Science & Mathematics

Chemical Balance

The Museum's collections hold thousands of objects related to chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. Instruments range from early American telescopes to lasers. Rare glassware and other artifacts from the laboratory of Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, are among the scientific treasures here. A Gilbert chemistry set of about 1937 and other objects testify to the pleasures of amateur science. Artifacts also help illuminate the social and political history of biology and the roles of women and minorities in science.

The mathematics collection holds artifacts from slide rules and flash cards to code-breaking equipment. More than 1,000 models demonstrate some of the problems and principles of mathematics, and 80 abstract paintings by illustrator and cartoonist Crockett Johnson show his visual interpretations of mathematical theorems.

Place: United States

Engraved woodblock of "Light House Rock in the Canyon of Desolation"

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

ACCELL Gene Gun Protoype

The first gene gun was the brainchild of John Sanford, a plant geneticist working at Cornell in the early 1980s.
Description (Brief)
The first gene gun was the brainchild of John Sanford, a plant geneticist working at Cornell in the early 1980s. The invention was a crude but ingenious concept: use the principles of a normal gun to blast DNA-covered microbullets at plant cells, thereby introducing foreign DNA and creating transgenic plants. As word of Sanford’s research spread, genetic engineers at Agracetus, the Middleton, Wisconsin-based biotech firm found their own inspiration.
Spurred by word of Sanford’s gun, Agracetus employees Dennis McCabe and Brian Martinell invented a gene gun of their own in 1986. Cobbled together from scrapped radar station parts McCabe had purchased years earlier from the University of Iowa and potato chip bags from the Agracetus vending machine, the prototype, seen here, utilized a high-voltage electric shock to transform a water droplet into a shock wave that drove DNA-coated microparticles of gold into plant tissue. By April 1988, McCabe and Martinell had used the gun to create the first genetically transformed soybeans. Their success led to a deal with Monsanto to develop RoundUp Ready soybeans.
Over the course of the 1990s, Agracetus developed the prototype gene gun into a marketable product, christening it ACCELL technology for “ACcessing any CELL.” The guns were licensed to Grace and DuPont in April 1992, and by November 1994 Agracetus reached an agreement with Bio-Rad to manufacture and market the guns.
Sources:
“Agracetus: Patenting all transgenic cotton.” Bijman, Jos. Biotechnology and Development Monitor. Vol. 21, Issue 8. 1994.
Charles, Dan. Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money, and The Future of Food. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books. 2002. p.80­84.
“Particle Gun Transformation of Crop Plants Using Electric Discharge (ACCELL Technology).” Paul Christou and Dennis McCabe. Probe. Vol 2(2): Summer 1992.
“ACCELL Gene Therapy” Informational Pamphlet, Agracetus, Inc. Gene Gun Research Files, Division of Medicine and Science, National Museum of American History.
“Agracetus and Bio-Rad Announce Alliance to Manufacture and Market Gene Delivery Instruments.” Press Release, Agracetus, Inc. 11 November 1994.
“Grace and DuPont Cross-License Key Genetic Engineering Technologies.” Press Release, Agracetus, Inc. 20 April 1992.
date made
1986
ID Number
1993.0354.01
catalog number
1993.0354.01
accession number
1993.0354

Petri Dish Lid

This object is a petri dish lid with a circular paper grid featuring the numbers 1–100 taped to it.
Description (Brief)
This object is a petri dish lid with a circular paper grid featuring the numbers 1–100 taped to it. The paper grid was photocopied out of a laboratory manual, most likely one published by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory or Maniatis Laboratory.
The lid was used in the laboratory at Genentech, a biotechnology company, as a way to distinguish between bacterial colonies. It was placed under a clean petri dish, and bacterial colonies were transferred onto the dish, one colony per grid square. Colonies could then be tracked using their grid number. A small sample from each colony could be removed and tested to give the characteristics of the entire colony. This system was essential at Genentech where often scientists needed to keep track of 100s to 1000s of colonies per research project.
Source:
Interview with Dan Yansura, Genentech scientist, 12/20/2012
Location
Currently not on view
user
Genentech, Inc.
ID Number
2012.0198.30
accession number
2012.0198
catalog number
2012.0198.30

Zeiss Opton Refractometer

This refractometer was used in Stanley Cohen’s lab at Stanford University in his research on recombinant DNA. Refractometers measure how light changes velocity as it passes through a substance.
Description (Brief)
This refractometer was used in Stanley Cohen’s lab at Stanford University in his research on recombinant DNA. Refractometers measure how light changes velocity as it passes through a substance. This change is known as the refractive index and it is dependent on the composition of the substance being measured. In the Cohen lab, this refractometer was one of several techniques used to provide evidence that he and his research team had created a recombinant DNA molecule containing DNA from both a bacterium and a frog.
To conduct the analysis, Cohen separated out the molecule he assumed to be recombinant DNA and measured its refractive index. The index for the molecule fell between the known values for frog DNA and bacterial DNA, suggesting that the unknown DNA molecule was a mixture of the two.
For more information on the Cohen/Boyer experiments with recombinant DNA see object 1987.0757.01
Sources:
“Section 9.4.2: Buoyant Density Centrifugation.” Smith, H., ed. The Molecular Biology of Plant Cells. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1977. http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft796nb4n2/
“Louisiana State University Macromolecular Studies Group How-To Guide: ABBE Zeiss Refractometer.” Pitot, Cécile. Accessed December 2012. http://macro.lsu.edu/howto/Abbe_refractometer.pdf
“Construction of Biologically Functional Bacterial Plasmids In Vitro.” Cohen, Stanley N., Annie C.Y. Chang, Herbert W. Boyer, Robert B. Helling. Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences. Vol. 70, No. 11. pp.3240–3244. November 1973.
“Replication and Transcription of Eukaryotic DNA in Escherichia coli.” Morrow, John F., Stanley N. Cohen, Annie C.Y. Chang, Herbert W. Boyer, Howard M. Goodman, Robert B. Helling. Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences. Vol. 71, No. 5. pp.1743–1747. May 1974.
Accession File
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1946-1953
user
Cohen, Stanley N.
maker
Zeiss
ID Number
1987.0757.28
catalog number
1987.0757.28
accession number
1987.0757
serial number
128646

Engraved woodblock of a man walking beneath a bare tree

This engraved woodblock of a man walking beneath a bare tree was prepared in about 1880 by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology.Currently not on view
Description
This engraved woodblock of a man walking beneath a bare tree was prepared in about 1880 by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
ID Number
1980.0219.0143
catalog number
1980.0219.0143
accession number
1980.0219

Engraved printing plate "Ptilouopus Perousei"

This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Ptilonopus Perousei" (now Many-colored Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus perousii Peale (S.
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Ptilonopus Perousei" (now Many-colored Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus perousii Peale (S. polynesia)) for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," Volume 8, Mammalogy and Ornithology, plate 33, in the edition Philadelphia : J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1858. The engraving was produced by Robert Hinshelwood after T. R. Peale.
Description
Robert Hinshelwood (1812–after 1875) of New York City engraved this copper printing plate after a drawing by Expedition Naturalist Titian Ramsey Peale. The image depicts the Ptilonopus Perousei (now Many-colored Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus perousii Peale [S. polynesia]). The engraved illustration was published as Plate 33 in Volume VIII, Mammalogy and Ornithology, by John Cassin, 1858.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1858
publisher
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Peale, Titian Ramsay
graphic artist
Hinshelwood, Robert
printer
Sherman, Conger
author
Cassin, John
ID Number
1999.0145.413
catalog number
1999.0145.413
accession number
1999.0145

Roferon-A, Interferon alfa-2a recombinant, injectable solution 0.5mL

Roferon-A is an injectible, recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat different types of leukemia, malignant melanoma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, AIDS-related sarcoma, and hepatitis.
Description (Brief)
Roferon-A is an injectible, recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat different types of leukemia, malignant melanoma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, AIDS-related sarcoma, and hepatitis. It was discontinued in October 2007, as new therapies for the diseases it treated were developed.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur. The genes code for a desired product, and therefore the genetically modified host organisms can be grown and used as a kind of living factory to produce the product. In this case, genes coding for human interferon are inserted into bacteria. Interferon is a substance that is naturally made by the body to fight infections and tumors. Bacteria produce the interferon, which is harvested and used as the active ingredient in Roferon-A.
Object consists of a sealed white cardboard box with red and black printing. Box contains one multiple-dose vial.
Location
Currently not on view
product expiration date
1988-07-01
maker
Hoffmann-La Roche
Roche Laboratories
ID Number
1987.0786.01
accession number
1987.0786
catalog number
1987.0786.01

Humulin U, ULTRALENTE

Humulin is human insulin used for treating diabetes. Prior to its development, diabetics used insulin isolated from pig and cow pancreases.
Description (Brief)
Humulin is human insulin used for treating diabetes. Prior to its development, diabetics used insulin isolated from pig and cow pancreases. Developed by Genentech, the first American biotechnology company, Humulin was licensed to Eli Lilly and became the first marketable product created through recombinant DNA technology. Its licensing by the FDA in October 1982 also made it the first recombinant pharmaceutical approved for use in the United States.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur. The genes code for a desired product, and therefore the genetically modified host organisms can be grown and used as a kind of living factory to produce the product. In this case, genes coding for human insulin are inserted into bacteria. Bacteria produce insulin, which is harvested and used as the active ingredient in Humulin.
Humulin U is formulated to provide a slower onset and a longer and less intense duration of activity (up to 28 hours) than regular insulin. Due to declining use of longer-acting insulins, Humulin U was discontinued in 2005.
Object is a sealed white cardboard box with black and red printing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before December 1994
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
2012.0046.45
accession number
2012.0046
catalog number
2012.0046.45

Diffraction Grating

This is one of the earliest gratings made by Lewis M. Rutherfurd, and one of three that the pioneer astrophysicist, Henry Draper, acquired in the fall of 1872.
Description
This is one of the earliest gratings made by Lewis M. Rutherfurd, and one of three that the pioneer astrophysicist, Henry Draper, acquired in the fall of 1872. The glass plate measures 1.5 inches square overall, with the grating measuring 1⅛ inches square, and is marked "12960 to the inch Oct. 16, 1872 L. M. Rutherfurd."
Ref. D. J. Warner, "Lewis M. Rutherfurd: Pioneer Astronomical Photographer and Spectroscopist," Technology and Culture 12 (1971): 190-216.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1872
maker
Rutherfurd, Lewis Morris
ID Number
PH.334272
accession number
304826
catalog number
334272

Engraved woodblock of the "Parsee Towers of Silence (interior)"

This engraved woodblock of the “Parsee Towers of Silence (interior).” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 3 on page 104 in an article by H.C.
Description
This engraved woodblock of the “Parsee Towers of Silence (interior).” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 3 on page 104 in an article by H.C. Yarrow (1871-1876) entitled “Mortuary Customs of North American Indians” in the First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1879-80. Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) engraved the image.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1881
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
graphic artist
Nichols, H. H.
author
Yarrow, Harry Crecy
ID Number
1980.0219.1356
catalog number
1980.0219.1356
accession number
1980.0219

Roferon-A, Interferon alfa-2a recombinant, injectable solution, 1mL

Roferon-A is an injectible, recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat different types of leukemia, malignant melanoma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, AIDS-related sarcoma, and hepatitis.
Description (Brief)
Roferon-A is an injectible, recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat different types of leukemia, malignant melanoma, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, AIDS-related sarcoma, and hepatitis. It was discontinued in October 2007, as new therapies for the diseases it treated were developed.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur. The genes code for a desired product, and therefore the genetically modified host organisms can be grown and used as a kind of living factory to produce the product. In this case, genes coding for human interferon are inserted into bacteria. Interferon is a substance that is naturally made by the body to fight infections and tumors. Bacteria produce the interferon, which is harvested and used as the active ingredient in Roferon-A.
Object consists of a sealed white cardboard box with red and black printing. Box contains 10 single-use, 1 mL vials.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1988
product expiration date
1988-04-01
maker
Hoffmann-La Roche
Roche Laboratories
ID Number
1987.0786.02
accession number
1987.0786
catalog number
1987.0786.02

