Family & Social Life

Bennet Family Record

Donations to the Museum have preserved irreplaceable evidence about generations of ordinary Americans. Objects from the Copp household of Stonington, Connecticut, include many items used by a single family from 1740 to 1850. Other donations have brought treasured family artifacts from jewelry to prom gowns. These gifts and many others are all part of the Museum's family and social life collections.

Children's books and Sunday school lessons, tea sets and family portraits also mark the connections between members of a family and between families and the larger society. Prints, advertisements, and artifacts offer nostalgic or idealized images of family life and society in times past. And the collections include a few modern conveniences that have had profound effects on American families and social life, such as televisions, video games, and personal computers.

Date: 1900s

Weeden No. 106 Toy Electric Motor

The Weeden no. 102 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1913 until 1918. This was an earlier version of the model No. 102, as evidenced by the wooden base plate attached to the cast iron base.
Description (Brief)
The Weeden no. 102 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1913 until 1918. This was an earlier version of the model No. 102, as evidenced by the wooden base plate attached to the cast iron base. It is an electromagnetic generator, producing a direct electric current through the rotation of a wire coil in a magnetic field. The generator could be connected to the flywheel of a Weeden steam engine, rotating the center coil, turning mechanical power into electricity.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.322914
catalog number
322914
accession number
220719

Folk-Dance Music

This music book Folk-Dance Music was published by G. Schirmer in New York, New York in 1908.
Description

This music book Folk-Dance Music was published by G. Schirmer in New York, New York in 1908. Printed on the front of the music book:

FOLK-DANCE MUSIC
A COLLECTION OF
SEVENTY-SIX CHARACTERISTIC
DANCES OF THE PEOPLE OF
VARIOUS NATIONS
ADAPTED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND
PLAYGROUNDS FOR PHYSICAL
EDUCATION AND PLAY.

Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1908
publisher
G. Schirmer, Inc.
ID Number
1986.0961.01
accession number
1986.0961
catalog number
1986.0961.01

Gourd Folk Fiddle

This folk fiddle was made in St. Mary's County, Maryland in the 19th century by an unknown maker. This fiddle and its accompanying bow are probably from the black slave cultural tradition of the American plantation.
Description
This folk fiddle was made in St. Mary's County, Maryland in the 19th century by an unknown maker. This fiddle and its accompanying bow are probably from the black slave cultural tradition of the American plantation. The instrument is made with a skin top nailed to a gourd body, and was recovered from an outbuilding of a large estate in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. This folk fiddle is made of a table of hide fastened with fifty-five iron nails to the gourd body which has two “slit” soundholes, neck of walnut with pegbox and four ash pegs, and a hardwood fingerboard and bone nut. The bow made for the fiddle is modeled after classical bow design.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
ID Number
MI.75.44
accession number
316462
catalog number
75.44

Weeden No. 101 Electric Motor

The Weeden no. 101 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1912 until 1918. The toy is an electromagnetic generator, producing a direct electric current through the rotation of a wire coil in a magnetic field.
Description (Brief)
The Weeden no. 101 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1912 until 1918. The toy is an electromagnetic generator, producing a direct electric current through the rotation of a wire coil in a magnetic field. The center axel of the generator could be connected to the flywheel of a Weeden steam engine, rotating the center coil, turning mechanical power into electricity.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.329036
catalog number
329036
accession number
278175

Ernst Plank Hot-Air Engine Toy

The Ernst Plank Company of Nuremberg, Germany manufactured this hot air engine around 1900. The engine is not a steam engine, as no water is heated. Instead the firebox heats air which expands and moves a piston to create useful mechanical work.
Description (Brief)
The Ernst Plank Company of Nuremberg, Germany manufactured this hot air engine around 1900. The engine is not a steam engine, as no water is heated. Instead the firebox heats air which expands and moves a piston to create useful mechanical work. The toy consists of a fire box to hear the air, with a piston powering a flywheel that is connected to a line shaft with three pulleys. The engine is very similar to the kind that ran the Praxinoscope toy made by Plank during the early 20th century.
Ernst Plank founded his company in Nuremburg, Germany in 1866. The company was well known for manufacturing a variety of metal toys like steam locomotives, stationary steam engines, early photography equipment, and magic lanterns until its dissolution in 1935.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.329055
catalog number
329055
accession number
278175

Hayward Hand Grenade Fire Extinguisher

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 1800s-ealry 1900s
late 1800s-early 1900s
maker
Hayward Company
ID Number
1995.0319.01
accession number
1995.0319
catalog number
1995.0319.01

