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 3 items.
- No Image Available
Grand Central Terminal Collection, 1831-1978 (bulk 1903-1933)
- Notes
- New York City's Grand Central Terminal was constructed between 1903 and 1913. It replaced an earlier and smaller depot at the same location
- Twelve photographs in this collection, donated by Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley in 1965, may have been taken by his grandfather, J. Dwight Ripley, who was "in charge of the contract to build the Grand Central Tunnel under Park Ave. These were photos of his taken at time of the construction," according to an undated handwritten note from Ripley accompanying the donation
- Summary
- Records include linen tracings, blueprints, and sketches made during time of construction; Construction Committee minute book, 1916; bound statements of cost of work; contract estimates, 1903-1933; miscellaneous photographs; histories of Grand Central Terminal; contractors' daily reports, 1914; miscellaneous printed agreements between railroad & city
- Cite as
- Grand Central Terminal Collection, 1831-1978 (bulk 1903-1933)
- Date
- 1831
- 1831-1978
- 1831-1978 bulk 1903-1933
- 19th century
- 20th century
- 1900-1950
- donor
- Morrison, Donald H
- Ripley, Sidney Dillon 1913-2001
- collector
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of [former name], NMAH, SI
- Subject
- Grand Central Terminal
- Local number
- 259,268 (NMAH Acc.)
- 1981.0598 (NMAH Acc.)
- 2007.3213 (NMAH Acc.)
- 2007.3219 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Clayton M. Hall Railroad Photonegatives, 1936-1965
- Notes
- Photographer
- Summary
- Photographic negatives of steam locomotives, mostly taken in rail stations and rail yards. Geographically they cover most of the United States
- Cite as
- Clayton M. Hall Railroad Photonegatives, 1936-1965, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1936
- 1936-1965
- 20th century
- photographer
- Hall, Clayton M
- collector
- History of Technology, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 299049 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Harry A. McBride Railroad Photographs, ca. 1940s-1950s
- Notes
- McBride was a foreign service officer and museum official. He was also a railroad enthusiast
- Summary
- Approxiamtely 3,000 views of railroads, railroad equipment, stations, yards and employees. The emphasis is on American railroads, but the collection includes a few views of railroad subjects in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, and several island nations
- Cite as
- Harry A. McBride Railroad Photographs, 1940s-1950s, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1940
- 1960
- ca 1940s-1950s
- 20th century
- 1940-1970
- photographer
- McBride, Harry A
- collector
- Transportation, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Work and Industry, Division of, NMAH, SI
- Local number
- 228816 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH