Transportation

Americans have always been a people on the move—on rails, roads, and waterways (for travel through the air, visit the National Air and Space Museum). In the transportation collections, railroad objects range from tools, tracks, and many train models to the massive 1401, a 280-ton locomotive built in 1926. Road vehicles include coaches, buggies, wagons, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and automobiles—from the days before the Model T to modern race cars. The accessories of travel are part of the collections, too, from streetlights, gas pumps, and traffic signals to goggles and overcoats.

In the maritime collections, more than 7,000 design plans and scores of ship models show the evolution of sailing ships and other vessels. Other items range from scrimshaw, photographs, and marine paintings to life jackets from the Titanic.

Hand-held cargo hooks were the indispensable tools of longshoremen working on conventional (non-containerized) freighters. In the course of loading and discharging cargo they needed to grab, lift, and move various types and sizes of bags, boxes, and bales.
Description
Hand-held cargo hooks were the indispensable tools of longshoremen working on conventional (non-containerized) freighters. In the course of loading and discharging cargo they needed to grab, lift, and move various types and sizes of bags, boxes, and bales. The hooks, held firmly in a gloved hand, extended their reach and helped them lift heavy items. Most longshoremen owned several different types of hooks for moving different materials—from burlap sacks to wooden boxes—and altered the handles to suit their grip.
Longshoreman Herb Mills used this small cargo hook for lifting burlap bags of coffee. Its wooden handle has been whittled to fit comfortably in the palm. The small, sharp iron hook fits through the entire diameter of the handle and is attached with a metal washer. One side of the handle is slightly rounded at an angle for a comfortable thumb grip. Mills used this hook during his career as a longshoreman in San Francisco. Mills was a member of Local 10 of the ILWU—the International Longshore and Warehouse Union—from 1963 to 1992.
date made
ca 1960
ID Number
2002.0026.06
accession number
2002.0026
catalog number
2002.0026.06
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.11
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.11
patent number
1458543
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.04
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.04
Longshoremen are the laborers who load and unload cargo ships.
Description
Longshoremen are the laborers who load and unload cargo ships. Since 1937, longshore work on the West Coast of the United States has been performed by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
This white cotton cap with a visor was worn by its donor, Herb Mills, a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 10, in San Francisco. Mills wore this hat for special union-related events, such as meetings and parades. The cap was made in Korea for “Dorfman Pacific, of Stockton, Califonia.”
Sometimes called the "West Coast Stetson," this type of white cap was worn by West Coast mariners, particularly longshoremen and sailors. Along with black "Frisco" jeans and a "hickory" (blue and white striped) shirt, the soft white cap was once a signature part of "the usual rig" that men wore in part to express their occupational identity. The white cap also served a safety function as they could be spotted even in the dark holds of ships by men on deck who were lifting and lowering heavy slingloads. By the early 1970s longshoremen were required to wear hardhats for safety when working aboard vessels and on the docks. They still wear the "West Coast Stetson," however, at special union meetings and events.
date made
ca 1960
1970s
used date
ca 1970-2001
ID Number
2001.0214.02
catalog number
2001.0214.02
accession number
2001.0214
This model represents the twin-screw turbo-electric steamer S. S. California built to 1/8" scale. It has two stacks, a black hull, red bottom paint, and white superstructure.
Description
This model represents the twin-screw turbo-electric steamer S. S. California built to 1/8" scale. It has two stacks, a black hull, red bottom paint, and white superstructure. The steamship California was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company, in Virginia, for the Panama Pacific Line. At her launching in 1928, the California was the largest America-built liner and the world's largest commercial vessel with electric propulsion. The California was built especially for service through the Panama Canal on the run between New York and San Francisco, with stops at intermediate ports. With a speed of 21-3/4 miles an hour, the California was advertised to reach California in 13 days, two days faster than usual. In 1937 the vessel was sold to the United States Maritime Commission and rebuilt for service between the U.S. and South America. Renamed Uruguay, the ship ran between New York and Buenos Aires until 1942 when it was converted to a troop transport for the War Shipping Administration. After the war the Uruguay returned to service and in 1964 was broken up in New Jersey. This model was given to the Smithsonian in 1952.
Date made
1928
used date
1928-1964
ID Number
TR.314251
catalog number
314251
accession number
196508
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1967
maker
Powers, Mark James
ID Number
2013.0222.14
catalog number
2013.0222.14
accession number
2013.0222
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.06
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.06
Currently on loan
Location
Currently on loan
date made
1969
ID Number
2017.0091.13
catalog number
2017.0091.13
accession number
2017.0091
Autocamping -- traveling with car, tent, and portable, home-like furnishings for cooking and sleeping -- was a very popular family activity in the 1920s.
Description
Autocamping -- traveling with car, tent, and portable, home-like furnishings for cooking and sleeping -- was a very popular family activity in the 1920s. When autocamping became popular again after two decades of depression and war, many vacationing families slept inside their station wagons because of the convenience, economy, and comfort that this ubiquitous postwar vehicle provided. Some families made tents that rested on top of their station wagons. This type of unit provided more space and head room than the car's interior and retained the advantage of distance from insects, snakes, animals, and the cool, damp earth. In 1961, Edmonds Guerrant, an autocamper and mechanical engineer in Fort Worth, Texas, began manufacturing a car-top tent unit that rested on the rain gutter, a metal drip rail around the roof of a sedan or station wagon. The Camp'otel became popular in Texas and was marketed nationally through Sears, J. C. Penney, Western Auto, and other retail stores. Loyal Camp'otel owners travelled in groups, formed an organization called the Penthouse Campers Association, and published a newsletter. The donors of the Smithsonian's Camp'otel, Robert and Delora French, took their two sons on numerous vacation trips in the United States and Mexico between 1963 and 1976. They installed the tent outfit on top of their 1957 Oldsmobile sedan and later on their 1965 Ford station wagon. Mr. and Mrs. French invested in Camp'otel Corporation and knew Edmonds Guerrant and others involved with the firm. Camp'otel Corporation went out of business during the gasoline shortage of 1973-1974. A contributing factor to its demise was the gradual disappearance of rain gutters on new cars.
Image from sales promotion material housed in division object file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1963
maker
Camp'otel Corporation
ID Number
1997.0112.01
accession number
1997.0112
catalog number
1997.0112.01
Hand-held cargo hooks were the indispensable tools of longshoremen working on conventional (non-containerized) freighters. In the course of loading and discharging cargo they needed to grab, lift, and move various types and sizes of bags, boxes, and bales.
Description
Hand-held cargo hooks were the indispensable tools of longshoremen working on conventional (non-containerized) freighters. In the course of loading and discharging cargo they needed to grab, lift, and move various types and sizes of bags, boxes, and bales. The hooks, held firmly in a gloved hand, extended their reach and helped them lift heavy items. Most longshoremen owned several different types of hooks for moving different materials—from burlap sacks to wooden boxes—and altered the handles to suit their grip.
Longshoreman Herb Mills used this hook for general, breakbulk cargo handling during his career as a longshoreman in San Francisco. Mills was a member of Local 10 of the ILWU—the International Longshore and Warehouse Union—from 1963 to 1992.
date made
ca 1960
used date
ca 1960-1990
ID Number
2002.0026.01
catalog number
2002.0026.01
accession number
2002.0026
This time book was kept by ILWU Local 10 longshoreman Herb Mills. It contains his handwritten notes concerning the ships he loaded and unloaded, the types of cargo, hours worked, meetings attended, and other information.
Description
This time book was kept by ILWU Local 10 longshoreman Herb Mills. It contains his handwritten notes concerning the ships he loaded and unloaded, the types of cargo, hours worked, meetings attended, and other information. This is one of eleven time and date books from the 1960s and 1970s donated to the museum by Mills.
Date made
1963
used date
1963-1964
ID Number
2002.3003.03
nonaccession number
2002.3003
catalog number
2002.3003.03
This advertisement for the Ford "Midget Mustang" pedal car appeared in November 1964. The full-size model was introduced at the New York World’s Fair on April 17, 1964.Currently not on view
Description
This advertisement for the Ford "Midget Mustang" pedal car appeared in November 1964. The full-size model was introduced at the New York World’s Fair on April 17, 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964-11-20
maker
Life Magazine
ID Number
2013.3095.06
nonaccession number
2013.3095
catalog number
2013.3095.06
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.09