1895 - 1905 Chinese American Woman's Trousers

Ng Shee (1874 - ?) had this two paneled skirt as well as trousers made in Hong Kong at the time of her marriage to Mr. Lee B. Lok in China around 1900. After the marriage Ng Shee lived with her mother in law in China until she joined Mr.
Description (Brief)
Ng Shee (1874 - ?) had this two paneled skirt as well as trousers made in Hong Kong at the time of her marriage to Mr. Lee B. Lok in China around 1900. After the marriage Ng Shee lived with her mother in law in China until she joined Mr. Lee in New York City in 1906.
The pair of matching trousers was often worn under the pleated skirt with a rectangular apron or wei chu’u.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
1992.0620.21
catalog number
1992.0620.21
accession number
1992.0620

Children at dinner table

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1907
ID Number
2017.0219.0019
accession number
2017.0219
catalog number
2017.0219.0019

Ernst Plank Duplex Toy Steam Engine

This toy steam engine was manufactured by the Ernst Plank Company of Nuremburg, Germany during the early 20th century.
Description (Brief)
This toy steam engine was manufactured by the Ernst Plank Company of Nuremburg, Germany during the early 20th century. The toy consists of dual horizontal boilers driving dual vertical oscillating engines that are connected to a single shaft moving two flywheels.
Ernst Plank founded his company in Nuremburg, Germany in 1866. The company was well known for manufacturing a variety of metal toys like steam locomotives, stationary steam engines, early photography equipment, and magic lanterns until its dissolution in 1935.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.329010
catalog number
329010
accession number
278175

Chantilly Bobbin Lace Fan Leaf on Amber Colored Frame

Black Chantilly bobbin lace fan leaf, set on amber colored frame with initials RVR (Rebecca Van Raalte). Opens to 180 degrees. Ecru colored silk even plain weave lining. Purchased in Glasgow, Scotland, in the third quarter of the 19th century. Fan leaf 6 1/4 inches deep.
Description (Brief)
Black Chantilly bobbin lace fan leaf, set on amber colored frame with initials RVR (Rebecca Van Raalte). Opens to 180 degrees. Ecru colored silk even plain weave lining. Purchased in Glasgow, Scotland, in the third quarter of the 19th century. Fan leaf 6 1/4 inches deep. Fan sticks 11 inches long. Connected with metal rivet.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
3rd quarter, 19th century
ID Number
TE.T13417
catalog number
T13417.000
accession number
253634

"What Hath God Wrought" Telegraph Message

Telegraph message, printed in Morse code, transcribed and signed by Samuel F. B. Morse.
Description
Telegraph message, printed in Morse code, transcribed and signed by Samuel F. B. Morse. This message was transmitted from Baltimore, Maryland, to Washington, D.C., over the nation's first long-distance telegraph line.
In 1843, Congress allocated $30,000 for Morse (1791-1872) to build an electric telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore. Morse and his partner, Alfred Vail (1807-1859), completed the forty-mile line in May 1844. For the first transmissions, they used a quotation from the Bible, Numbers 23:23: "What hath God wrought," suggested by Annie G. Ellsworth (1826-1900), daughter of Patent Commissioner Henry L. Ellsworth (1791-1858) who was present at the event on 24 May. Morse, in the Capitol, sent the message to Vail at the B&O Railroad's Pratt Street Station in Baltimore. Vail then sent a return message confirming the message he had received.
The original message transmitted by Morse from Washington to Baltimore, dated 24 May 1844, is in the collections of the Library of Congress. The original confirmation message from Vail to Morse is in the collections of the Connecticut Historical Society.
This tape, dated 25 May, is a personal souvenir transmitted by Vail in Baltimore to Morse in Washington the day following the inaugural transmissions. The handwriting on the tape is that of Morse himself. Found in Morse’s papers after his death the tape was donated to the Smithsonian in 1900 by his son Edward, where it has been displayed in many exhibitions.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1844-05-25
1844-05-24
associated date
1844-05-24
donated
1900-04-18
associated person
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese
maker
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese
ID Number
EM.001028
catalog number
001028
accession number
65555

The School District Library by Harper & Brothers

From the nation’s beginning, Americans have grappled with who gets educated and who pays for education. Both public and private schools have relied on a combination of public and private funding.
Description (Brief)

From the nation’s beginning, Americans have grappled with who gets educated and who pays for education. Both public and private schools have relied on a combination of public and private funding. Disparities in wealth and political influence have affected Americans’ ability to support schools. As a result, educational philanthropy has reflected inequalities in the American economy and society. Giving through contributions of time and money have both created opportunities for students and increased inequalities among them.

Beyond paying taxes, communities have helped to fund schools through giving time, money, and supplies. This portable library is typical of one that hung on school walls in the 1800s. In some schools, a portable library was purchased through community donations, while in others, an individual donated one.

Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid-19th century
maker
Harper & Brothers
Harper and Brothers
ID Number
CL.389117
catalog number
389117
accession number
182022
collector/donor number
1636

Toy Electric Motor and Lineshaft

This toy electric motor or generator was made by an unknown maker around 1908. There is a commutator and flywheel at the base that attaches to line shaft with three pulleys at the top.
Description (Brief)
This toy electric motor or generator was made by an unknown maker around 1908. There is a commutator and flywheel at the base that attaches to line shaft with three pulleys at the top. An engine could be attached to the drive shaft of the toy, rotating the center wheel in a magnetic field, producing an electric current.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1908
ID Number
MC.329037
catalog number
329037
accession number
278175

Weeden Toy Steam Engine

This toy steam engine was manufactured by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts during the early 20th century. This vertical engine has a tin firebox, brass boiler, and vertical slide valve engine.
Description (Brief)
This toy steam engine was manufactured by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts during the early 20th century. This vertical engine has a tin firebox, brass boiler, and vertical slide valve engine. The upper stack is homemade and was added to the original Weeden model at a later date.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MC.328946
catalog number
328946
accession number
278175

Weeden No. 12 Toy Steam Engine

The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts manufactured the Weeden model number 12 toy steam engine from 1890 until 1906. This toy steam engine features dual horizontal boilers and dual horizontal slide valve engines connected to a single flywheel.
Description (Brief)
The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts manufactured the Weeden model number 12 toy steam engine from 1890 until 1906. This toy steam engine features dual horizontal boilers and dual horizontal slide valve engines connected to a single flywheel. The dual engines are offset so one engine is pushing the flywheel at each time. A simulated brickwork metal firebox surrounds the two boilers, and the metal housing around the flywheel is made to look like brickwork as well. The entire engine is mounted on a metal plate.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MC.328958
catalog number
328958
accession number
278175

Weeden No.20 Toy Steam Engine “Big Giant”

This toy steam engine is a Weeden model number 20, manufactured from around 1894 until 1940. The boiler is stamped with “Big Giant,” which is the version that was included as a prize to subscribers of Youth’s Companion magazine.
Description (Brief)
This toy steam engine is a Weeden model number 20, manufactured from around 1894 until 1940. The boiler is stamped with “Big Giant,” which is the version that was included as a prize to subscribers of Youth’s Companion magazine. The brass base of the engine is a fuel reservoir with protruding wick, and was made to burn either petroleum oil (kerosene) or alcohol. The brass boiler comes with a sight glass, and powers a vertical slide valve engine attached to a flywheel.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.328947
catalog number
328947
accession number
278175

H-K Toy Electric Motor

This toy electric motor was made by the H-K Electric Toy Company of Indianapolis, Indiana around 1906. The patents on this object refer to an electric toy that recreates mechanical motion.
Description (Brief)
This toy electric motor was made by the H-K Electric Toy Company of Indianapolis, Indiana around 1906. The patents on this object refer to an electric toy that recreates mechanical motion. A dry cell battery could fit in the center of the toy, energizing the electromagnets on the side, contracting its three lever-arms. When this contraction happens, the shaft rotates, and the protruding part of the shaft comes into contact with the metal prong causing the circuit that powered the electromagnet to break. This releases the lever-arms, which rotates the shaft as they rise, re-engaging the electromagnets and continuing the cycle. The weighted flywheel and staggered strength of the levers helped ensure that the drive shaft continued to rotate. The drive shaft could be connected to a variety of factory toys and provide them with a sense of realistic motion like their full size counterparts.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1906
ID Number
MC.329034
catalog number
329034
accession number
278175

1885 - 1900 Leadbeater Sisters' Crazy-patch Parlor Throw

Anna (Mrs. Henry C. Slaymaker) and her two sisters, Mary (Mrs. William Boothe) and Lucy (Mrs. Thomas Speiden) worked on this slumber throw top that was never completed.
Description
Anna (Mrs. Henry C. Slaymaker) and her two sisters, Mary (Mrs. William Boothe) and Lucy (Mrs. Thomas Speiden) worked on this slumber throw top that was never completed. Anna’s needlework is also represented by two samplers, embroidered when she was 9 and 10, that are in the Textile Collection.
Twenty blocks, 12 or 13 inches each, are pieced using silks, satins and velvets. Except for two blocks with simple embroidery, they are undecorated. The combination of geometric and crazy-patch piecing gives interest to this unfinished top.
Anna was born on October 2, 1842, to John and Mary P. Stabler Leadbeater in Alexandria, Virginia. John, her father, was the owner of the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary in Alexandria. Anna married Henry C. Slaymaker, a Confederate Civil War veteran, on November 6, 1866, and they had three children (Isabel, Henry C. Jr., and Frank).
The donor, Mrs. Clarence Milton Yohn, included a note about Anna's grandfather, Lt. Henry C. Slaymaker. “[He] was only 16 when he served as a civilian informer in 1861 and 1862, carrying messages from Alexandria and Washington, D.C., quilted in his waistcoat and pretending hunting excursions in the woods in order to get to his cousin, Gen. Robert E. Lee. He was about to be hanged in 1862, when he escaped to join the Confederate Army under age.” After the Civil War, Henry Sr. established a dry goods business, but died at 36 of consumption on February 28, 1880. Anna died on February 15, 1906.
Anna’s sister Mary was born in 1839 and married Capt. William Boothe (1818-1894). She died in 1914. Lucy, the third sister, was born about 1838 and married Thomas Speiden. The three sisters were from the family who founded the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop, which was operated by family members from 1796 to 1933, when it became a pharmacy museum. The buildings, which date to the early 1800s, have withstood four wars and a major city fire, and currently house the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum in Alexandria, Virginia.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1885-1900
maker
Leadbeater, Mary Grace
Leadbeater, Lucy
Leadbeater, Anna
ID Number
TE.T12613
accession number
235642
catalog number
T12613

