Communications
Tools of communication have transformed American society time and again over the past two centuries. The Museum has preserved many instruments of these changes, from printing presses to personal digital assistants.
The collections include hundreds of artifacts from the printing trade and related fields, including papermaking equipment, wood and metal type collections, bookbinding tools, and typesetting machines. Benjamin Franklin is said to have used one of the printing presses in the collection in 1726.
More than 7,000 objects chart the evolution of electronic communications, including the original telegraph of Samuel Morse and Alexander Graham Bell's early telephones. Radios, televisions, tape recorders, and the tools of the computer age are part of the collections, along with wireless phones and a satellite tracking system.
4,837
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A Lady Reading
- Description
- Mezzotint after original painting by Ferdinand Bol once in the Gallery at Houghton. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, with descriptive title Portrait of an Old Woman with a Book. Print removed from George P. Marsh's copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1. Pencil note on mounting sheet indicates print was taken out for Cincinnati Exhibition, 1888.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1775
- engraver
- Earlom, Richard
- delineator
- Farington, George
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- original artist
- Bol, Ferdinand
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.02.57
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.02.57
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Goats
- Description
- Late impression or copy.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 17th century
- maker
- Berchem, Nicolaes
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.20
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.20
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Mystic Marriage of St. Catharine
- Description
- Mezzotint after original painting by Giulio Cesare Procaccini (once attributed to his brother Camillo Procaccini), formerly at Houghton Hall, Norfolk,England. Current location of the original is State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Print tipped onto sheet bound in George P. Marsh's copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1775
- artist attribution
- Procaccini, Camillo
- delineator
- Boydell, Josiah
- engraver
- Green, Valentine
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- original artist
- Procaccini, Giulio Cesare
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.02.36
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.02.36
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Holy Family
- Description
- Mezzotint after painting by Matteo Ponzone, once in the Cabinet at Houghton. Now in Pavlovsk Palace State Museum, St Petersburg. Print tipped onto sheet bound in George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1776
- engraver
- Green, Valentine
- delineator
- Farington, George
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- original artist
- Ponzone, Matteo
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.02.63
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.02.63
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Rearing Horse
- Description
- Mezzotint after painting attributed to Anthony Van Dyck but now given to Rubens, once in the Small Breakfast Room at Houghton. Sent to the Hermitage Palace in 1779; sold 1931; now in private collection. Print tipped onto sheet bound in George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1. At Houghton Hall the painting was hung as a pair with A Greyhound’s Head by Wyck, and the two prints were mounted on the same page in the volume.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1777
- artist attribution
- Van Dyck, Anthony
- engraver
- Earlom, Richard
- delineator
- Farington, Joseph
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- artist attribution
- Rubens, Peter Paul
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.02.73
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.02.73
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Virgin and Infant Jesus Asleep
- Description
- Stipple engraving after painting by Sebastiano Conca once in the Cabinet at Houghton. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Print tipped onto sheet bound in George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 1. Impressions of this print were mistakenly included in both volumes of Marsh's set. The more typical location of the print was in vol. 2 according to the order given in the checklist of the contents of the Houghton Gallery in Rubenstein (1991). For the other impression, removed from vol. 2, see 1978.0534.03.33.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1781
- original artist
- Conca, Sebastiano
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- engraver
- Michel, Jean Baptiste
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.02.77
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.02.77
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Exposition of Moses
- Description
- Stipple engraving after painting by Eustache Le Sueur, once in the Gallery at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, England. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg as The Exposition of Moses. Print removed from George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 2. Marsh probably wrote the numeral 9 in pencil in the lower right margin as he tabulated the contents of the volume.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1787
- 1779
- original artist
- Le Sueur, Eustache
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- engraver
- Read, Richard
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.03.11
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.03.11
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Prodigal Son
- Description
- Engraving from original painting by Salvator Rosa once in the Gallery at Houghton, Now in State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Print removed from George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 2. This is the larger of two engravings after Rosa's painting included in the Houghton Gallery set. Claiming that the print included in volume one was “too small for such a capital picture,” the publisher introduced another larger version for volume two, engraved by Simon Ravenet. It had first appeared in Boydell’s series, A Collection of Prints Engraved after the Most Capital Paintings in England, begun in 1769.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1781
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- engraver