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.09
This 1/8 inch scale model of the Newark was donated to the Smithsonian in 1969. The model shows the containership loaded with standard shipping containers stacked on deck.
Description
This 1/8 inch scale model of the Newark was donated to the Smithsonian in 1969. The model shows the containership loaded with standard shipping containers stacked on deck. The stack of the ship is marked with the Sea-Land insignia and the containers are all marked with the Sea-Land logo.
The Newark was built as a C-4 troopship by the Kaiser Co., Inc., at Richmond, California, in 1945, the vessel was launched as the General H. B. Freeman. In 1968 it was owned by the Containership Chartering Service, of Wilmington, Delaware, and converted to a containership at Todd Shipyards Corporation, in Galveston, Texas. Renamed Newark, it joined a fleet of "trailerships" operated by Sea-Land Service, Inc., for hauling freight. The reference to "trailers" reflects the background of Sea-Land's founder, trucking entrepreneur Malcom McLean, whose early experiments with loading truck trailers on ships are acknowledged as the advent of modern intermodal, containerized transportation.
date made
1968
used date
1945
ID Number
TR.329680
catalog number
329680
accession number
283578
The Buckeye State was built at Shousetown, Pa., south of Pittsburgh. In 1849 the hull was completed and hauled up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh to be finished. Under the supervision of David Holmes, the Buckeye State was completed in February 1850.
Description
The Buckeye State was built at Shousetown, Pa., south of Pittsburgh. In 1849 the hull was completed and hauled up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh to be finished. Under the supervision of David Holmes, the Buckeye State was completed in February 1850. It was owned and operated by the Pittsburgh & Cincinnati Packet Line, which ran it regularly on the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The company owned six or seven steamers at a time, and ran daily departures between the two cities. By the mid-1840s the Pittsburgh & Cincinnati Packet Line was praised by a Pittsburgh newspaper editor as “the greatest convenience . . . ever afforded the citizens on the banks of the Upper Ohio.”
On May 1, 1850 the Buckeye State left Cincinnati for Pittsburgh and completed the trip in a record 43 hours. Under Capt. Sam Dean, the steamer made 24 stops along the route, needing coal once and wood three times. One hundred years later, the Buckeye State still held the record for the fastest trip ever made by a steamboat between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
In 1851, showman P. T. Barnum organized a race between the Buckeye State and the Messenger No. 2 as a publicity stunt to advertise Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind’s American tour. Steamboat racing was growing in popularity, and so a race was the perfect promotion. Although Lind and Barnum were aboard the Messenger No. 2, the Buckeye State won the race. The Buckeye State continued its service up and down the Ohio for six more years until it was retired and dismantled in 1857.
date made
1963
construction completed on Buckeye State
1850-02
Buckeye State retired
1857
participated in a steamboat race
1857
owned and operated by
Pittsburgh & Cincinnati Packet Line
supervised construction of Buckeye State
Holmes, David
captain of the Buckeye State
Dean, Sam
maker
Boucher-Lewis Precision Models, Inc.
ID Number
TR.322425
catalog number
322425
accession number
247839
Although the Salem, Massachusetts privateer Rhodes was less than 98 feet long, it had a crew of 90. Privateers needed large crews not only to intimidate their prey and hopefully make them surrender quickly, but also to overpower their enemies if a battle occurred.
Description
Although the Salem, Massachusetts privateer Rhodes was less than 98 feet long, it had a crew of 90. Privateers needed large crews not only to intimidate their prey and hopefully make them surrender quickly, but also to overpower their enemies if a battle occurred. After a fight, the winner also needed to put a “prize” crew aboard to sail the captured vessel into port, where the ship and contents could be inventoried and sold. The auction proceeds were then distributed among the owners, the ship officers and the crew.
The three-masted ship Rhodes was sharply built for speed and heavily armed, with 20 cannon. Despite these features, it was captured on a cruise in the West Indies by H.M.S. ship Prothé in February 1782. It was taken back to England, where its hull shape was drawn on paper to document how it might have obtained its speed. The Royal Navy then purchased it and renamed it H.M.S. Barbadoes.
Date made
1962
privateer captured
1782-02
ID Number
TR.320667
catalog number
320667
accession number
245900
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.10
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.10
Make Way for the Thruway was written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a
Description (Brief)

