Computers & Business Machines

Imagine the loss, 100 years from now, if museums hadn't begun preserving the artifacts of the computer age. The last few decades offer proof positive of why museums must collect continuously—to document technological and social transformations already underway.
The museum's collections contain mainframes, minicomputers, microcomputers, and handheld devices. Computers range from the pioneering ENIAC to microcomputers like the Altair and the Apple I. A Cray2 supercomputer is part of the collections, along with one of the towers of IBM's Deep Blue, the computer that defeated reigning champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match in 1997. Computer components and peripherals, games, software, manuals, and other documents are part of the collections. Some of the instruments of business include adding machines, calculators, typewriters, dictating machines, fax machines, cash registers, and photocopiers


-
Springfield Armory Model 1898 Krag-Jorgensen Bolt Action Rifle
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1898
- licensee
- Krag, Ole H. J.
- maker
- Springfield Armory
- ID Number
- AF.NM166
- catalog number
- NM166
- accession number
- 319944
- serial number
- 100170
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1898-02-18
- plate date
- 1882-08-31
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Gilfillan, James
- Register of the Treasury
- Bruce, Blanche Kelso
- issuing bank
- Fourth National Bank of Cincinnati
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.028682
- catalog number
- 297219.028682
- accession number
- 297219
- bank charter number
- 93
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Man with Guitar and Lute
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- March 23, 1897
- maker
- Freeman Photographic Studio
- ID Number
- 1986.0109.070
- accession number
- 1986.0109
- catalog number
- 1986.0109.070
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1898-07-09
- plate date
- 1897-12-31
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Roberts, Ellis Henry
- Register of the Treasury
- Bruce, Blanche Kelso
- issuing bank
- Corn Exchange National Bank of Chicago
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.006440
- accession number
- 297219
- catalog number
- 297219.006440
- bank charter number
- 5111
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1909-04-01
- plate date
- 1893-03-07
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Nebecker, Enos H.
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- First National Bank of Noblesville
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.008145
- accession number
- 297219
- catalog number
- 297219.008145
- bank charter number
- 4882
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
whetstone
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1885 - 1893
- used
- 1888 - 1893
- ID Number
- 1981.0740.01
- accession number
- 1981.0740
- catalog number
- 1981.0740.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 19??-06-11
- plate date
- 1897-11-15
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Roberts, Ellis Henry
- Register of the Treasury
- Tillman, James Fount
- issuing bank
- Citizens National Bank of East Liverpool
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.030186
- catalog number
- 297219.030186
- accession number
- 297219
- bank charter number
- 5098
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Child's Cup
- Description
- Spun cylindrical child's cup with wide, low-relief band applied at midbody depicting a parade of children playing instruments in a forest. Engraved "Arthur Wallace Dunn Jr. / From, J.B.M." in script above and below the band on front, opposite an ear-shaped "caterpillar" handle. Applied molded rim and flared foot ring. Gold washed interior. Rounded bottom struck with a full set of incuse marks on underside for "TIFFANY & C\o" above date letter "M" between pattern and order numbers "5470" and "1902", and "STERLING"; additional numbers scratched next to maker's name.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1891
- maker
- Tiffany & Co.
- ID Number
- DL.307672.0009
- catalog number
- 307672.0009
- accession number
- 307672
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1891-10-16
- plate date
- 1891-10-09
- series date
- 1882
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Nebecker, Enos H.
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- First National Bank of Bluefield
- depicted
- Garfield, James A.
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.043947
- accession number
- 297219
- catalog number
- 297219.043947
- bank charter number
- 4643
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
spoon
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- after 1893
- ID Number
- DL.58.0048P
- catalog number
- 58.0048P
- accession number
- 211312
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1891-11-18
- plate date
- 1891-11-12
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Nebecker, Enos H.
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- Second National Bank of Saginaw
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.016716
- catalog number
- 297219.016716
- accession number
- 297219
- bank charter number
- 1918
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1890-08-30
- plate date
- 1890-08-16
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Huston, James Nelson
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- Keystone National Bank of Superior
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.044699
- accession number
- 297219
- catalog number
- 297219.044699
- bank charter number
- 4399
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
carpet, ingrain
- Location
- Currently not on view
- patent date
- 1890-10-07
- inventor
- Dornan, Thomas B.
- ID Number
- TE.T11395.028
- catalog number
- T11395.028
- patent number
- 438,064
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1890-09-23
- plate date
- 1890-08-25
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Huston, James Nelson
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- Bell County National Bank of Temple
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.040281
- catalog number
- 297219.040281
- accession number
- 297219
- bank charter number
- 4404
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1908-10-09
- plate date
- 1890-01-08
- series date
- 1882
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Huston, James Nelson
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- Commercial National Bank of Bradford
- depicted
- Garfield, James A.
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.035297
- catalog number
- 297219.035297
- accession number
- 297219
- bank charter number
- 4199
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Souvenir Spoon
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1892 - 1893
- ID Number
- DL.59.0710
- catalog number
- 59.0710
- accession number
- 219034
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1893-03-20
- plate date
- 1893-03-25
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Nebecker, Enos H.
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- First Ward National Bank of Boston
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.015870
- catalog number
- 297219.015870
- accession number
- 297219
- bank charter number
- 2112
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Battle of Franklin
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1891
- associated date
- 1864 11 30
- copyright date
- 1891
- maker
- Kurz & Allison-Art Studio
- Kurz & Allison-Art Studio
- ID Number
- AF.58142M
- catalog number
- 58142M
- accession number
- 204114
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
certified proof
- Crowdsourcing
- Transcribed by Smithsonian digital volunteers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- BEP certification date
- 1900-07-26
- plate date
- 1892-10-07
- issuing authority
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Treasurer of the United States
- Nebecker, Enos H.
- Register of the Treasury
- Rosecrans, William S.
- issuing bank
- Farmers National Bank of Shelbyville
- manufacturer
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- ID Number
- NU.297219.008117
- accession number
- 297219
- catalog number
- 297219.008117
- bank charter number
- 4800
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Wakefield's Cough Syrup
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1899-11
- maker
- Dr. C. Wakefield and Company
- ID Number
- 1992.3127.39
- catalog number
- 1992.3127.39
- nonaccession number
- 1992.3127
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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- Furnishings 284
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- Art 159
- Photography 147
- NNC-Certified Proofs-Face-TX-box 5 143
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- Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection 5363
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- Military 274
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