the U.S. Navy recognized that converted ocean liners were effective transports for conveying troops to far-flung war zones. After the war ended, the government pursued the building of a technologically advanced passenger vessel that could be converted to carry troops in the event of another global conflict. With significant federal funding and support, the SS United States was built and launched in 1952. Although it was never converted for wartime use, many of its design details remained classified into the 1970s.
One of the most unusual features of the ship was the tremendous amount of aluminum and the lack of wood Gibbs specified for its construction. Determined to build a ship that was not only fast, but ultra-safe, Gibbs was especially concerned with fire prevention after several wartime catastrophes. One that haunted him was the story of the luxury liner RMS Empress of Britain that was attacked by a German bomber while transporting hundreds of soldiers on October 26, 1940. Sixty-four troops were killed in the resulting blaze, which was fueled by the ship’s lavish wood carvings, staircases, and paneled rooms.
Two thousand tons of aluminum were used in the construction and outfitting of the SS United States, making the ship lighter and more fire-resistant than any vessel afloat. The furniture and artwork, including these panels, were all made of aluminum. Publicists for the ship claimed that the only wood on board was to be found in the galley’s chopping blocks and in the piano. Gibbs even tried to reduce this miniscule amount of wood, but Steinway & Sons allegedly refused to build an aluminum piano. To this day, the SS United States is considered the fastest and one of the safest ships ever put to sea.
date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.154
catalog number
336767.154
accession number
1978.2219

Langes Legetoy Toy Trip-Hammer

This toy trip-hammer was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The trip-hammer is on a red metal base with flywheel. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy trip-hammer was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The trip-hammer is on a red metal base with flywheel. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329075
catalog number
329075
accession number
278175

The Currents

date made
1952
SS United States built and launched
1952
naval architect of SS United States
Gibbs, William Francis
painter
Wendell, Raymond John
ID Number
TR.336767.162
catalog number
336767.162
accession number
1978.2219

Langes Legetoy Toy Shaper

This toy shaper was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The shaper is made of cast metal, painted red, with a sliding ram driven by the flywheel. H.
Description (Brief)
This toy shaper was manufactured by the Danish company H. Langes Legetoy around the middle of the 20th century. The shaper is made of cast metal, painted red, with a sliding ram driven by the flywheel. H. Langes Legetoy produced a variety of toy machine tools including a trip-hammer, grindstone, drill press, shaper, punch press, circular saw, tumbler, lathe, and grinder. These tools would often be arranged on a single board with a line shaft allowing all the machines to be operated simultaneously from a single power source.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.329077
catalog number
329077
accession number
278175

Märklin No. 5 Toy Steam Engine

This Märklin No. 5 toy steam engine was built by the Märklin Manufacturing Company of Göppingen, Germany during the early 20th century. This toy steam engine consists of an externally fired horizontal brass boiler on top of a simulated brick firebox and chimney.
Description (Brief)
This Märklin No. 5 toy steam engine was built by the Märklin Manufacturing Company of Göppingen, Germany during the early 20th century. This toy steam engine consists of an externally fired horizontal brass boiler on top of a simulated brick firebox and chimney. The horizontal slide valve cylinder engine drives a flywheel with slip-eccentric reversing gear. The boiler and engine are mounted on a tinplate base.
The Märklin Company was established in 1859 in the town of Göppingen, Germany by tin smith Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin. Märklin began his business with the production of tin doll houses, but the company soon began producing a variety of tinplate and metal items, eventually specializing in toys that included steam engines such as this one.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
MC.322911
catalog number
322911
accession number
220719

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