Make Way for the Thruway was written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

date made
1961
publisher
Simon & Schuster
printer
Western Publishing Co., Inc.
author
Emerson, Caroline
illustrator
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
COLL.GOLDNBK.000016
accession number
1992.0634
This trophy was awarded to Richard R. John of Arlington, Virginia as a regional winner in the junior division for his entry in the 1963 Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild contest.
Description
This trophy was awarded to Richard R. John of Arlington, Virginia as a regional winner in the junior division for his entry in the 1963 Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild contest. Richard John entered a sleek blue metallic sports car in 1964 that earned him the $5,000 first place national scholarship.
The Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild contest was divided into junior (ages 12-16) and senior (ages 17-21) divisions. Winning designs from the state level would then compete in one of 20 regions. A junior and senior division winner was selected from each region to advance to the national level to compete for scholarships. General Motors awarded four scholarships in each division; first prize was a $5,000 scholarship, second $4,000, third $3,000 and fourth $2,000. Additionally, ten $1,000 styling awards could be presented to any model entered, regardless of whether or not it was a state or regional winner. Duplicate awards were presented to the sons of GM employees to remove any prejudice from the judging.
From 1930 until 1968, the Fisher Body Division of General Motors sponsored the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild and its annual model-building competition. For the first seven years of the contest, the young men in the Guild built models of a Napoleonic carriage (the Fisher Body logo) to show their high precision skills in craftsmanship. In 1937 the contest expanded to include model automobiles, which became a source of inspiration for new GM automobiles. By 1948 model cars became the only accepted entry for the contest. Winning car models were both practical and stylish original designs made with superior craftsmanship on an exacting 1/12th scale. For General Motors, the competition was a major public relations success while also serving as a type of design aptitude test for the entrants. For the young men of the Guild, the contest was a chance to win scholarships, cash prizes, and an once-in-a-lifetime all-expenses paid trip to Detroit for the regional winners. Designs featured in these models would often presage production automobiles, as many winners went on to work for General Motors or other automotive companies as designers.
date made
1963
ID Number
1994.0046.01
accession number
1994.0046
catalog number
1994.0046.01
The ocean steamer George Law was built in 1852/53 at New York, NY by William H. Webb for the United States Mail Steamship Company. Named after the company president, the Law measured 278 ft. long and 2,141 tons.
Description
The ocean steamer George Law was built in 1852/53 at New York, NY by William H. Webb for the United States Mail Steamship Company. Named after the company president, the Law measured 278 ft. long and 2,141 tons. It was built to sail the New York-Panama route for the California gold rush; on its return maiden voyage from Panama, it brought 465 passengers and $872,831 in gold to New York. Over more than 40 bi-monthly trips, the Law averaged slightly less than nine days per leg. In 1857, the ship went aground and returned to the Webb yard for a major overhaul.
The Law’s name was changed to the Central America during the rebuilding, possibly to reflect its most common route and because George Law had sold his interest in the company. On the vessel’s second trip under the new name, it cleared Havana, Cuba for New York on 8 September 1857. Two days later, during a gale south of South Carolina, a bad leak was discovered and the main boilers had to be shut down. On the 12th, some passengers were rescued by passing ships, but the Central America sank that night with 425 passengers and $2,189,000 in gold bullion from the San Francisco Mint. The loss helped fuel the Panic of 1857, which sent the nation into an economic recession that lasted into the Civil War.
In 1987 the wreck of the Central America was discovered in more than 8,000 feet of water depth, and treasure salvors recovered much of the gold bullion and coinage.
date made
1961
ship built
1852-1853
ship sank
1857-09-12
wreck discovered by treasure salvers
1987
owned ship
New York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Company
designer
Webb, William H.
maker
Webb, William H.
Boucher-Lewis Precision Models, Inc.
ID Number
TR.318465
catalog number
318465
accession number
236170
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.07
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.07
Original artwork, of the cover, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-19
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of the cover, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.01
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.01
Original artwork, of pages 14 and 15, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1
Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of pages 14 and 15, for the book Make Way for the Thruway, written by Caroline Emerson with illustrations by Tibor Gergely, and published by Golden Press in New York, New York, in 1961.

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) was captivated by art and culture at a young age. Known as a graphic illustrator and a caricature artist, Gergely’s early works documented Jewish life before the rise of Hitler. By 1939 the political situation in Europe was dire, and Gergely and his wife immigrated to America. They settled in New York and his love affair with the city never waned. He was enchanted with his new life in a postwar New York that included skyscrapers, rushing traffic and the excitement of life in the big city.

By 1940 Gergely was working for the American Artists and Writers Guild and became a popular illustrator for Little Golden Books, providing drawings for more than seventy books, including Tootle, Five Little Firemen, and Scuffy the Tugboat. His illustrations for The Taxi that Hurried and Make Way for the Thruway reflect the post war prosperity and idealism of the 1950s, including his portrayal of the celebrated automobile and the expanding highway system, both destined to bring dramatic social and cultural changes to American life.

Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1961
maker
Gergely, Tibor
ID Number
1992.0634.090.09
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.090.09
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.05
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.05

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