Natural Resources

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.

This engraved woodblock of “Bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon" was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as as Figure 72 (p.187) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of
Description
This engraved woodblock of “Bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon" was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as as Figure 72 (p.187) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by John Wesley Powell (1834-1902).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Powell, John Wesley
graphic artist
Nichols, H. H.
ID Number
1980.0219.0467
accession number
1980.0219
catalog number
1980.0219.0467
This engraved woodblock of “Climbing the Grand Canyon” was prepared by F. S.
Description
This engraved woodblock of “Climbing the Grand Canyon” was prepared by F. S. King and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 on page 98 of John Wesley Powell's Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Thomas Moran (1837-1926) was the original artist.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875
1875
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Powell, John Wesley
original artist
Moran, Thomas
graphic artist
King, Francis Scott
maker
V. W. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.0474
accession number
1980.0219
catalog number
1980.0219.0474
Fish processors, laboratory staff, inspectors, supervisors, and others who work in the factory aboard the Alaska Ocean wear royal blue coveralls like these when on duty. These polyester coveralls are worn over other clothing to maintain standards of hygiene in the factory.
Description
Fish processors, laboratory staff, inspectors, supervisors, and others who work in the factory aboard the Alaska Ocean wear royal blue coveralls like these when on duty. These polyester coveralls are worn over other clothing to maintain standards of hygiene in the factory. Some processors change their coveralls several times during their daily 12-hour shift, which can extend to kicker shifts of an additional three hours. Because clean coveralls are always in demand, the factory’s laundry crew keeps the industrial washers and dryers running continuously. The coveralls, with the words Alaska Ocean emblazoned across the back, zip up the front and are typically worn tucked into boots.
date made
2006
Associated Date
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Fristads
ID Number
2007.0178.20
catalog number
2007.0178.20
accession number
2007.0178
Deck hands working aboard most commercial fishing vessels require protective clothing from head to toe. Non-slip, waterproof footwear is essential, and on the Alaska Ocean factory trawler, the deck hands, as well as the people who work in the factory, wear “Xtratuf” boots.
Description
Deck hands working aboard most commercial fishing vessels require protective clothing from head to toe. Non-slip, waterproof footwear is essential, and on the Alaska Ocean factory trawler, the deck hands, as well as the people who work in the factory, wear “Xtratuf” boots. Manufactured in the United States, these neoprene boots are made for “severe fishing, farm, and work conditions.” This pair was worn by a deck hand aboard the Alaska Ocean in summer of 2007.
date made
2007
2006-2007
Associated Date
2007
maker
Norcross Safety Products, L. L. C.
ID Number
2007.0178.01
accession number
2007.0178
catalog number
2007.0178
These non-slip, waterproof boots were worn by Thelma McFarland, a fish processor working aboard the Alaska Ocean factory trawler in the summer of 2007.
Description
These non-slip, waterproof boots were worn by Thelma McFarland, a fish processor working aboard the Alaska Ocean factory trawler in the summer of 2007. Manufactured in the USA, these “Xtratuf” boots are made of neoprene, a synthetic rubber.
Processors work 12-hour shifts and, if the factory is busy, they may work an additional 3 hours, called a kicker shift. For most of this time, the workers are on their feet, standing at processing tables or conveyor belts, or walking from one station to another on grated walkways. These walkways, like the areas around the equipment where processors stand to work, are raised above the floor, allowing the water used in factory operations to run beneath the workers’ feet. Despite being elevated above any water flow, it is still essential for workers to wear non-slip, waterproof boots to keep their feet warm and dry.
These boots are identical to those worn by deck hands. Most of the specialized clothing worn by workers and crew aboard the Alaska Ocean is provided by the company. Boots, however, are purchased by individuals, and are available in the on-board store. Felt insoles for the boots are available in the laundry and are washed frequently by laundry staff.
date made
2007
used
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Norcross Safety Products, L. L. C.
ID Number
2007.0178.17
catalog number
2007.0178.17
accession number
2007.0178
The weather deck on a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean can be a dangerous place, especially when the huge net is being launched or hauled aboard.
Description
The weather deck on a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean can be a dangerous place, especially when the huge net is being launched or hauled aboard. While mechanical winches do the heavy lifting, deck hands have to be present during such operations to attach or change cables, to secure or launch the trawl doors, to open the cod end of the net into the fish bins in the hold, and to accomplish a range of other tasks accurately and efficiently. To protect themselves while working on the deck, fishermen wear hard hats, earplugs, and other gear.
This hard hat was worn by Alaska Ocean deck hand Matt Prebezac in 2007. Like other fishermen aboard, he customized the standard white hard hat so there would be no confusion over which hat to grab when the call came to report to the deck. Using a black permanent marker, he wrote the words “Rock Star” on the back of the hat. This ensured it wouldn’t be mistaken for his buddy Ben Boyok’s hat, which was adorned with the profile of a hawkeye, the team mascot of the University of Iowa, in Ben’s home state. Throughout the 2007 season, the Rock Star and the Iowa hawkeye, with four other deck hands, a lead fisherman, and a deck officer, worked 12-hour shifts in two teams.
date made
2007
Associated Date
2007
used
Prebezac, Matt
maker
Bullard
ID Number
2007.0178.02
catalog number
2007.0178.02
accession number
2007.0178
This shallow, metal pan was used for freezing processed fish aboard the factory trawler Alaska Ocean.
Description
This shallow, metal pan was used for freezing processed fish aboard the factory trawler Alaska Ocean. Operating in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea, the Alaska Ocean is one vessel in the fleet that catches and processes pollock, hake, and whiting.
In the factory the fish are gutted and filleted by German-made filleting machines, which can be calibrated to remove the bones and skin according to a customer’s preference. Onboard engineers adjust the angles of the knives within a quarter of a millimeter to provide a product with a small amount of fat, or no fat at all, depending on the customer’s specifications.
After the initial filleting, workers in the factory load pans like this with fish fillets, fish roe, or minced fish. A conveyor belt carries the filled pans to other workers who load them into plate freezers. After about two hours, when the freezing is complete, the pans are unloaded from the freezer, and the blocks of frozen fish are removed and packed for shipment. The packed blocks of product are stacked in the ship’s large freezer hold until they can be offloaded ashore.
The Alaska Ocean carries two sizes of pans, a block pan like this and a slightly larger size for surimi, a type of fish paste used in making imitation crabmeat. The vessel carries a total of 2800 pans, 1400 of each size. The factory has 16 plate freezers aboard, 8 for single pans and 8 for doubles. A single-pan plate freezer can hold 102 surimi pans and 119 block pans at a time.
The wax lining in this pan facilitates removing the frozen product. This one is marked “M” for mince, a ground fish product used in making fish sticks and fish fingers.
date made
2000-2005
Associated Date
2007
ID Number
2007.0178.29
catalog number
2007.0178.29
accession number
2007.0178
Several types of renewable energy sources are available as alternatives to non-renewable, carbon-based fuels. This button advocates the use of solar energy to generate electricity.
Description (Brief)
Several types of renewable energy sources are available as alternatives to non-renewable, carbon-based fuels. This button advocates the use of solar energy to generate electricity. It was distributed in 1978 by Solar Action, the Washington, D.C.-based organization that helped to organize Sun Day (3 May 1978.) For many people, the 1970s energy crisis was a call to action to change how electricity was generated and used. Making the choice to “go solar”—and encouraging others to do the same—reflected growing optimism about the potential of clean, accessible solar energy.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1978
maker
Edward Horn Co.
ID Number
2003.0014.0400
accession number
2003.0014
catalog number
2003.0014.0400
This tinted lithograph of “Great Basin from the Summit of Tejon Pass” was produced after an original sketch by expedition artist Charles Koppel (fl. 1853-1865). It was printed as Plate V in Volume V, Part II following page 50 in the "Geological Report by W. P.
