Natural Resources - Overview
The natural resources collections offer centuries of evidence about how Americans have used the bounty of the American continent and coastal waters. Artifacts related to flood control, dam construction, and irrigation illustrate the nation's attempts to manage the natural world. Oil-drilling, iron-mining, and steel-making artifacts show the connection between natural resources and industrial strength.
Forestry is represented by saws, axes, a smokejumper's suit, and many other objects. Hooks, nets, and other gear from New England fisheries of the late 1800s are among the fishing artifacts, as well as more recent acquisitions from the Pacific Northwest and Chesapeake Bay. Whaling artifacts include harpoons, lances, scrimshaw etchings in whalebone, and several paintings of a whaler's work at sea. The modern environmental movement has contributed buttons and other protest artifacts on issues from scenic rivers to biodiversity.
"Natural Resources - Overview" showing 12 items.
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Lithographic printing stone "Australian Fossils Pl. 4"
- Description
- The firm of Sarony & Major of Philadelphia, working between 1846 and 1857, prepared this lithographic printing stone after a drawing by Expedition Mineralogist James Dwight Dana (1813–1895) depicting Australian fossils. The lithographic illustration was published as Plate 4 in U.S. Exploring Expedition Volume X, Geology, by James D. Dana, 1849.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1849
- publisher
- Wilkes, Charles
- original artist
- Dana, James Dwight
- graphic artist
- Sarony & Major
- printer
- Sherman, Conger
- ID Number
- 1999.0145.458
- accession number
- 1999.0145
- catalog number
- 1999.0145.458
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithographic printing stone "Australian Fossils, Plate 9"
- Description
- The firm of Sarony & Major of Philadelphia, working between 1846 and 1857, prepared this lithographic printing stone after a drawing by James Dwight Dana (1813–1895) depicting Australian fossils. The lithographic illustration was published as Plate 4 in U.S. Exploring Expedition publication Volume X, Geology, by James D. Dana, 1849.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1849
- publisher
- Wilkes, Charles
- original artist
- Dana, James Dwight
- graphic artist
- Sarony & Major
- printer
- Sherman, Conger
- ID Number
- 1999.0145.462
- accession number
- 1999.0145
- catalog number
- 1999.0145.462
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Buteo calurus"
- Description
- This lithograph of “Buteo calurus [Cassin]," now "Buteo jamaicensis calurus" or Red–tailed hawk, was drawn by an unknown artist and printed as Plate XIV in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Lieut. E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery, upon Explorations for a Railroad Route, near the 38th and 39th Parallels of North Latitude, by Captain J. W. Gunnison, Corps of Topographical Engineers, and near the Forty–First Parallel of North Latitude, by Lieut. E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery.” Though the zoological report was prepared by 1854, the volume was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date on report
- 1854
- date printed in book
- 1859
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- author
- Beckwith, Edward Griffin
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- original artist and graphic artist
- unknown
- ID Number
- GA*16332.017
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- catalog number
- 16332.017
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of "South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley"
- Description
- This lithograph of “South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley” was originally drawn by A.H. Campbell. It was printed in the first report of volume VII of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Explorations for Railroad Routes San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles, West of the Coast Range, and from the Pimas Villages on the Gila to the Rio Grande, near the 32nd Parallel of North Latitude, Lieutenant John G. Parke, Corps of Topographical Engineers, Assisted by Albert H. Campbell, Civil Engineer.” The volume was printed in 1857 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- printer
- A. Hoen & Co.
- original artist
- Campbell, A. H.
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- author
- Parke, J. G.
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- graphic artist
- unknown
- ID Number
- GA*16332.048
- catalog number
- 16332.048
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Buteo elegans"
- Description
- This hand–colored lithograph of “Buteo elegans [Cassin],” now "Buteo lineatus elegans" or Red–shouldered hawk, was drawn by an unknown artist. It was printed as Plate II in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Explorations in California for Railroad Routes to Connect with the Routes near the 35th and 32nd Parallels of North Latitude. By Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers.” Though the zoological report was ready in 1853, volume X was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of section
- 1853
- date of book publication
- 1859
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- author
- Williamson, Robert Stockton
- Heerman, Dr. A. L.
- graphic artist and original artist
- unknown
- ID Number
- GA*16332.067
- catalog number
- 16332.067
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Carpodacus cassinii and Melospiza fallax"
- Description
- This lithograph of “Carpodacus cassinii [Baird] and Melospiza fallax [Baird];” now "Carpodacus cassinii" (Cassin’s finch) and "Melospiza melodia fallax" (Song sparrow) was drawn by an unknown artist. It was printed as Plate XXVII in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Exploration for a Railway Route (near the thirty–fifth Parallel of North Latitude) from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, by Lieutenant A. W. Whipple, Corps of Topographical Engineers; assissted by Lieutenant J.C. Ives, Corps of Topographical Engineers.” Though the zoological report was ready in 1853–1854, the volume was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of section
- 1853-1854
- date of book publication
- 1859
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- author
- Whipple, Amiel Weeks
- Ives, Joseph Christmas
- Kennerley, Caleb Burwell Rowan
- original artist or graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*16332.081
- catalog number
- 16332.081
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Centurus uropygialis"
- Description
- This lithograph of “Centurus uropygialis [Baird]”, now "Melanerpes uropygialis" or the Gila woodpecker, was drawn by an unknown artist. It was printed as Plate XXXVI in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Exploration for a Railway Route (near the thirty–fifth Parallel of North Latitude) from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, by Lieutenant A. W. Whipple, Corps of Topographical Engineers; assisted by Lieutenant J.C. Ives, Corps of Topographical Engineers.” Though the zoological report was ready in 1853–1854, the volume was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of section
- 1853-1854
- date of book publication
- 1859
- author
- Whipple, Amiel Weeks
- Ives, Joseph Christmas
- Kennerley, Caleb Burwell Rowan
- original artist or graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*16332.089
- catalog number
- 16332.089
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of "Cascades of the Columbia"
- Description
- The lithographic firm of Sarony, Major & Knapp (1857–1867) of New York printed this lithograph of “Cascades of the Columbia” originally drawn by John M. Stanley (1814–1872) of Detroit (1834–1840, 1864–1872) and Washington, D.C. (1850–1860). The illustration was printed as Plate XLV in the “General Report” of volume XII of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Narrative Final Report of Explorations for a Route for a Pacific Railroad, near the Forty–Seventh and Forty–Ninth Parallels of North Latitude, St. Paul to Puget Sound”. The volume was printed in 1860 by Thomas H. Ford in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1860
- printer
- Sarony, Major, & Knapp
- original artist
- Stanley
- author
- Stevens, Isaac Ingalls
- printer
- Ford, Thomas H.
- graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*24834
- catalog number
- 24834
- accession number
- 1978.0612
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Chrysomitris Marginalis"
- Description
- Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this lithograph of “Chrysomitris Marginalis [Bonaparte] male and female," now "Carduelis barbata" or Black-chinned siskin, from an original sketch by William Dreser (c.1820–after 1860) of Philadelphia (1847–1860) and New York (1860). The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XVII 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 made
- 1855
- graphic artist
- Sinclair, Thomas
- Dreser, William
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Cassin, John
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.03
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Ericornis Melanura and Scytalopus Fuscus"
- Description
- Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this chromolithograph of “Ericornis melanura [Gray] adult and Scytalopus fuscus [Gould],” now "Chilia melanura" (Crag chilia), and "Scytalopus fuscus" (Dusky tapaculo), from an original sketch by William Dreser (c. 1820–after 1860) of Philadelphia (1847–1860) and New York (1860). The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXI 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
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Cassin, John
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.05
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center