This revolving steel frame was made by the Turn-Auto Corporation, of New York around 1923. The frame was used to turn an automobile on its side so that a mechanic could work on the chassis. This particular Turn -Auto device was used in Brozek's Garage in Brooklyn, New YOrk from 1923 to about 1933.
Early cars required frequent maintenance and repairs. Many machinists, blacksmiths and auto repair shops used inventions like the turn-auto to make the professional mechanic's life easier.
The Hamilton Watch Company made this model 950 railroad conductor’s watch around 1918. The 16-size watch has 23 Jewels, Motor Barrel 1634902, and was adjustable to five positions. Good pocket watches of high accuracy became badges of office for railroaders. A railroad employee bought the finest he could afford. Among the brand names of 'Railroad Grade' watches celebrated among railroaders were Hamilton, Illinois, Elgin, Howard, and Waltham. The high-quality of a railroad standard watch was critical in the safe operations of trains.
The conductor was the chief officer in charge of any train. At initial departure and station stops the engineer had to await clearance from the conductor before starting. It was always important that the conductor and engineer kept the same time throughout a run. All train operating crew (conductor, engineer, trainmen, fireman) set their watches to a 'standard clock' maintained to accurate standard time by the railroad at the office where employees signed-in each day. Railroads issued standards in their operating-rule books that specified the degree of accuracy or the number of jewels in the mechanism (17 jewels was usually the minimum). At specified intervals, watches were to be submitted to a railroad-company designated 'watch inspector,' normally an independent jeweler on contract. The employee kept his watch inspection record current.
In 1883, railroads brought standardized 'Railroad Time' and the four time zones we know today to the U.S. Before then, cities kept their own local time; noon was set to the sun's passage at zenith. The plethora of times made things extremely difficult for long-distance travelers when there were several intermediate trains to catch. And for railroads by the early 1880s, the safe coordination of interstate trains had become impossible; there were several crashes each involving two trains keeping different times. It took Congress another quarter-century to codify 'Standard Time' and the four zones as national standards.
Chicago Transit Authority car # 6719 is a rapid transit rail car made by the St. Louis Car Company in 1959, and delivered to the Chicago Transit Authority July 22, 1959. CTA car 6719 was in revenue operation for about 30 years, then used as a work train by CTA for a number of years. The National Museum of American History purchased the car at scrap valuation in December 1999 for the America on the Move Exhibit. Car 6719 is the "A" car of a permanently coupled pair and contains the motorman's cab.
The 6000-series railcars have been called the "workhorses" of the Chicago Transit Authority. Except for a handful of prototype cars developed in the late 1940s, the CTA was using rail cars built in the 'teens and twenties until the first 6000-series cars were delivered in 1950. Over seven hundred of the 6000-series cars were put into service by the CTA between 1950 and 1959. These cars ran throughout the elevated and subway system, serving Chicago commuters until 1992.
This is a ¼-inch scale model of the Hendrick Hudson steamboat. The Marvel Shipbuilding Company built the side-wheel excursion steamer Hendrick Hudson at Newburgh, New York for the Hudson River Day Line in 1906. The steamer's steel hull was 400 feet long overall, with a beam of 45.1 feet at the gunwales and 82 feet over the guards. Its depth in the hold was 13.4 feet, and the draft was 7.5 feet. The Hendrick Hudson was powered by a 3-cylinder compound direct-acting engine of 6200 horsepower. Licensed to carry 5500 passengers, the Hendrick Hudson operated on the New York City to Albany run until 1948. In 1951 the steamer was towed to Philadelphia and broken up.
The Hendrick Hudson model was first displayed at the Smithsonian in 1928.
The Overman Wheel Company of Boston, Massachusetts produced this Victoria Model bicycle during the 1890s. The bicycle bears a nameplate carrying patent dates ranging fThe Overman Wheel Company of Boston, Massachusetts produced this Victoria Model bicycle during the 1890s. The bicycle bears a nameplate carrying patent dates ranging from Nov. 20, 1877 to July 9, 1889. The safety bicycle with two wheels of equal size replaced the high wheeler (penny-farthing) when it was introduced to the US from England in 1887. Unlike the earlier high-wheeled bicycles, the drop frame style of the safety bicycle allowed women to ride by accommodating their skirts.
The 1890s saw a great boom in bicycling. As the first personal mechanical mode of transportation, the bicycle gave both men and women a thrilling sense of freedom. Cycling was a popular way to get around the city, and on weekends many bike enthusiasts went for rides in the country. Bicyclists played a major role in lobbying for road improvements.
The Theft Warning Auto-Lock Corporation manufactured this locking device during the early 1920s. The lock attaches to the wheel of an automobile, sounding an alarm if the wheel moves and preventing the full rotation of the tire.
A Southern Railway locomotive inspector used this kerosene torch to inspect parts of a steam locomotive when natural light was inadequate. The a wick was stuffed into the spout that led into the kerosene-filled well of the vessel. A hollow handle allowed the torch to be carried.
Part of a small array of hand tools displayed in "America On The Move" - such tools were used in the inspection and repair of steam locomotives. Light repairs on steam locomotives were usually done in roundhouses at the many small locomotive terminals throughout a railroad's system; heavy repairs were done in a large, centralized repair shop serving the whole system (often referred to as the "Back Shop"). Most of these tools date from the early- to the mid-20th century, roughly 1900-1955.
The Kawasaki Motors Corporation produced this KZ900 C-2 Police Model motorcycle in the company’s U.S. plant in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1976. The model was designed in cooperation with Kawasaki, police departments, and the automotive designer and race car driver Dan Gurney. The California Highway Patrol has used different makes of motorcycles. The department purchased Kawasaki motorcycles during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The last CHP Kawasaki debuted in 1999. The California Highway Patrol donated the motorcycle to the Smithsonian Institution for the "America on the Move" exhibit.
Pat Hargrove used this valve tool set to help prepare racing cars during the 1930s. While many owners performed minor repairs for convenience, and savings, others used tools to improve the performance of their cars.
This sign stood along I-10 in the El Paso highway district of Texas. The sign is in the shape of a shield cut out of aluminum sign blank (sheet of metal which comes in different gauges). Typical reflective red and blue with white lettering and striping.
Candace Lightner founded MADD in 1980 after a driver who had been drinking killed her daughter Cari. The front side has a white background with text and a Christian Cross in black and a little flower in pink, red, and green. The text reads "CARI LIGHTNER MAY 3 1980" at the top and "MADD" at the bottom. The exact origin of the plaque (who presented it) is unknown.
Vehicle restriction sign used on Texas Interstate 10 in the El Paso Division. Sign states "Pedestrians, Animal Drawn Vehicles/ Motorcycles less than 5 H. P. Prohibited" Reflective, white with black lettering and stripping. Black lettering was stenciled, brush marks noticeable. Drivers were reminded that not all vehicles were safe on the new interstate highways, which had been built for speed.
This time book was kept by ILWU Local 10 longshoreman Herb Mills. It contains his handwritten notes concerning the ships he loaded and unloaded, the types of cargo, hours worked, meetings attended, and other information. This is one of eleven time and date books from the 1960s and 1970s donated to the museum by Mills.
This Kansas license plate was used around 1924. The state of Kansas first issued license plates in 1913, but didn't put the year on them until 1921. Before then, the state changed the shape and location of the "KAN" abbreviation or changed the color to differentiate between years.
As the number of motor vehicles reached tens of thousands, state and local governments assumed a new power: authorizing vehicles and drivers. In 1901, New York became the first state to register automobiles; by 1918 all states required license plates.
This automobile license belonged to Honor Youngs of Chicago, Illinois around 1901. In Illinois, vehicles were registered on a city level until 1907. Illinois began to require statewide vehicle registration in 1907, but did not issue plates until 1911.
As the number of motor vehicles reached tens of thousands, state and local governments assumed a new power: authorizing vehicles and drivers. In 1901, New York became the first state to register automobiles; by 1918 all states required license plates.
Lawrence W. Davis used this clothes brush during his career as a Pullman Porter from 1925 until his retirement in the 1960s.
Pullman cars were almost all sleeping cars with "sections" that converted from day seating to night-time berths, usually with a few separate, small rooms with their own toilet and sink. Each Pullman porter—one assigned per car—were on call throughout the day and night to serve their passengers. While the hours were stressful, pay was good because of union bargaining, especially when compared to many other jobs open to African Americans before the late 1960s. At home, porters were frequently leaders in their communities.