TOOL CHESTS: Symbol and Servant


Curators: Peter Liebhold and David Shayt.


The look of tool chests can tell us much about workers and workplaces. While their purpose is to organize, carry, and protect tools, these chests also suggest what workers think of themselves and how society measures the value of their work.


toolbox map

Click on the map for more detailed information and pictures, or select one of the following links below:




National Museum of American History

This Web exhibit produced by Roman Gollent