Solar Spectrum

“PHOTOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE SOLAR SPECTRUM / MADE BY PROF. H. A. ROWLAND, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.” The scale extends from 44.8 to 49.4 units.Henry A.
Description
“PHOTOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE SOLAR SPECTRUM / MADE BY PROF. H. A. ROWLAND, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.” The scale extends from 44.8 to 49.4 units.
Henry A. Rowland, the first professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., produced a photographic map of the solar spectrum using concave diffraction gratings made with his own ruling engine. This is a section of the first edition, published in 1886.
Ref: “Photograph of the Normal Solar Spectrum. Made by Professor H. A. Rowland,” Johns Hopkins University Circular 5 (1886).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1886
maker
Rowland, Henry A.
ID Number
PH.322957.05
accession number
79596Z12
249200
catalog number
322957.05

Solar Spectrum

“PHOTOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE SOLAR SPECTRUM / MADE BY PROF. H. A. ROWLAND, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.” This is from the first series, and extends from 37.1 to 39.85 unitsHenry A.
Description
“PHOTOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE SOLAR SPECTRUM / MADE BY PROF. H. A. ROWLAND, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.” This is from the first series, and extends from 37.1 to 39.85 units
Henry A. Rowland, the first professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., produced a photographic map of the solar spectrum using concave diffraction gratings made with his own ruling engine. The first edition, published in 1886, covered the region from wave-length 3100 to 5790. The scale of these maps was much greater than the maps of Angstrom or Rutherfurd, and they showed many more spectral lines.
Ref: “Photograph of the Normal Solar Spectrum. Made by Professor H. A. Rowland,” Johns Hopkins University Circular 5 (1886).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1886
maker
Rowland, Henry A.
ID Number
PH.322957.03
accession number
249200
catalog number
322957.03

Micropipette Accessory

This micropipette accessory was used to draw very small amounts of liquid into thin glass micropipettes.
Description (Brief)
This micropipette accessory was used to draw very small amounts of liquid into thin glass micropipettes. A micropipette would be inserted into the bottom of the object and liquid could be pulled in with very good control by turning the screw at the top.
It was used in the laboratories at Genentech, a biotechnology company.
Source:
Interview with Dan Yansura, Genentech scientist, 12/20/2012
Location
Currently not on view
user
Genentech, Inc.
ID Number
2012.0198.41
accession number
2012.0198
catalog number
2012.0198.41

Electrophoresis Chamber

This object is part of a set-up for vertical gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is a technique that uses the electrical charges of molecules to separate them by their length.
Description (Brief)
This object is part of a set-up for vertical gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is a technique that uses the electrical charges of molecules to separate them by their length. It is often used to analyze DNA fragments.
This set-up was cobbled together by scientists in the lab at Genentech, a biotechnology company, in the late 1970s and used through the 1980s. Its different components were purchased from several suppliers in the San Francisco Bay area and assembled together with binder clips. Although gel electrophoresis set-ups were available for purchase at the time, scientists found their own set-ups to be more reliable and easier to troubleshoot.
Because of its long length, this device was particularly useful for sequencing stretches of synthetic DNA created in the lab. A long length allows for greater resolution between molecular fragments, an important consideration in sequencing efforts.
Source:
Interview with Dan Yansura, Genentech scientist, 12/20/2012
Location
Currently not on view
user
Genentech, Inc.
ID Number
2012.0198.02
catalog number
2012.0198.02
accession number
2012.0198

Telescope

Alvan Clark & Sons was the leading telescope firm in the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century. Although famous for its large refractors suitable for advanced astronomical research, the firm also made smaller instruments for educational and amateur purposes.
Description
Alvan Clark & Sons was the leading telescope firm in the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century. Although famous for its large refractors suitable for advanced astronomical research, the firm also made smaller instruments for educational and amateur purposes. It remained in business until the 1950s.
This example has an achromatic objective of 3 inches aperture, and several eyepieces. The brass tube is 44 inches long and extends to 40 inches. The attached finder scope is 13 inches long. The “ALVAN CLARK & SONS / CAMBRIDGE, MASS.” inscription on the faceplate at the eye end was in use during the period 1939-1944. Charles Scovil, a dedicated amateur astronomer in Stamford, Conn., donated it to the Smithsonian in 1977.
Ref: Deborah Warner and Robert Ariail, Alvan Clark & Sons. Artists in Optics (Richmond, 1995).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939 - 1944
maker
Alvan Clark & Sons
ID Number
PH.336371
catalog number
336371
accession number
1977.0600

