Natural Resources
The natural resources collections offer centuries of evidence about how Americans have used the bounty of the American continent and coastal waters. Artifacts related to flood control, dam construction, and irrigation illustrate the nation's attempts to manage the natural world. Oil-drilling, iron-mining, and steel-making artifacts show the connection between natural resources and industrial strength.
Forestry is represented by saws, axes, a smokejumper's suit, and many other objects. Hooks, nets, and other gear from New England fisheries of the late 1800s are among the fishing artifacts, as well as more recent acquisitions from the Pacific Northwest and Chesapeake Bay. Whaling artifacts include harpoons, lances, scrimshaw etchings in whalebone, and several paintings of a whaler's work at sea. The modern environmental movement has contributed buttons and other protest artifacts on issues from scenic rivers to biodiversity.
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Engraved woodblock of "Light House Rock in the Canyon of Desolation"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of “Light House Rock in the Canyon of Desolation” was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as Figure 17 (p.49) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by John Wesley Powell (1834-1902).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1875
- 1875
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- author
- Powell, John Wesley
- graphic artist
- Nichols, H. H.
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0068
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0068
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Environmental Button
- Description
- Food processing companies use ionizing radiation to kill bacteria, molds, viruses, and insects in order to prevent spoilage and stop the proliferation of disease-causing organisms. Even though food irradiation was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is currently permitted in over forty countries, it is still opposed by many people who view it as “unnatural.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Donnelly/Colt
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.1137
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.1137
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Engraved wood block "Drummond's Islander"
- Description (Brief)
- This engraved wood block was used to print an image in the publication "Narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," 1844, Volume 5, page 48. The image was drawn by A. T. Agate. It was engraved by R. S. Gilbert, and originally printed by C. Sherman of Philadelphia in 1844.
- Description
- Reuben S. Gilbert (about 1815–about 1850) engraved this printing block after a drawing, Drummond's Islander, from the Kingsmill Island group by Expedition Artist Alfred T. Agate. The wood engraving illustration was published on page 45 of Volume V of the U.S. Exploring Expedition Narrative by Charles Wilkes, 1844.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1844
- ca 1844
- publisher
- Wilkes, Charles
- graphic artist
- Gilbert, Reuben S.
- original artist
- Agate, A. T.
- printer
- Sherman, Conger
- author
- Wilkes, Charles
- ID Number
- 1999.0145.193
- accession number
- 1999.0145
- catalog number
- 1999.0145.193
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Engraved printing plate "Scolopax meridionalis, Zaporina umbrina"
- Description
- William H. Dougal (1822–1895) of New York and Washington, D.C. (after 1844) engraved this copper printing plate after drawings by William E. Hitchcock. The image depicts the Scolopax meridionalis (now Galinago shicklandii, or Cordilleran snipe) and Zapornia umbrina (now Porzana porzana, or Spotted Crake). The engraved illustration was published as Plate 35 in Volume VIII, Mammalogy and Ornithology, by John Cassin, 1858.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1858
- publisher
- Wilkes, Charles
- original artist
- Hitchcock, W. E.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Sherman, Conger
- author
- Cassin, John
- maker
- Peale, Titian Ramsay
- ID Number
- 1999.0145.415
- catalog number
- 1999.0145.415
- accession number
- 1999.0145
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Environmental Button
- Description
- The slogan on this button refers to James G. Watt, who was named Secretary of the Interior by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Due to controversial positions regarding the commercial development of federal lands, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, and Friends of the Earth criticized Watt during his tenure and called for his ouster. Watt resigned in 1983 after making inappropriate comments before Congress regarding the makeup of his department.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1981-1983
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.1528
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.1528
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Engraved wood block "Ohwa Tree"
- Description (Brief)
- This engraved wood block was used to print an image in the publication "Narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," 1844, Volume 2, page 126. The image was drawn by T. R. Peale. It was engraved by J. J. Butler, and originally printed by C. Sherman of Philadelphia in 1844.
- Description
- Joline J. Butler (about 1815–1846, working in New York City between 1841 and 1845) engraved this printing block after a drawing, Ohwa Tree, from the Samoan Group islands, by Expedition Naturalist Titian Ramsey Peale. The wood engraving illustration was published on page 126 of Volume II of the U.S. Exploring Expedition Narrative by Charles Wilkes, 1844.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1844
- ca 1844
- publisher
- Wilkes, Charles
- graphic artist
- Butler, Joline J.
- original artist
- Peale, Titian Ramsay
- printer
- Sherman, Conger
- author
- Wilkes, Charles
- ID Number
- 1999.0145.104
- accession number
- 1999.0145
- catalog number
- 1999.0145.104
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Environmental Button
- Description
- The slogan on this button can be taken two ways. It can be a warning that if we don’t recycle the millions of tons of trash we produce, we’ll be buried under it eventually. Or it can be taken as a tongue-in-cheek threat by the wearer, who’ll kill you if you don’t recycle. Either way it tells us where the wearer stands on the issue and invites comments.
