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 129 items.
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"Chacma" Barque
- Description
- Chacma was built in 1868 by W. Pile and Company in Sunderland, England. She measured 174 feet in length, 29 feet 2 inches in beam, 17 feet 9 inches in depth of hold, and 569 tons. Owned by John Hay, she traded between Sunderland and India under Captain Thorpe until 1890, when she was sold to Norwegians. The painting features Dover harbor and Dover Castle in the distance. The ship is flying a swallow tail flag. R.B Spencer was a British painter active between 1840 and 1874.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1868
- maker
- Spencer, R. B.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.052
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.052
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Print, Steamship General Meade of Boston
- Description
- Built by Pearse & Lockwood of Stockton-on-Tees, England, in August 1861, the blockade runner Bermuda (to be renamed General Meade) was chartered to Fraser, Trenholme & Co. The iron-hulled ship measured 211 feet long, 29 feet 7 inches wide, 21 feet 2 inches deep, and had a hold capacity of 893 tons. It had two engines making 135 hp and could reach speeds up to 10 knots with the help of its screw propeller. The Bermuda slipped safely thru the Northern blockade into Savannah, Georgia on September 18, 1861. During this trip it was bought by Henkel & Trenholme of Charleston, South Carolina. In February 1862 the Bermuda left Liverpool for the second time. On April 27, 1862 it was captured by U.S.S. Mercedita off the Bahamas. Sent to Philadelphia under a prize crew, the Bermuda was bought by the U.S. Navy Department for $120,000 in October 1862. Commissioned as U.S.S. Bermuda, it was given a three-gun battery and sent on blockade duty off Galveston, Texas. On August 14, 1863 it captured the British schooner Carmita, followed the next day by the British schooner Artist. On October 2, 1863 the schooner Florrie was seized, and on November 14, 1863 it recaptured a small American schooner off the Florida coast. At the end of the war in September 1865, the Bermuda was sold to Samuel C. Cook for $61,000. William F. Weld & Co. of Boston purchased it in 1868, renamed it General Meade and ran it between Boston, New York, Wilmington, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina under Capt. A.W. Sampson. The ship also occasionally ran to New Orleans and sometimes as far as Borneo. After the 1874 dissolution of the Weld firm, the General Meade was bought by F. Baker, one of the former partners. He sold it in 1878 to the Canadian Quebec & Gulf Ports SS Co. Renamed Bahamas, the steamer sailed out of Quebec in the summer, while during the winter it sailed from New York to the West Indies.
- On February 4, 1882, the Bahamas left San Juan with a full hold. At midnight on February 9 it was struck by a terrific hurricane. At 3:00 AM it was thrown on its beam ends; water poured into the engine room and extinguished the fires. The life-boats were lowered. The captain's boat with 20 people capsized, and all were lost. The other boat held 13 (11 crew and 2 passengers); three crew refused to leave the ship, which went down a few hours later. At 12:30 PM February 10, 1822 the surviving life-boat was sighted by the ship Glenmorag, and the survivors were brought to New York on February 15, 1882.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- Between 1848 and 1891
- maker
- William Endicott and Company
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.097
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.097
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Print, Mischief vs. Atlanta, America's Cup, 1881
- Description
- This print is very similar to an 1884 watercolor by Frederick S. Cozzens entitled For the America's Cup, The Start showing the Mischief and the Atlanta in the Fifth America's Cup Race on November 11, 1881.
- The original painting depicts the start of the race between the Atlanta and the Mischief. The 1881 challenge was received from Captain Alexander Cuthbert, who had designed and built the centerboard sloop Atlanta for the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club owners in Belleville, Ontario. Atlanta was plagued by a lack of funds and sailed to New York via the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. Stripped of its spars, the yacht was heeled over as far as possible on the bilge to permit passage through the locks, which was bad for the hull's structural integrity.
- Mischief, an iron sloop owned by J. R. Busk of New York and designed by A. Cary Smith, was chosen to be the defender. Built by Harlan & Hollingsworth, it was deeper than most of its competition. It was nicknamed “The Iron Pot," because it was the second all-metal yacht built in the U.S.
- The first match race on November 9, 1881 was started off Manhattan; Mischief won by thirty-eight minutes. Cozzens pictured the start of the third and final race, which was held off Staten Island.