- Ravenet, Simon Francois
- original artist
- Rosa, Salvator
- delineator
- Earlom, Richard
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.03.34
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.03.34
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Meleager and Atalanta
- Description
- Mezzotint after painting formerly attributed to Peter Paul Rubens once in the Gallery at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, England. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, as a cartoon for a tapestry by the workshop of Rubens, with the figures possibly added by Theodor van Thulden. Print removed from George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 2. Pencil note indicates it was removed for framing in 1894. Secretary's Library stamp embossed below image near title.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1781
- engraver
- Earlom, Richard
- original artist
- Rubens, Peter Paul
- delineator
- Farington, George
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.03.53
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.03.53
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Christ and Mary Magdalene in the Garden
- Description
- Stipple engraving with etching after painting by Filippo Lauri once in the Cabinet at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, England. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Print removed from George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 2.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1787
- Associated Name
- Mary Magdalene
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- Boydell, Josiah
- original artist
- Lauri, Filippo
- graphic artist
- Simon, John Peter
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.03.61
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.03.61
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Three Soldiers
- Description
- Engraving after painting by Salvator Rosa once in the Cabinet at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, England. Sold to Russia in 1779; first in the Hermitage Palace, later in the Gatchina Palace. Disappeared during World War II; present location unknown. Print removed from George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 2. Marsh probably wrote the numeral 60 in pencil in the lower right corner.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1778
- 1788
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- Boydell, Josiah
- engraver
- Heath, James
- original artist
- Rosa, Salvator
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.03.62
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.03.62
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Cyclops at Their Forge
- Description
- Mezzotint after painting by Luca Giordano once in the Salon at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, England. Now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, as Vulcan’s Forge. Print removed from George P. Marsh’s copy of The Houghton Gallery, vol. 2. Marsh probably wrote the numeral 66 in pencil in the lower right corner. Notation on mounting sheet indicates the print was taken out for framing in 1894. SI Secretary's Library stamp embossed in lower margin over publisher's name.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1788
- publisher
- Boydell, John
- Boydell, Josiah
- original artist
- Giordano, Luca
- engraver
- Murphy, John
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.03.68
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.03.68
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Belisarius
- Description
- The Byzantine general Belisarius is portrayed as blind beggar in this engraving by Robert Strange after the original painting by Salvator Rosa.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- late 18th century
- referenced
- Justinian I Emperor of Byzantium
- graphic artist
- Strange, Robert
- original artist
- Rosa, Salvator
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.04
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Nandina domestica
- Description
- Japanese wood block print. No 24 in a series of progressive proofs of a stylized group of leaves and berries from the shrub Nandina domestica. Designed by Tsubaki Chinzan, engraved by Kotaro Kido, and printed by Iwakichi Yamamoto.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- engraver
- Kido, Kotaro
- ID Number
- GA.03217.24
- catalog number
- 03217.24
- accession number
- 22582
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Vibroplex Telegraph Key
- Description (Brief)
- Telegraph keys are electrical on-off switches used to send messages in Morse code. Horace G. Martin patented a practical semi-automatic telegraph key in 1903 and his company dominated the market for these devices. Keys like Martin's "Vibroplex" automatically produced rapid morse code dots by using a weighted pendulum to quickly make and break contact in the electrical circuit. The operator would make the dashes manually but could send much faster than with an ordinary key.
- maker
- Martin, Horace G.
- ID Number
- EM.331627
- accession number
- 294351
- catalog number
- 331627
- collector/donor number
- 72-20
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Jive Dude
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1972
- maker
- Kaplan, Jerome
- ID Number
- 2014.0187.10
- accession number
- 2014.0187
- catalog number
- 2014.0187.10
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Chinese Lute Players, Shanghai
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1981
- maker
- Babson, Jane McCall
- ID Number
- 2014.0143.12
- accession number
- 2014.0143
- catalog number
- 2014.0143.12
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Smithsonian Institution Graphic Arts Exhibit
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2013.0056.02
- accession number
- 2013.0056
- catalog number
- 2013.0056.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
State House
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1966
- maker
- Kaplan, Jerome
- ID Number
- 2014.0187.09
- accession number
- 214.0187
- catalog number
- 2014.0187.09
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Return To Somerset
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1986
- graphic artist
- Grace, Constance R.
- ID Number
- 1987.0017.04
- accession number
- 1987.0017
- catalog number
- 1987.0017.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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- Prints 1335
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- Engravings (prints) 176
- Models (representations) 142
- polar relay 139
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- Communications 4837
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