Energy & Power

The Museum's collections on energy and power illuminate the role of fire, steam, wind, water, electricity, and the atom in the nation's history. The artifacts include wood-burning stoves, water turbines, and windmills, as well as steam, gas, and diesel engines. Oil-exploration and coal-mining equipment form part of these collections, along with a computer that controlled a power plant and even bubble chambers—a tool of physicists to study protons, electrons, and other charged particles.
A special strength of the collections lies in objects related to the history of electrical power, including generators, batteries, cables, transformers, and early photovoltaic cells. A group of Thomas Edison's earliest light bulbs are a precious treasure. Hundreds of other objects represent the innumerable uses of electricity, from streetlights and railway signals to microwave ovens and satellite equipment.


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furnace, gold melting
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.291116.242
- accession number
- 291116
- catalog number
- 291116.242
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Triolin
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.312608.074
- accession number
- 312608
- catalog number
- 312608.074
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
shade guide
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.312608.078
- accession number
- 312608
- catalog number
- 312608.078
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
dentures
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.03
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
dentures
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.04
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
dentures
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.05
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
molds, tooth
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.06
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
denture, set; dental device, set
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.07
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
denture, porcelain and vulcanite
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.08
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
dentures
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.09
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
denture, set; dental device
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.10
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
denture, miniature; dental device
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-09290.11
- catalog number
- M-09290
- accession number
- 0218383
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
surgical towel
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- MG.M-14698
- catalog number
- M-14698
- accession number
- 299502
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Paillard & Cie. Cylinder Music Box
- Description
This music box was made by Charles Paillard & Cie. in St. Croix, Switzerland, around 1838-1842. It is a cylinder music box, Serial #1923, with 2 tunes. The music box has a cylinder with a one-piece comb with 50 teeth. The cylinder is 2-7/16" long. The music box is activated with a key wound metal spring.
John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This instrument listed in an 1880 J. Howard Foote catalog, sold as a small size music box (#6823), for $4.20.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1838-1842
- maker
- Charles Paillard & Cie.
- ID Number
- MI.055714
- accession number
- 11535
- catalog number
- 055714
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Paillard & Cie. Cylinder Music Box
- Description
This music box was made by Charles Paillard & Cie. in St. Croix, Switzerland, 1841. It is a cylinder music box, with 4 tunes. The music box has a cylinder one-piece comb with 51 teeth. The cylinder is 2-3/4" long. The music box is activated with a key wound metal spring.
John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This instrument listed in an 1880 J. Howard Foote catalog, sold as a small size music box (#6833), for $10.20.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Charles Paillard & Cie.
- Charles Paillard & Cie.
- ID Number
- MI.055715
- accession number
- 11535
- catalog number
- 055715
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Paillard & Cie. Cylinder Music Box
- Description
This music box was made by Charles Paillard & Cie. in St. Croix, Switzerland, around 1878-1882. It is a cylinder music box, with 6 tunes. The music box has a single-piece comb with 57 teeth. The cylinder is 6" long. The music box is spring wound by a ratchet lever.
John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This instrument listed in an 1880 J. Howard Foote catalog, sold as a large size music box (#6852), for $29.00.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1878-1882
- maker
- Charles Paillard & Cie.
- ID Number
- MI.055716
- accession number
- 11535
- catalog number
- 055716
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Barrel Organ
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1850-1892
- ID Number
- MI.095302
- accession number
- 26256
- catalog number
- 095302
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Barrel Organ
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1800-1899
- ID Number
- MI.095303
- accession number
- 26256
- catalog number
- 095303
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Musical Snuff Box
- Description
This music box was made an undetermined maker, probably Switzerland, around 1830-1840. It is a musical snuff box, with 2 tunes. The music box has a segmented comb with 16 4-teeth sections. The cylinder is 2-15/32" long. The music box is activated by a key wound spring. Carved on the music box top:
HOTEL DES MONNAIES
Clever miniature portable devices, musical snuff boxes such as this one were called carillons à musique. Highly desired objects of status and crafted primarily in Switzerland, they influenced the development and popularity of all music box production in the 19th century. This musical snuff box was likely a souvenir from the Hôtel des Monnaies in Paris.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1830-1840
- ID Number
- MI.204576a
- accession number
- 36046
- catalog number
- 204576a
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Musical Snuff Box
- Description
This music box was made an undetermined maker, probably Switzerland, around 1830-1840. It is a musical snuff box, with 2 tunes. The music box has a segmented comb with 17 4-teeth sections. The cylinder is 2-13/32" long. The music box is activated by a key wound spring. Carved on the music box top:
VUE DU PORT DE BREST
Clever miniature portable devices, musical snuff boxes such as this one were called carillons à musique. Highly desired objects of status and crafted primarily in Switzerland, they influenced the development and popularity of all music box production in the 19th century. This musical snuff box was likely a souvenir from Brest, France.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1830-1840
- ID Number
- MI.204576b
- accession number
- 36046
- catalog number
- 204576b
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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