Measuring & Mapping - Overview
Where, how far, and how much? People have invented an astonishing array of devices to answer seemingly simple questions like these. Measuring and mapping objects in the Museum's collections include the instruments of the famous—Thomas Jefferson's thermometer and a pocket compass used by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their expedition across the American West. A timing device was part of the pioneering motion studies of Eadweard Muybridge in the late 1800s. Time measurement is represented in clocks from simple sundials to precise chronometers for mapping, surveying, and finding longitude. Everyday objects tell part of the story, too, from tape measures and electrical meters to more than 300 scales to measure food and drink. Maps of many kinds fill out the collections, from railroad surveys to star charts.
"Measuring & Mapping - Overview" showing 40 items.
Page 1 of 4
Map of North and South America
- Description
- Frederick de Wit's decorative map, made about 1650, includes oval vignettes of Latin American cities along the top border. Single figures of different native peoples line either side, including a Virginiani chief and brave, as shown in the detail. Some figures have been crudely colored to cover their nakedness. The map represents a flawed understanding of New World geography, such as picturing California as an island.
- Many maps of the Americas were produced during the period of exploration and colonial settlement in the 17th century. The period between 1630 and 1700 is known as the golden age of Dutch cartography, as the Netherlands was a center for map publishing as well as for the country's maritime enterprise that depended on maps and charts.
- The Museum's map collection includes a number of important examples received as a gift from Mabel Brady Garvan, who, with her husband Francis P. Garvan, built an important collection of American paintings, furniture, and decorative arts that is now at the Yale University Art Gallery.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1650
- graphic artist
- De Wit, F.
- ID Number
- GA*24303
- accession number
- 251493
- catalog number
- GA*24303
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Map of North and South America
- Description
- William Blaeu's decorative map, made about 1648, includes oval vignettes of Latin American cities and harbors along the top border. Paired examples of different native peoples line either side, including the King and Queen of Florida shown in the detail. The map represents contemporary geographical understanding of the New World, together with sea monsters and other imaginative features.
- Many maps of the Americas were produced during the period of exploration and colonial settlement in the 17th century. The period between 1630 and 1700 is known as the golden age of Dutch cartography, as the Netherlands was a center for map publishing as well as for the country's maritime enterprise that depended on maps and charts.
- The Museum's map collection includes a number of important examples received as a gift from Mabel Brady Garvan, who, with her husband Francis P. Garvan, built an important collection of American paintings, furniture, and decorative arts that is now at the Yale University Art Gallery.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1648
- graphic artist
- Blaeu, William
- ID Number
- GA*24335
- accession number
- 251493
- catalog number
- 24335
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of bird species "Phalacrocorax Brasilianus"
- Description
- Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this lithograph of “Phalacrocorax brasilianus [GM]” or Neotropic cormorant, from an original sketch by William Dreser (c.1820–after 1860) of Philadelphia (1847–1860) and New York (1860). The illustration was printed in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXVIII in the “Birds” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by John Cassin (1813–1869).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- graphic artist
- Sinclair, Thomas
- original artist
- Dreser, William
- publisher
- United States Navy
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- author
- Cassin, John
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.02
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of snake species "Elaps nigrocinctus"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Elaps nigrocinctus [Grd]”, now "Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus" or Central American coral snake, from an original sketch John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXV in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- book printer, publisher
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Girard, Charles
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.08
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.08
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of fish and frog species "Trichomycterus Maculatus, Cheiroden Pisciculus, Cystignathus Taeniatus, and Phyllobates Auratus"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Trichomycterus maculatus [Cuv. -Val.], Cheiroden pisciculus [Grd], Cystignathus taeniatus [Grd], and Phyllobates auratus [Grd]” now "Trichomycterus maculatus," "Cheiroden pisciculus," "Batrachyla taeniata," (Banded tree frog), and "Dendrobates auratus" (Poison dart frog, Green poison frog, Green and black poison dart frog) from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXIV in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895). The print is also signed by Girard.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Girard, Charles
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.16
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.16
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of fish species "Nematoenys inermis"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Nematogenys inermis [Grd]” from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXII in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Girard, Charles
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.17
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.17
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of fossilized "Mastodon Andium"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Mastodon andium,” from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XIII in the “Paleontology: fossil mammals” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Jeffries Wyman (1814–1874).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.24
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.24
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of lizard species "Cnemidophorus Presignis"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Cnemidophorus presignis [sic]," now Ameiva ameiva (Giant ameiva or Amazon racerunner), from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. This is an unfinished proof signed by Charles Girard (1822–1895), whose final proof was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXVIII in his “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.25
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.25
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of lizard species "Proctotretus Tenius, Proctoretus Femoratus, and Proctotretus Stantoni"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Cnemidophorus presignis [sic],” now Ameiva ameiva (Giant ameiva or Amazon racerunner), from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. This is an unfinished proof signed by Charles Girard (1822–1895), whose final version was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXVIII in his “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.29
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.29
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of snake species "Dryophis vittatus"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Dryophis vittatus [Grd],” now "Oxybelis aeneus" (Brown vine snake or Mexican vine snake), from John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia's original sketch. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXVI in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.30
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.30
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center