Description (Brief)
This tinted lithograph of “Great Basin from the Summit of Tejon Pass” was produced after an original sketch by expedition artist Charles Koppel (fl. 1853-1865). It was printed as Plate V in Volume V, Part II following page 50 in the "Geological Report by W. P. Blake, Geologist and Minerologist to the Expedition," as part of the “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853."
The volume was printed as part of the "Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean" in 1856 by A. P. O. Nicholson (1808-1876) of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856
publisher
U.S. War Department
printer
Tucker, Beverley
author
Williamson, Robert Stockton
original artist
Koppel, Charles
Koppel, Charles
graphic artist
unknown
publisher
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
original artist
Koppel, Charles
ID Number
GA.10729.33
accession number
62261
Despite automation of basic fish processing functions like gutting and filleting, there is still a lot of handwork to be done aboard a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean.
Description
Despite automation of basic fish processing functions like gutting and filleting, there is still a lot of handwork to be done aboard a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean. And work around cold water, fresh fish, and heavy machinery means that gloves are a crucial part of a factory worker’s outfit.
These heavy vinyl gloves were worn by a female fish processor during the summer fishing season in 2007. An estimated 1200 to 1400 pairs of these gloves were being used, cleaned, and reused aboard the Alaska Ocean in 2007.
In addition to these heavy work gloves, the onboard laundry operation oversaw the distribution of 5,000 pairs of lighter rubber gloves, 800 pairs of cotton gloves, and 1200 pairs of wool gloves. The crew working in the freezer hold, known as the “pain cave,” wore thick, insulated gloves, and lab workers used disposable gloves when conducting tests on products for quality control.
date made
2007
worn
2007
ID Number
2007.0178.16
catalog number
2007.0178.16
accession number
2007.0178
This engraved woodblock of an “Australian grave and carved trees” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 37 (p.76) in an article by Garrick Mallery (1831-1894) entitled “Pictographs of the North American Indians: a pr
Description
This engraved woodblock of an “Australian grave and carved trees” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 37 (p.76) in an article by Garrick Mallery (1831-1894) entitled “Pictographs of the North American Indians: a preliminary paper” in the Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1882-83.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1886
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Mallery, Garrick
block maker
J. J. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.1206
catalog number
1980.0219.1206
accession number
1980.0219
This vinyl bib apron was worn by fish processor Thelma McFarland over her coveralls and rain pants during her work shifts aboard the factory trawler Alaska Ocean in the summer of 2007.
Description
This vinyl bib apron was worn by fish processor Thelma McFarland over her coveralls and rain pants during her work shifts aboard the factory trawler Alaska Ocean in the summer of 2007. Processors like McFarland stand at long tables or conveyor belts and encounter considerable water and fish parts as they work. Processors typically wear aprons of one sort of another for protection.
Although the on-board laundry crew takes care of cleaning workers’ coveralls, rain pants, gloves, and plastic sleeves, each worker is responsible for cleaning his or her apron. McFarland, who is about 5 feet tall, adjusted her apron to suit her small frame by cutting off the lower portion. She also personalized it by writing her name in permanent marker across the bib.
date made
2007
used
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
ID Number
2007.0178.18
catalog number
2007.0178.18
accession number
2007.0178
The Healthy Harvest Society is a clearinghouse for information about organizations, groups, and individuals in the fields of sustainable agriculture and horticulture. It publishes a yearly directory and a geographical index of resources.
Description
The Healthy Harvest Society is a clearinghouse for information about organizations, groups, and individuals in the fields of sustainable agriculture and horticulture. It publishes a yearly directory and a geographical index of resources. The Society produced this button for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, held in 1990.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990
maker
Adspecs Inc.
ID Number
1992.3134.043
catalog number
1992.3134.043
nonaccession number
1992.3134
This engraved woodblock of “Light House Rock in the Canyon of Desolation” was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as Figure 17 (p.49) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado Rive
Description
This engraved woodblock of “Light House Rock in the Canyon of Desolation” was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as Figure 17 (p.49) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by John Wesley Powell (1834-1902).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875
1875
printer
Government Printing Office
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
author
Powell, John Wesley
graphic artist
Nichols, H. H.
ID Number
1980.0219.0068
accession number
1980.0219
catalog number
1980.0219.0068
maker
Dutch Harbor Gear
ID Number
2007.0178.10
catalog number
2007.0178.10
accession number
2007.0178
This tinted lithograph of “Mirage on the Colorado River” was prepared after an original sketch by ah expedition geologist and artist William P. Blake (1826-1910). It was printed as Plate XII in Volume V, Part II following page 250 in the "Geological Report by W. P.
Description
This tinted lithograph of “Mirage on the Colorado River” was prepared after an original sketch by ah expedition geologist and artist William P. Blake (1826-1910). It was printed as Plate XII in Volume V, Part II following page 250 in the "Geological Report by W. P. Blake, Geologist and Minerologist to the Expedition," as part of Volume V, Part II of the “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853."
The volume was printed as part of the "Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean" in 1856 by A. P. O. Nicholson (1808-1876) of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856
publisher
U.S. War Department
printer
Tucker, Beverley
expedition leader
Williamson, Robert Stockton
author
Blake, William Phipps
original artist
Blake, William Phipps
graphic artist
unknown
publisher
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
ID Number
GA.10729.32
accession number
62261
P. S. Duval and Company (ca 1840s-1858) of Philadelphia produced this chromolithographic print from an original illustration by John M. Stanley (1814-1872).
Description (Brief)
P. S. Duval and Company (ca 1840s-1858) of Philadelphia produced this chromolithographic print from an original illustration by John M. Stanley (1814-1872). The image of "Wooden Ware, etc." was published as Plate X in Volume 2, following page 116 of Appendix E (Indian Antiquities) by Thomas Ewbank (1792-1870) in the report describing "The U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere during the Years 1849, 1850, 1851, and 1852" by James M. Gillis (1811-1865). The volume was printed in 1855 by A. O. P. Nicholson (1808-1876) of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1855
original artist
Wallis, O. J.
Dreser, William
Herbst, Francis
graphic artist
Sinclair, Thomas
Dougal, William H.
Duval, Peter S.
printer
Nicholson, A. O. P.
publisher
United States Navy
original artist
Richard, John H.
Stanley, John Mix
Siebert, Selmar
author
Cassin, John
Ewbank, Thomas
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Gilliss, James Melville
ID Number
2007.0204.01
accession number
2007.0204
catalog number
2007.0204.01
This photograph of an American linden is one of forty-nine framed black and white photographic prints bequeathed to the Smithsonian by William F. Bucher of Washington, D.C.
Description (Brief)
This photograph of an American linden is one of forty-nine framed black and white photographic prints bequeathed to the Smithsonian by William F. Bucher of Washington, D.C. Bucher, a cabinetmaker, framed each photograph in wood of the same species as the tree depicted in the print. The photos were displayed in a special exhibition, Our Trees and their Woods at the United States National Museum in 1931.
The tree depicted in this photograph was located on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the image was made by William Bucher. The frame is made of linden wood.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1929
frame maker
Bucher, William F.
photographer
Bucher, William F.
ID Number
AG.115767.35
catalog number
AG*115767.35
accession number
115767
maker number
38
This tinted lithograph of “Los Angeles" was produced by Thomas Sinclair (1805-1881) after an original sketch by expedition artist Charles Koppel (fl. 1853-1865).
Description (Brief)
This tinted lithograph of “Los Angeles" was produced by Thomas Sinclair (1805-1881) after an original sketch by expedition artist Charles Koppel (fl. 1853-1865). It was printed as Plate X in Volume V, Part I, following page 34, in the "General Report," part of the “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853."
The volume was printed as part of the "Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean" in 1856 by A. P. O. Nicholson (1808-1876) of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856
publisher
U.S. War Department
printer
Tucker, Beverley
author
Williamson, Robert Stockton
original artist
Koppel, Charles
graphic artist
unknown
publisher
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
ID Number
GA.10729.36
accession number
62261
These vinyl sleeves are worn from the wrist to just above the elbow by people working in the factory aboard the trawler Alaska Ocean. Worn tucked into work gloves, the sleeves help keep a worker’s forearms dry.
Description
These vinyl sleeves are worn from the wrist to just above the elbow by people working in the factory aboard the trawler Alaska Ocean. Worn tucked into work gloves, the sleeves help keep a worker’s forearms dry. The company supplies such sleeves, which are cleaned frequently and reused. An estimated 200 pairs of sleeves were stocked aboard the Alaska Ocean during the 2007 season. The Alaska Ocean operates in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea.
date made
2007
Associated Date
2007
maker
Grundens
ID Number
2007.0178.15
catalog number
2007.0178.15
accession number
2007.0178
This engraved woodblock of a “View of Marble Canyon (from the Vermillion Cliffs)” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 63 (p.180) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries.
Description
This engraved woodblock of a “View of Marble Canyon (from the Vermillion Cliffs)” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 63 (p.180) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by John Wesley Powell (1834-1902). The image depicts the “Colorado River [and] the Eastern Kaibab Displacements, appearing as folds [and] faults.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875
1875
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Powell, John Wesley
graphic artist
Nichols, H. H.
block maker
V. W. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.1355
catalog number
1980.0219.1355
accession number
1980.0219
This tinted lithograph of “Mission and Plain of San Fernando” was originally drawn by an expedition artist Charles Koppel (fl. 1853-1865). It was printed as Plate VI following page 74 in the "Geological Report by W. P.
Description (Brief)
This tinted lithograph of “Mission and Plain of San Fernando” was originally drawn by an expedition artist Charles Koppel (fl. 1853-1865). It was printed as Plate VI following page 74 in the "Geological Report by W. P. Blake (1826-1910), Geologist and Minerologist to the Expedition," as part of Volume V, Part II of the "Report of Lieutenant R. S. Williamson (1825-1882), Corps of Topographical Engineers, Upon the Routes in California to Connect with the Routes Near the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-second Parallels" by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson ... in 1853."
The volume was printed as part of the "Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean" in 1856 by A. P. O. Nicholson (1808-1876) in Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1856
publisher
U.S. War Department
printer
Tucker, Beverley
author
Williamson, Robert Stockton
Blake, William Phipps
original artist
Koppel, Charles
graphic artist
unknown
publisher
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
ID Number
GA.10729.38
accession number
62261
This photograph of a white ash tree is one of forty-nine framed black and white photographic prints bequeathed to the Smithsonian by William F. Bucher of Washington, D.C.
Description (Brief)
This photograph of a white ash tree is one of forty-nine framed black and white photographic prints bequeathed to the Smithsonian by William F. Bucher of Washington, D.C. Bucher, a cabinetmaker, framed each photograph in wood of the same species as the tree depicted in the print. The photos were displayed in a special exhibition, Our Trees and their Woods at the United States National Museum in 1931.
The tree depicted in this photograph was located on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with the Capitol visible in the background. The image was made by William Bucher. The frame is made of white ash veneer on chestnut, with an ebony back band and an Andaman padauk glass bead.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1931
frame maker
Bucher, William F.
photographer
Bucher, William F.
ID Number
AG.115767.43
catalog number
115767.43
accession number
115767
maker number
48
Fish processors aboard trawlers like the Alaska Ocean wear waterproof pants over their coveralls and other clothing to protect themselves from the water and fish slime that are constant companions in the factory. This pair is dark blue, the same as those worn by deck hands.
Description
Fish processors aboard trawlers like the Alaska Ocean wear waterproof pants over their coveralls and other clothing to protect themselves from the water and fish slime that are constant companions in the factory. This pair is dark blue, the same as those worn by deck hands. These pants are small and were worn by processor Thelma McFarland in the summer 2007 season.
date made
2007
used
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Helly Hansen
ID Number
2007.0178.21
catalog number
2007.0178.21
accession number
2007.0178

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.