Ceremonial trowel - one of three fabricated for use by President Eisenhower and dignitaries in dedication of U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's headquarters building, Germantown, MD on November 8, 1957

Background on the history and acquisition of ceremonial trowel; Object ID no.
Description
Background on the history and acquisition of ceremonial trowel; Object ID no. 2014.0124.01
On May 2, 2014, Joseph Ball donated to the National Museum of American History (NMAH) the ceremonial trowel in its box, together with a descriptive plaque, all mounted on a felt-covered, wooden platform enclosed in a clear plastic display case. The text inscribed on the plaque is as follows:
"This trowel is one of three fabricated for use by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in dedication of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's headquarters building, Germantown, Maryland on November 8, 1957."
"The blade of the trowel is uranium from CP-1, the world's first nuclear reactor. The ferrule and stem are zirconium from the initial critical assembly for the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine. The handle is wood from the west stands of Stagg Field at The University of Chicago beneath which CP-1 was brought to criticality on December 2, 1942, by Enrico Fermi and his colleagues."
"The historic trowel was presented to Eisenhower College by Argonne National Laboratory through the courtesy of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission."
[Note: Due to radiation safety concerns of the Secret Service, the uranium trowels were dropped from the AEC building dedication ceremony and silver-plated trowels were used instead.]
For a history of the establishment of the AEC headquarters site in Germantown, MD, see
http://science.energy.gov/bes/about/organizational-history/germantown-natural-history/germantown-site-history/
Mr. Ball, an alumnus of Eisenhower College (established in 1968 in Seneca Falls, NY in honor of President Eisenhower), obtained the trowel in 2012 at a silent auction during the 40th alumni reunion of the charter class of 1972 of the now defunct college. (It closed in 1982 owing to lack of students and funding.) The College had many Eisenhower memorabilia, which had been put into storage when the school closed.
A number of the items from the Eisenhower memorabilia inventory were offered at the silent auction, along with the trowel. However, the trowel was not listed in the inventory. The College historian and others Mr. Ball asked knew nothing about the object or how it came to the College. He subsequently got in touch with Thomas Wellock, Historian of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), who was able to uncover the curious early history of the trowel. Mr. Ball agreed to loan it to the NRC, which displayed it in their headquarters lobby in Rockville, MD from 2012 to 2014.
Mr. Ball then donated the trowel to the Modern Physics Collection of the NMAH, where it is now in storage.
For a brief and fascinating historical account of the trowel, below are links to the text of two consecutive U.S. NRC Blogs on the subject by Mr. Wellock:
The Mystery of the Atomic Energy Commission Trowel – Part 1
Posted on U.S. NRC Blog on November 26, 2012; http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2012/11/26/the-mystery-of-the-atomic-energy-commission-trowel-part-i/
The Mystery of the Trowel – Solved
Posted on U.S. NRC Blog on November 28, 2012; http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2012/11/28/the-mystery-of-the-trowel-solved/
The other ceremonial trowels; their respective locations and descriptive plaques/inscriptions
It has been determined that three uranium-blade trowels were made, and that none of these was used in the cornerstone laying ceremony. Instead, three silver-plated plated trowels were made for use during the ceremony.
1) ANL. As noted above, one of the two other uranium trowels is at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), where it appears as part of an historical exhibit on nuclear energy. An image of the ANL display is in Nuclear News, April 2009, p.58. This display can be viewed at:
http://web.anl.gov/eesa/pdfs/2009NuclearExhibitinNuclearNews.pdf
With this trowel came a crude typewritten label reading as follows:
"TROWEL
The Blade is made of Uranium from CP-1.
The Shank and Ferrule is made from Zirconium from
The [First Pile_] Nautilus. [“First Pile” crossed out]
The Handle is made from Benches in the West
Stands close to where the pile was."
In the bottom left corner is a torn, unclear handwritten note: “]l for _________ at Germantown.” The name after “for” may be “Comerston,” “Elmer Loyd,” “Gomer Stoyd,” or something similar.
2) DOE Headquarters. DOE Historian Terry Fehner confirms that the third uranium trowel is in a display case, along with one of the silver-plated trowels and related ceremonial artifacts, in the lobby of the auditorium at the Department of Energy (DOE) administration building in Germantown, MD.
The uranium trowel has a plaque that reads:
"Symbolic Trowel
Blade - uranium from nuclear reactor
Stagg Field, Chicago (Dec. 2 1942)
Handle - portion of squash court door
Ferrule - zirconium from submarine Nautilus prototype reactor"
The silver-plated trowel has a plaque that reads:
"Trowel used in cornerstone laying ceremony November 8, 1957"
Inscription engraved on silver-plated blade:
