Industry & Manufacturing - Overview
The Museum's collections document centuries of remarkable changes in products, manufacturing processes, and the role of industry in American life. In the bargain, they preserve artifacts of great ingenuity, intricacy, and sometimes beauty.
The carding and spinning machinery built by Samuel Slater about 1790 helped establish the New England textile industry. Nylon-manufacturing machinery in the collections helped remake the same industry more than a century later. Machine tools from the 1850s are joined by a machine that produces computer chips. Thousands of patent models document the creativity of American innovators over more than 200 years.
The collections reach far beyond tools and machines. Some 460 episodes of the television series Industry on Parade celebrate American industry in the 1950s. Numerous photographic collections are a reminder of the scale and even the glamour of American industry.
"Industry & Manufacturing - Overview" showing 8 items.
Scovill Agent Pin
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this pin around the middle of the 19th century. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer that is still in business today. Scovill is an important example of early American industrial manufacturing that adapted armory machines to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- This pin has a “S” in the center and reads “SCOVILL” across the center, and “AGENT” below.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1558
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1558
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scovill Agent Pin
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this pin around the middle of the 19th century. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer that is still in business today. Scovill is an important example of early American industrial manufacturing that adapted armory machines to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- This pin has a “S” in the center colored blue, and reads “SCOVILL” across the center with a red background, and “AGENT” below on blue background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1559
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1559
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scovill Service Award Pin
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this pin around the middle of the 19th century. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer that is still in business today. Scovill is an important example of early American industrial manufacturing that adapted armory machines to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- This pin has a “S” in the center with a blue background, and reads “SCOVILL” across the center. “SERVICE AWARD” is written at the bottom.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1560
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1560
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scovill Service Award Pin
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this pin around the middle of the 19th century. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer that is still in business today. Scovill is an important example of early American industrial manufacturing that adapted armory machines to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- This pin has an “S” in the center with a blue background, and reads “SCOVILL” across the center. “SERVICE AWARD” is written at the bottom.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1561
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1561
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scovill Service Award Pin
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this pin around the middle of the 19th century. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer that is still in business today. Scovill is an important example of early American industrial manufacturing that adapted armory machines to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- This pin has an “S” in the center with a blue background, and reads “SCOVILL” across the center. “SERVICE AWARD” is written at the bottom, and there is a small jewel at the top.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1562
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1562
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Scovill Service Award Pin
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this pin around the middle of the 19th century. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer that is still in business today. Scovill is an important example of early American industrial manufacturing that adapted armory machines to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- This pin has an “S” in the center with a blue background, and reads “SCOVILL” across the center. “SERVICE AWARD” is written at the bottom, and there is a small jewel at the top and sides of the pin.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1563
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1563
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Westinghouse World's Fair Pin
- Description (Brief)
- Souvenir pin commemorating the New York World's Fair (1939-1940.) The pin features the Westinghouse Electric Company's robotic mascot "Elektro."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1939
- ID Number
- 1989.0438.1482A
- catalog number
- 1989.0438.1482A
- accession number
- 1989.0438
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Futurama World's Fair Pin
- Description (Brief)
- Pin commemorating the New York World's Fair, held in Queens, 1939-1940. It reads " have seen the Future, General Motors Futurama."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1939-1940
- date made
- 1964
- ID Number
- 1990.0542.1674
- accession number
- 1990.0542
- catalog number
- 1990.0542.1674
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center