- One of the onlookers described the start of this race: "Just before the start, storm clouds began to gather over the hills and the Island and with such a threatening look that both yachts made preparations for a heavy squall; but with a splatter of rain this burst over and shaking out the reefs, both waited for the preparatory signal. Atlanta, having no windlass, was a long time in picking up its anchor and getting under way and when, at last, it stood toward the line, another light squall knocked the ship over so far that its lee-rail dipped and its sailing master was forced to take in the gaff top sail which had just been set. Both boats maneuvered a little bit at first, running down to the line and going about. Mischief crossed with a good headway and the Atlanta a little over a minute later." In the end, Mischief victoriously defended the America's cup challenge.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1882
- artist
- Cozzens, Frederic Schiller
- maker
- Caldwell Litho. Co.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.098
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.098
- accession number
- 2006.0279
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Print, Rounding the Lightship
- Description
- The original of this 1883 lithograph titled Rounding the Lightship was painted by Frederic S. Cozzens. It shows several racing yachts rounding a lightship being used as a mark for a race course. The exact location of the race is not known, but most contemporary races started in New York Bay, proceeded down through the Narrows to either the Sandy Hook or Scotland lightship, then returned the way they had come. Yacht racing decreased quickly in the New York area in the early 20th century, due to an increase in commercial traffic and the increasingly polluted waters. A stern view of the yacht Fanny is in the left foreground. Fanny was a large centerboard sloop, 72 feet long, 23 feet 9 inches wide and weighed 49 tons. It was designed by D.O. Richmond of Mystic, CT in 1873 and built in 1874. Its official number was 120134. The yacht was owned by W.R. Travers of New York, and it frequently participated in races in New York Bay. It frequently won because of its exceptional crew. The yacht Gracie is shown broadside in the right foreground. Gracie was a large shallow centerboard sloop, 79 feet long by 21 feet wide and weighed 49 tons. It was designed and built by Mr. Polhemus in Nyack, NY in 1868. Its official number was 10902. The yacht was owned by C.R. Flint and J.P. Earle, both of New York. It was rebuilt several times, twice to be lengthened, and once completely rebuilt and rerigged with a double headsail rig by David Carll. Gracie had more victories than any other single-masted vessel of the area. The third yacht shown is Rover, just coming into view bow-first on the right. Rover was a centerboard sloop that measured 45 feet 6 inches long by 15 feet wide. It was designed and built by Mr. Piepgrass at Greenpoint, NY in 1880, and owned by W.E. Iselin of New York. To the far right a large steamship is visible. This was most likely a spectator vessel. Behind this is a smaller steamer, apparently a tug, containing the race officials.
- Frederic S. Cozzens (1846-1928) was an American marine painter famous for his large portfolio of yacht racing lithographs. He lived in Staten Island and exhibited with the Boston Art Club, the Mystic Seaport Association, and the Brooklyn Art Association.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1883
- maker
- Cozzens, Frederic Schiller
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.117
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.117
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Print, Under the Palisades
- Description
- The original of this 1883 chromolithograph titled Under the Palisades was painted by Frederic S. Cozzens. It shows two large iron-hulled yachts at anchor beside the Palisades along the Hudson River, and a smaller boat sailing in the foreground. The smaller of the two yachts is the iron screw steamer Stranger. Built in 1881 by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia, at the time the yacht was the pinnacle of yacht construction. Stranger measured 185 feet long, 23 feet wide, 9 feet 3½ inches deep and weighed 247 tons. Averaging 15 knots, its owner George Osgood of New York astounded his friends by breakfasting in Newport, RI, then sailing to New York City in time for dinner. The yacht was sold to E. S. Jaffrey by 1886, and again sold to George S. Scott. It was then purchased in 1890 by H.C. Hoagland of New York, NY for $75,000. In 1893 it was sold to George Lewis, Jr. and his wife Mary. The larger yacht is Atlanta. Built in 1883 at a cost of $250,000, also by William Cramp and Sons, this 248 foot long, 508-ton yacht was capable of speeds exceeding 20 knots with its 1,400 hp engines. It was owned by Jay Gould, a leading American railroad developer and speculator. Vastly exceeding the splendor of Stranger, Atlanta was fitted with magnificent hardwood saloons and staterooms. Underneath the hardwood floors in the staterooms were fitted porcelain bathtubs that could be filled with either heated fresh or salt water. They were accessible by means of removable floor panels, which saved the room's occupant from the inconvenience of leaving his room if he desired a bath. In a 95-mile race from Larchmont to New London, Atlanta finished 11 minutes ahead of Stranger. In 1894 the yacht was bought by George Gould for $100,000. In the foreground, the small iron screw steamer Rover sails by.
- It was built in 1883 by the American Ship Company of Philadelphia, owned by Commander Henry Honychurch Gorringe, a Civil War hero who had several years before brought Cleopatra's Needle, an ancient Egyptian stone monument, to New York. Frederic S. Cozzens (1846-1928) was an American marine painter famous for his large portfolio of yacht racing lithographs. He lived in Staten Island and exhibited with the Boston Art Club, the Mystic Seaport Association, and the Brooklyn Art Association.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1884
- artist
- Cozzens, Frederic Schiller
- maker
- Charles Scribner's Sons
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.118
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.118
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Presentation Vase
- Description
- This elegant silver vase was presented to Willard A. Smith, Chief of the Department of Transportation exhibits at the World’s Colombian Exposition in 1893. The Exposition was held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s “discovery” of America. The Exposition was a great success as a world’s fair, and demonstrated to the international community that Chicago had recovered from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
- Presenting silver objects has always been a means of expressing gratitude and acknowledging deeds and accomplishments in American culture. It took Tiffany & Co. six months to construct this costly Art Nouveau style vase. Its decoration takes the form of the Transportation Building. The distinct semi-circular arches are the work of architect James Sullivan, who designed the building that housed the Department of Transportation exhibits. Medallions circling the vase celebrate the progress in the modes of land and water transportation, while representations of the Department of Transportation exhibitions adorn the vase as well.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1894
- user
- Smith, Willard A.
