Natural Resources

Lithograph of

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.

Date: 1980s

Environmental Button

The slogan on this button refers to James G. Watt, who was named Secretary of the Interior by President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Description
The slogan on this button refers to James G. Watt, who was named Secretary of the Interior by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Due to controversial positions regarding the commercial development of federal lands, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, and Friends of the Earth criticized Watt during his tenure and called for his ouster. Watt resigned in 1983 after making inappropriate comments before Congress regarding the makeup of his department.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1981-1983
ID Number
2003.0014.1528
accession number
2003.0014
catalog number
2003.0014.1528

Environmental Button

Like the preservation of wilderness areas, the protection of rural landscapes–including family farms–has been an important element of the environmental movement. The American Farmland Trust, an organization founded in 1980, produced this button.Currently not on view
Description
Like the preservation of wilderness areas, the protection of rural landscapes–including family farms–has been an important element of the environmental movement. The American Farmland Trust, an organization founded in 1980, produced this button.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1980
ID Number
2003.0014.1174
catalog number
2003.0014.1174
accession number
2003.0014

Environmental Button

This button was produced by Horn Badge Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the tenth anniversary of Earth Day.Currently not on view
Description
This button was produced by Horn Badge Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the tenth anniversary of Earth Day.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1980
maker
Horn Co.
ID Number
2003.0014.1178
catalog number
2003.0014.1178
accession number
2003.0014

Environmental Button

This button depicts the polar bear, one of the most beloved species on the planet.
Description
This button depicts the polar bear, one of the most beloved species on the planet. It, along with the whale, gorilla, and elephant, is sometimes referred to as “charismatic megafauna” because of its popularity with humans.
Environmental groups have often used charismatic megafauna in campaigns to increase public awareness about conservation efforts. By employing people’s inherent interest in these animals, they are able to attract attention towards needs which might otherwise have been disregarded. For example the polar bear has been used to highlight issues ranging from wilderness preservation to climate change.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1987
ID Number
2003.0014.0976
accession number
2003.0014
catalog number
2003.0014.0976

Environmental Button

This button makes use of a dramatic image taken from space to remind people of the fragility and uniqueness of Earth.Currently not on view
Description
This button makes use of a dramatic image taken from space to remind people of the fragility and uniqueness of Earth.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989
ID Number
2003.0014.1229
catalog number
2003.0014.1229
accession number
2003.0014

Environmental Button

The image of the Earth on this button, produced by the Sierra Club in the 1980s, makes it clear the slogan refers to our planet.
Description
The image of the Earth on this button, produced by the Sierra Club in the 1980s, makes it clear the slogan refers to our planet. It’s a play on the late 1960s/early 1970s rant against the protesters of the Vietnam War–stop complaining about America and either love it or leave it.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1980s
maker
Sierra Club
ID Number
2003.0014.1243
catalog number
2003.0014.1243
accession number
2003.0014

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.