Weeden No. 7 Toy Steam Engine

The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts produced the Weeden No. 7 toy steam engine from 1890 until 1907. The Weeden No. 7 is features a horizontal boiler over a simulated brickwork firebox.
Description (Brief)
The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts produced the Weeden No. 7 toy steam engine from 1890 until 1907. The Weeden No. 7 is features a horizontal boiler over a simulated brickwork firebox. The firebox holds a distinctive burner that has a small spouted fuel container with a fuel line that runs down to two wick holders. The horizontal engine is attached to a flywheel.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MC.328957
catalog number
328957
accession number
278175

Weeden No.20 Toy Steam Engine

This toy steam engine is a Weeden model number 20, manufactured by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from around 1894 until 1940.
Description (Brief)
This toy steam engine is a Weeden model number 20, manufactured by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from around 1894 until 1940. The brass base of the engine is a fuel reservoir with protruding wick, and was made to burn either petroleum oil (kerosene) or alcohol. The brass boiler comes with a sight glass, and powers a vertical slide valve engine attached to a flywheel. This is the same model as object number MC*328947, except it lacks the “Big Giant” stamp on its boiler since it was not one of the engines included as a prize for subscribing to the Youth’s Companion magazine.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.328949
catalog number
328949
accession number
278175

Paradox Toy Gas Engine

This Paradox gas engine was made by the Pardox Gas Engine Company of Hartford, Connecticut around 1900-1930. The engine ran on a mixture of “illumination gas,” an early gas used to light homes that was generated from coal.
Description (Brief)
This Paradox gas engine was made by the Pardox Gas Engine Company of Hartford, Connecticut around 1900-1930. The engine ran on a mixture of “illumination gas,” an early gas used to light homes that was generated from coal. The engine was attached to an ordinary gas burner by a rubber tube, and advertising described it as “running with an explosion at each revolution.” The engine has two 3.5-inch flywheels, and the base bears the inscription “PAT. NOV. 20 1900.” G.J. Altham & J. Beattie Jr. of Fall River, Massachusetts received patent number 662,181 for this invention that related to “a simple and efficient valveless engine adapted for use in small size as a toy.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900
ID Number
MC.329045
catalog number
329045
accession number
278175

Weeden No. 34 Toy Steam Engine

The Weeden Model No. 34 toy steam engine was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1896 until 1940. This toy steam engine features a brass boiler with star cutout that is painted blue.
Description (Brief)
The Weeden Model No. 34 toy steam engine was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1896 until 1940. This toy steam engine features a brass boiler with star cutout that is painted blue. The horizontal boiler, flywheel, and engine sit on an iron frame.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MC.322912
catalog number
322912
accession number
220719

Peerless Toy Steam Engine

This Peerless brand toy steam engines was manufactured around 1900. The overtype engine consists of a horizontal boiler with sight glass and lever safety valve. A slide valve engine powers a flywheel on top of the boiler. The engine sits on an iron frame.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This Peerless brand toy steam engines was manufactured around 1900. The overtype engine consists of a horizontal boiler with sight glass and lever safety valve. A slide valve engine powers a flywheel on top of the boiler. The engine sits on an iron frame.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MC.329001
catalog number
329001
accession number
278175

Weeden Toy Cornish Beam Engine

The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts produced this “Cornish Beam Engine” from 1888 until 1894. The engine consisted of a firebox and boiler contained in a cube, with a slide valve, walking beam engine, and flywheel on the top of the engine.
Description (Brief)
The Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts produced this “Cornish Beam Engine” from 1888 until 1894. The engine consisted of a firebox and boiler contained in a cube, with a slide valve, walking beam engine, and flywheel on the top of the engine. The stanchion of the walking beam bears the Weeden crest logo that reads “W MFG. CO.”
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MC.328956
catalog number
328956
accession number
278175

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