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 13 items.
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Chromolithograph of "Colorado Desert and Signal Mountain"
- Description
- This chromolithograph of “Colorado Desert and Signal Mountain” was originally drawn by Charles Koppel and printed as Plate XI in the first report of volume V of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Explorations In California for Railroad Routes, to Connect with the Routes near the 35th and 32nd Parallels of North Latitude.” The volume was printed in 1856 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1856
- original artist
- Koppel, Charles
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- author
- Williamson, Robert Stockton
- printer
- Tucker, Beverley
- graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*10729.26
- accession number
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of "Fort Massachusetts at the Foot of the Sierra Blanca Valley of San Luis"
- Description
- Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this chromolithograph of “Fort Massachusetts at the Foot of the Sierra Blanca Valley of San Luis” originally drawn by R.H. Kern (1821–1853) of Philadelphia and drafted by John M. Stanley (1814–1872) of Detroit (1834–1840, 1864–1872) and Washington, D.C. (1850–1860). The illustration was printed in the “Report, by Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery, upon the Route near the Thirty–Eighth and Thirty–Ninth Parallels, Explored by Captain J. W. Gunnison, Corps Topographical Engineers” of volume II of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. The volume was printed in 1855 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1855
- engraver
- Stanley, John Mix
- artist
- Kern, Richard H.
- printer
- Sinclair, T.
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- author
- Beckwith, Edward Griffin
- Gunnison, John Williams
- printer
- Tucker, Beverley
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*10729.27
- accession number
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of "Mirage on the Colorado Desert"
- Description
- This chromolithograph of “Mirage on the Colorado Desert” was originally drawn by William P. Blake (1826–1910), the mineralogist and geologist of the expedition. It was printed as "Geology, Plate XII" in the geological report of the second part of volume V of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “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” by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1856
- 1857
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Tucker, Beverley
- expedition leader
- Williamson, Robert Stockton
- author
- Blake, William Phipps
- original artist
- Blake, William Phipps
- graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*10729.32
- accession number
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of "Great Basin from the Summit of Tejon Pass"
- Description
- This chromolithograph of “Great Basin from the Summit of Tejon Pass” was originally drawn by William P. Blake (1826–1910), the mineralogist and geologist of the expedition. It was printed as "Geology, Plate V" in the geological report of the second part of volume V of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “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” written by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1856
- 1857
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Tucker, Beverley
- author
- Williamson, Robert Stockton
- Blake, William Phipps
- original artist
- Blake, William Phipps
- graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*10729.33
- accession number
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of "Los Angeles"
- Description
- This chromolithograph of “Los Angeles” was originally drawn by Charles Koppel. It was printed as Plate X in the first report of volume V of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “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 1857 by Beverley Tucker in 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
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of "Metamorphic Rocks-Borders of the Desert"
- Description
- This chromolithograph of “Metamorphic Rocks — Borders of the Desert” was originally drawn by William P. Blake (1826–1910), the mineralogist and geologist of the expedition. It was printed as "Geology Plate XIII" in the geological report of volume V of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “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” by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1856
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Tucker, Beverley
- graphic artist
- unknown
- original artist
- Blake, William Phipps
- author
- Blake, William Phipps
- Williamson, Robert Stockton
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*10729.37
- accession number
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chromolithograph of "Mission and Plain of San Fernando"
- Description
- This chromolithograph of “Mission and Plain of San Fernando” was originally drawn by Charles Koppel. It was printed as Plate VI in the geological report of volume V of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “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” written by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1856
- 1857
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Tucker, Beverley
- author
- Williamson, Robert Stockton
- Blake, William Phipps
- original artist
- Koppel, Charles
- graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*10729.38
- accession number
- 1918.62261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Buteo calurus"
- Description
- This lithograph of “Buteo calurus [Cassin]," now "Buteo jamaicensis calurus" or Red–tailed hawk, was drawn by an unknown artist and printed as Plate XIV in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Lieut. E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery, upon Explorations for a Railroad Route, near the 38th and 39th Parallels of North Latitude, by Captain J. W. Gunnison, Corps of Topographical Engineers, and near the Forty–First Parallel of North Latitude, by Lieut. E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery.” Though the zoological report was prepared by 1854, the volume was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date on report
- 1854
- date printed in book
- 1859
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- author
- Beckwith, Edward Griffin
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- original artist and graphic artist
- unknown
- ID Number
- GA*16332.017
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- catalog number
- 16332.017
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of "South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley"
- Description
- This lithograph of “South End of S. Inez Mountains & S. Buenaventura Valley” was originally drawn by A.H. Campbell. It was printed in the first report of volume VII of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Explorations for Railroad Routes San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles, West of the Coast Range, and from the Pimas Villages on the Gila to the Rio Grande, near the 32nd Parallel of North Latitude, Lieutenant John G. Parke, Corps of Topographical Engineers, Assisted by Albert H. Campbell, Civil Engineer.” The volume was printed in 1857 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- printer
- 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
- unknown
- ID Number
- GA*16332.048
- catalog number
- 16332.048
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Buteo elegans"
- Description
- This hand–colored lithograph of “Buteo elegans [Cassin],” now "Buteo lineatus elegans" or Red–shouldered hawk, was drawn by an unknown artist. It was printed as Plate II in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “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.” Though the zoological report was ready in 1853, volume X was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of section
- 1853
- 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.
- graphic artist and original artist
- unknown
- ID Number
- GA*16332.067
- catalog number
- 16332.067
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center