Transportation - Overview
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.
"Transportation - Overview" showing 5 items.
Painting Bombarick Rock
- Description
- Psyche was a brig of war belonging to the British East India Company's private navy. It carried 32 guns and was commanded by Captain Edgecombe. Piracy was a constant danger, so besides carrying marine insurance, some bigger companies employed their own private navies to help ward off attack. The picture shows the East India Company's brig of war Psyche attacking and chasing Arab pirates around Bombarick rock in the Persian Gulf on September 13, 1816.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1840
- maker
- Hornbrook, Thomas L.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.056
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.056
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Painting, Gulf of Persia
- Description
- The painting shows six large ships docked in a bay in the Persian Gulf. In the background are seen a palm tree beach and mountainous terrain. To the right, smoke is emerging from a fortress. Two manned long boats are also present. This painting is believed to depict a combined British land and sea force capturing and destroying the pirate stronghold Iswasnee in the Persian Gulf on July 3, 1810. Thomas L. Hornbrook (1780-1850) was born in Plymouth, England. Hornbrook specialized in scenes depicting British trading vessels. He became the official marine painter for both the Dutchess of Kent and Queen Victoria. His signature appears on a piece of wood floating in the foreground of his paintings. He possibly visited the East Indies between 1806 and 1810.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 19th century
- maker
- Hornbrook, Thomas L.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.057
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.057
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Painting, Cape Comorin
- Description
- The brig Rappler was in the British East India Company's private navy. Piracy was a constant danger, so besides carrying marine insurance, some larger companies employed their own private navies to help ward off attack. Piemontaise was a French frigate that cruised the Indian Ocean from 1806 to 1808 and disrupted British trade. After taking several British ships during its time in the East Indies, it was captured on March 8, 1808 by the British ship San Fiorenzo and integrated into the Royal Navy. Thomas L. Hornbrook (1780-1850) was born in Plymouth, England. Hornbrook specialized in scenes depicting British trading vessels. He became the official marine painter for both the Dutchess of Kent and Queen Victoria. His signature appears on pieces of wood floating in the foreground of his paintings. He possibly visited the East Indies between 1806 and 1810.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1840
- maker
- Hornbrook, Thomas L.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.058
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.058
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Painting, Muscat
- Description
- The painting shows a view of Muscat Harbor, on the Gulf of Oman on the southeast coast of Arabia. Entering the fortified harbor is a pirate galley, flying a red flag.
- Thomas L. Hornbrook (1780-1850) was born in Plymouth, England. He specialized in scenes depicting British trading vessels. He became the official marine painter for both the Duchess of Kent and Queen Victoria. Typically, his signature appears on a piece of wood floating in the foreground found in most of his paintings. He possibly visited the East Indies between 1806 and 1810.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1850
- maker
- Hornbrook, Thomas L.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.059
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.059
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Painting, Shenaz
- Description
- Nautilus was a 12-gun brig of war in the British East India Company's private navy. The painting shows the Nautilus fighting off four Arab pirate ships, under Commander Walker on October 18, 1808. Shinas is a village on the Gulf of Oman north of Suhar.
- Thomas L. Hornbrook (1780-1850) was born in Plymouth, England. He possibly visited the East Indies between 1806 and 1810. Hornbrook specialized in scenes depicting British trading vessels. He became the official marine painter for both the Dutchess of Kent and Queen Victoria. His signature appears on pieces of wood floating in the foreground of his paintings.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1840
- maker
- Hornbrook, Thomas L.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.060
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.060
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center