"Atomic Energy Building
Cornerstone laid by
President Eisenhower
November 8, 1957"
3) Eisenhower Library. NRC Historian Tom Wellock confirms that a second silver-plated trowel is located at the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. An image from the Library shows that this trowel has an inscription different from that on the DOE silver-plated trowel.
Inscription etched on silver plated blade:
“This trowel was used
by the President of the
United States at the laying of the
cornerstone of the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission Headquarters Building,
Germantown, Maryland
November 8, 1957"
Presented to Dwight D. Eisenhower
President of the United States
by
Lewis L. Strauss, Chairman
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission”
Reference is made to two memoranda from the DOE archives: the first (Oct. 4 1957, from Acting Manager, AEC Chicago Operations Office to Director, AEC Division of Reactor Development, Washington) describes materials in uranium trowels made by ANL; the second (Oct. 21, 1957, Memorandum from AEC Secretary to AEC Director, Division of Construction & Supply) suggests the inscriptions for the three silver-plated trowels that were to be used at the cornerstone laying on November 8, 1957.
Tentative conclusions, comments, and remaining questions
Based on examination of available images of located trowels and their associated plaques, and the text of the cited AEC memoranda, we can reach the following tentative conclusions, assuming the language in the memoranda to be definitive:
Uranium Trowels
1) Three uranium trowels were fabricated at ANL but never used for the cornerstone laying ceremony. They are now located, respectively, at: the National Museum of American History, Washington; Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago; and the Department of Energy, Germantown, MD. The trowel on display at DOE apparently is missing its zirconium ferrule (reason unknown), although the accompanying plaque includes mention of ferrule.
2) The stems and ferrules of the uranium trowels were made from zirconium used in the first naval nuclear reactor critical assembly, Zero Power Reactor-1 (ZPR-1), which was essentially a prototype for design and testing at ANL. The lack of radioactivity in the metal shows that it cannot be zirconium removed from a reactor assembly that was installed and operated on the USS Nautilus. (Zirconium obtained from the actual Nautilus reactor would have attained prohibitively high levels of radioactivity.)
3) The handles of the uranium trowels were made of wood from a portion of the door to the converted squash court in which CP-1 was located under the west viewing stands of Stagg Field, and not from wood benches in the Field’s west stands.
4) Who authorized the donation of one of the uranium trowels to Eisenhower College, and when? We do not know; all we can say for now is that the label plaque for that trowel was prepared after 1965, when the College was founded, and before 1975, when the name “Atomic Energy Commission” went out of use.
Silver-plated trowels
1) Apparently three silver-plated trowels were intended to be used during the cornerstone laying ceremony by, respectively, President Eisenhower, AEC Chairman Strauss, and Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Chairman Durham. Displays for two of these trowels are now located at, respectively, The Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, and DOE Germantown, MD.
2) A comparison of images of these two displays shows that the two trowels have differently shaped blades and different types of wood handles. Further, the inscription on the Eisenhower Library trowel is identical to that suggested by the AEC Secretary for the President’s trowel, whereas the relatively brief inscription on the DOE trowel differs significantly and does not indicate for whom it was intended.
3) Thus, there is uncertainty concerning the DOE silver-plated trowel. Why is it of a slightly different shape and handle type? Was it actually used in the cornerstone laying ceremony by one of the three dignitaries, and if so, by which one – e.g., AEC Chairman Strauss?
4) What became of the silver-plated trowels used by AEC Chairman Strauss and Joint Committee Chairman Durham? Can their existence and current location be determined? Our investigations have so far yielded no further information.
Update on Uranium Trowels
Roger Tilbrook, Curator of the Nuclear Energy Exhibit, Nuclear Engineering Division, ANL, has investigated the inconsistencies regarding the uranium trowels. He makes the following points regarding the Argonne trowel:
An Argonne old-timer, A.B. Krisciunas, confirms that the handle is from wood in a squash court door under the stands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. The lack of activity from the stem and ferrule indicates that the source of the zirconium was the Zero Power Reactor-1 (ZPR-1) at ANL, rather than a fuel assembly used in the Submarine Test Reactor (STR), or in the USS Nautilus itself.
The uranium blade could have been made from a CP-1 fuel artifact or from CP-2 fuel (which came from CP-1). After comparison of activity measurements, the conclusion is that the blade is from CP-2 uranium.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Argonne National Laboratory
ID Number
2014.0124.01
accession number
2014.0124
catalog number
2014.0124.01

Lithograph of bird species "Buteo calurus"

This colored lithograph of "Buteo calurus [Cassin]," now "Buteo jamaicensis calurus" or Red-tailed Hawk, is believed to have been drawn on stone by William E.
Description (Brief)
This colored lithograph of "Buteo calurus [Cassin]," now "Buteo jamaicensis calurus" or Red-tailed Hawk, is believed to have been drawn on stone by William E. Hitchcock (ca 1822-ca 1906), lithographed by Bowen & Company of Philadelphia (ca 1840-1870), and likely hand colored by Bowen firm colorists or Lavinia Bowen (ca 1820- ca 1872).
The image was published as Plate XIV in the "Zoological Portion of the Reports by Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery, upon the Route near the 38th and 39th Parallels, surveyed by Captain J. W. Gunnison, Corps of Topographical Engineers, and upon the route near the Forty–First Parallel, surveyed by Lieut. E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery.” The report was published in volume X of the “Reports and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean ... 1853, 1856, Volume X," printed in 1859 by Beverley Tucker of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date on report
1854
date printed in book
1859
original artist
Cassin, John
publisher
U.S. War Department
author
Beckwith, Edward Griffin
publisher
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
printer
Nicholson, A. O. P.
ID Number
GA.16332.017
accession number
1930.110179
catalog number
16332.017

Lithograph of bird species "Centurus uropygialis"

This colored lithograph of "Centurus uropyglialis [Baird], now Melanerpes uropyglialis" or Gila Woodpecker, is believed to have been originally drawn by C. B. R. Kennerly (1830-1861) and H. B. Mollhausen (1825-1905), then drawn on stone by William E.
Description
This colored lithograph of "Centurus uropyglialis [Baird], now Melanerpes uropyglialis" or Gila Woodpecker, is believed to have been originally drawn by C. B. R. Kennerly (1830-1861) and H. B. Mollhausen (1825-1905), then drawn on stone by William E. Hitchcock (ca 1822-ca 1906), lithographed by Bowen & Company of Philadelphia (ca 1840-1870), and likely hand colored by Bowen firm colorists or Lavinia Bowen (ca 1820- ca 1872).
The image was published as Plate XXXVI in the Zoological Report, Volume X, Part VI, No. 3, following page 35 in C. B. R. Kennerly's "Report Upon the Birds of the Route" (near the 35th Parallel explored by Lieutenant Whipple in 1853 and 1855). The report was published in the volume “Reports and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean ... 1853, 1856, Volume X," printed in 1859 by Beverley Tucker of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date of book publication
1859
1859
author
Whipple, Amiel Weeks
Ives, Joseph Christmas
original artist
Kennerley, Caleb Burwell Rowan
publisher
U.S. War Department
printer
Nicholson, A. O. P.
publisher
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
original artist
Mollhausen, H. B.
ID Number
GA.16332.089
catalog number
16332.089
accession number
1930.110179

Lithograph of bird species "Buteo elegans"

This colored lithograph of Buteo elegans [Cassin] (Red-shouldered Hawk) is believed to have been drawn on stone by William E.
Description (Brief)
This colored lithograph of Buteo elegans [Cassin] (Red-shouldered Hawk) is believed to have been drawn on stone by William E. Hitchcock (ca 1822-ca 1906), lithographed by Bowen & Company of Philadelphia (ca 1840-1870), and likely hand colored by Bowen firm colorists or Lavinia Bowen (ca 1820- ca 1872).
The image was published as Plate II in the Zoological Report, Volume X, Part IV, No. 2 in A. L. Heermann's "Report Upon the Birds Collected on the Survey (between San Francisco and Fort Yuma, California)", following page 80. The report was published in the larger volume “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. The volume was printed in 1859 by Beverly Tucker of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
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.
ID Number
GA.16332.067
catalog number
16332.067
accession number
1930.110179