- maker
- Tiffany & Co.
- ID Number
- DL*63.821
- catalog number
- 63.821
- 63.281
- accession number
- 245502
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scrimshaw Candle Lantern
- Description
- Made of whalebone and copper, this candle lantern was designed to hold a single candle, the stub of which is still visible in the turned socket on the base. The base is pierced with four square holes to introduce a draft; the glass sides prevented the outside air from blowing out the candle. Each of the bone corner posts has shallow, faint wavy lines engraved into its sides, and the top is made of four curved and pierced sections of bone covered and pinned together by narrow strips of copper, like the ridge of a house. The little copper top is pierced to let the candle smoke out.
- All four roof panels are engraved differently. One side has an unidentified ship engraved into its surface; the panel to the right is engraved with the double-entendre “•HAPPY•IS•HE•WHO•FINDETH•LIGHT•” The panel opposite the ship is carved “+JOHN+DENTON+” and the last panel is engraved “*1859.*”
- Although there is a candle stub in the lantern, the absence of smoke inside the roof suggests that the lantern was too precious to its owner(s) to see much use.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1978.0052.04
- accession number
- 1978.0052
- catalog number
- 1978.52.4
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scrimshaw Sperm Whale’s Tooth, Mid-19th Century
- Description
- The pictures carved on whales’ teeth by scrimshaw artists commonly fall into a group of simple categories, like ships, whales, patriotic scenes, women, shorelines, and the like. Sometimes a tooth’s carving will tell a simple story about danger, loneliness, love or war. Other times, the tale that a tooth tells is lost in time, perhaps forever. This little tooth may be one of the latter. On the top of one side are two outlined flags: on the left is an American flag, and on the right is a flag with a large “M” on it. Both are waving in the wind. Below are the words “OUR COMPROMISE” in two lines. At the bottom is a small cannon on a truck, or carriage. The truck construction indicates that it is a land weapon rather than a ship armament. The depth of the gun etching is much deeper than the flags, perhaps indicating a different artist. Although it is polished and prepared for carving, the other side of the tooth is not decorated. The lack of a date or any other identifying factors makes it almost impossible to decipher the artist’s message to us from an earlier time. Was it a private message to a friend or lover, a political statement, a military event.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1978.0052.39
- accession number
- 1978.0052
- catalog number
- 1978.52.39
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Plastic Scrimshaw Tooth (Fakeshaw), Late 20th Century
- Description
- This modern polymer tooth, or “fakeshaw”, was collected for comparative purposes. In recent years, authentic whale ivory and bone scrimshaw has become valuable on the folk art market. In the 1970s, companies began casting plastic replica scrimshaw teeth and other objects, usually with very elaborate scenes, dates and inscriptions. Many of these have made their way into antique shops and flea markets, where they are sold as authentic folk art instead of modern reproductions.
- On one side of this tooth, there is a vertical portrait of Napoleon, inscribed with his name on the bottom. On the other side is a horizontal scene of a three-man gun crew hauling a loaded cannon up to a gun port on a lower deck of a warship. This side has “1815” inscribed below the men.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1998.0004.01
- catalog number
- 1998.0004.01
- accession number
- 1998.0004
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Painting, An Offshore Breeze, Isles of Shoals, Maine
- Description
- Mauritz Frederic Henri De Haas was born in Rotterdam, Holland, studied art at the Rotterdam Academy and served as official painter to the Dutch Navy. He emigrated to New York in 1859, shortly after his older brother Willem Frederick (1830-1880), also an artist, had done the same. During the Civil War, De Haas painted several naval actions for Admiral David Farragut; he won medals for three of his artworks at the 1876 Centennial, which helped bolster his reputation. He also exhibited a painting of Niagara Falls at the 1878 Paris Exposition.
- This painting portrays waves breaking on a short section of the rocky coastline of Isles of Shoals, a popular subject for him and other painters of the mid-19th century. In the distance are two unnamed steamers, identifiable by their lack of sail, while in the middle a small gaff-rigged sailboat-either a fishing boat or coastal cargo vessel-is visible under an approaching squall. The whitecaps on the tops of the waves show that it is a windy day out on the water.
- A few miles off the southern coast of Maine, the nine Isles of Shoals served as a perfect camp for generations of New England fishermen starting in the early 17th century. The islands were shared between New Hampshire and Maine in the mid-17th century. They may be named after the local schools or "shoals" of fish, rather than any shallow waters.
- The original Baroque-style frame for this piece is said to have been designed by De Haas himself. CIGNA's predecessor company acquired the painting in 1988.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1882
- maker
- De Haas, Mauritz F.H.
- ID Number
- 2005.0279.001
- accession number
- 2005.0279
- catalog number
- 2005.0279.001
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center