Lithograph of bird species "Carpodacus cassinii and Melospiza fallax"

This colored lithograph of "Carpodacus cassinii [Baird] and Melospiza fallax [Baird]" (now "Carpodacus assinii" (Cassin's finch) and "Melospiza melodia fallax (Song sparrow) is believed to have been originally drawn by C. B. R. Kennerly (1830-1861) and H. B.
Description (Brief)
This colored lithograph of "Carpodacus cassinii [Baird] and Melospiza fallax [Baird]" (now "Carpodacus assinii" (Cassin's finch) and "Melospiza melodia fallax (Song sparrow) is believed to have been originally drawn by C. B. R. Kennerly (1830-1861) and H. B. Mollhausen (1825-1905), then drawn on stone by William E. Hitchcock (ca 1822-ca 1906), lithographed by Bowen & Company of Philadelphia (ca 1840-1870), and likely hand colored by Bowen firm colorists or Lavinia Bowen (ca 1820- ca 1872).
The image was published as Plate XXVII in the Zoological Report, Volume X, Part VI, No. 3, following page 35 in C. B. R. Kennerly's "Report Upon the Birds of the Route" (near the 35th Parallel explored by Lieutenant Whipple in 1853 and 1855). The report was published in the volume “Reports and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean ... 1853, 1856, Volume X." The volume was printed in 1859 by Beverley Tucker of 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
original artist
Kennerley, Caleb Burwell Rowan
publisher
U.S. War Department
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
original artist
Mollhausen, H. B.
Mollhausen, H. B.
ID Number
GA.16332.081
catalog number
16332.081
accession number
1930.110179

Lithograph of "Cascades of the Columbia"

This tinted lithograph of “Cascades of the Columbia" was produced by Sarony, Major & Knapp (fl. 1857-1867) after an original sketch by John Mix Stanley (1814-1872). It was printed as Plate XLV in Volume XII, Book I, following page 155, in the "General Report" by Isaac I.
Description (Brief)
This tinted lithograph of “Cascades of the Columbia" was produced by Sarony, Major & Knapp (fl. 1857-1867) after an original sketch by John Mix Stanley (1814-1872). It was printed as Plate XLV in Volume XII, Book I, following page 155, in the "General Report" by Isaac I. Stevens (1818-1862) in the "Report of Explorations for a Route for the Pacific Railroad near the 47th and 49th Parallels of North Latitude, from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Puget Sound," 1855.
The volume was published as part of the "Explorations and Surveys to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a Railroad from the Mississippi river to the Pacific Ocean," published as a twelve volume set in the mid-1850s to 1860. Volume 12 was printed in 1860 by Thomas H. Ford (1814-1868).
Location
Currently not on view
date of book publication
1860
graphic artist
Sarony, Major, & Knapp
original artist
Stanley, John Mix
graphic artist
Sarony, Major, & Knapp
original artist
Stanley, John Mix
author
Stevens, Isaac Ingalls
printer
Ford, Thomas H.
graphic artist
Sarony, Major, & Knapp
publisher
U.S. War Department
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
ID Number
GA.24834
catalog number
24834
accession number
1978.0612

Lithograph of "South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley"

This tinted lithograph of “South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley" was produced after an original sketch by engineer and surveyor A. H. Campbell (1826-1899).
Description (Brief)
This tinted lithograph of “South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley" was produced after an original sketch by engineer and surveyor A. H. Campbell (1826-1899). It was printed as Plate II in Volume VII, Part I, following page 6, in the "General Report," part of the "Report of Explorations for Railroad Routes from San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles, California, West of the Coast Range, and from the Pimas Villages on the Gila to the Rio Grande, Near the 32nd Parallel of North Latitude," by Lieutenant John G. Parke, Corps of Topographical Engineers, Assisted by Albert H. Campbell, Civil Engineer, 1854-1855."
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
1857
graphic artist
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
A. Hoen & Co.
ID Number
GA.16332.048
catalog number
16332.048
accession number
1930.110179

Chromolithograph of "Los Angeles"

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

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