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.0282
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.0282
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Environmental Button
- Description
- Water is one of our most precious natural resources. Having a ready supply of water for drinking and irrigation is of paramount concern to society, even to those living in comparatively water rich regions such as New York City. This button was produced by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection to encourage water conservation.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.0565
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.0565
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Environmental Button
- Description
- Canadian activists opposed to nuclear testing in Alaska founded Greenpeace in 1971. The international organization has since turned its attention to a variety of environmental concerns, such as whaling, bottom trawling, global warming, nuclear power, and genetic engineering.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.1156
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.1156
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Environmental Button
- Description
- The peace sign was created in 1958 as part of the British nuclear disarmament movement. The image combines the letters “N” (nuclear) and “D” (disarmament) from the semaphore (flag signaling) alphabet. During the 1960s and 1970s the sign became a ubiquitous symbol in the United States for a multitude of causes, including the peace and civil rights movements. On this button, the symbol has been made into a tree, evoking concern and care for the environment.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1970
- maker
- Edward Horn Co.
- ID Number
- 1993.3186.07
- nonaccession number
- 1993.3186
- catalog number
- 1993.3186.07
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Environmental Button
- Description
- The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. The occasion was first conceived by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, as a national day of observance for environmental problems. Millions of people participated in events across the country, while thousands of schools held special educational sessions, all dealing with environmental concerns. Earth Day has since become an annual event, celebrated worldwide.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1993.3186.12
- nonaccession number
- 1993.3186
- catalog number
- 1993.3186.12
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Whaler's Shoulder or Darting Gun
- Description
- By the later 19th century, guns had replaced most hand harpoons and lances, since they were far more efficient and deadly to the prey. They also could be shot from a safer distance from the prey than the hand tools could be wielded. The darting gun was one of the more popular types. Loaded with different darts, this versatile weapon could be used both for harpooning and killing whales.
- This particular gun was displayed at the 1883 International Fisheries Exhibition in London, England. After the display ended, it was donated to the Smithsonian by its inventor, Capt. Eben Pierce of New Bedford, Mass.
- date made
- 1880s
- guns replaced hand tools
- late 19th century
- displayed at the International Fisheries Exhibition
- 1883
- maker
- Pierce, Eben
- ID Number
- TR.316550
- catalog number
- 316550
- accession number
- 66767
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Lithograph of bird species "Ericornis Melanura and Scytalopus Fuscus"
- Description
- Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this chromolithograph of “Ericornis melanura [Gray] adult and Scytalopus fuscus [Gould],” now "Chilia melanura" (Crag chilia), and "Scytalopus fuscus" (Dusky tapaculo), from an original sketch by William Dreser (c. 1820–after 1860) of Philadelphia (1847–1860) and New York (1860). The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXI in the “Birds” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by John Cassin (1813–1869).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- graphic artist
- Sinclair, Thomas
- original artist
- Dreser, William
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Cassin, John
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.05
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.05
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Engraving of snake species "Elaps nigrocinctus"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Elaps nigrocinctus [Grd]”, now "Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus" or Central American coral snake, from an original sketch John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXV in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- book printer, publisher
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Girard, Charles
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.08
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.08
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Environmental Button
- Description
- This button depicts the ecology symbol, a small letter “e” inside the larger letter “O,” the letters standing for “environment” and “organism.” Cartoonist Ron Cobb invented the symbol in 1969. The ecology symbol appeared in a green U.S. flag for the first time in the April 21, 1970 issue of Look magazine.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Racomex Products
- ID Number
- 1993.3186.01
- catalog number
- 1993.3186.01
- nonaccession number
- 1993.3186
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Environmental Button
- Description
- ZPG refers to Zero Population Growth, an organization founded in the late 1960s to advocate the limitation of family size and to educate citizens about the perils of over-population.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1994.0165.06
- catalog number
- 1994.0165.06
- accession number
- 1994.0165
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Cod Hand-line
- Description
- Manufactured in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1882, this hand-line is of the type used in the 19th-century cod fisheries on Banquereau Bank, Grand Bank, and Western Bank in the North Atlantic. The wooden reel contains about 25 fathoms (150 feet) of 12-pound cotton line. A 4-pound lead sinker with brass fittings attaches to a bridle and two short lines (called “snoods”), with slot swivels at the ends. The swivels hold two hemp “gangings” and hooks. This rig saved time in removing fish and re-baiting because the fisherman could slip the gangings from the swivels and replace them with new line and freshly-baited hooks. The preferred bait for the cod fishery was frozen herring in winter and fresh herring, mackerel, alewives, and menhaden the rest of the year.
- Fishermen used hand-lines when fishing from the decks of schooners anchored across the tide. They stood at the rail, all on the side of the vessel opposite from the side hit by the tide. This allowed the lines to drift out from the schooner for more effective fishing.
- In “The George’s Bank Cod Fishery,” G. Brown Goode and J. W. Collins (1882) reported that when the fish were plentiful, fishermen often caught a pair of cod, one on each hook, and that a man could catch between 100 and 200 fish per day. At other times, a whole day’s effort might yield only three or four fish. From The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, Sec. IV. (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1882) p. 194.
- date made
- 1880
- 1800s
- ID Number
- TR.054503
- catalog number
- 054503
- accession number
- 12679
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Scrimshaw Tooth
- Description
- Women and ships were the most popular subjects for scrimshaw carved by crewmen on long, slow whaling voyages. In this deeply engraved example, a beautifully coiffed and fashionable young lady, possibly in mourning dress, has pulled a locket from her bodice and is gazing at the image of a smiling young man. The curls of her girlish hairstyle would indicate that she is unmarried, although the traditional ring finger of her left hand is not shown. The mid-19th-century date of this tooth is suggested by the style of the dress.
- Date made
- ca 1840
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- TR.374506
- catalog number
- 374506
- accession number
- 136263
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Cast Iron Whale
- Description
- The words “BAKER NEW BEDFORD.” appear on the back of this cast-iron sperm whale, which has two mounting lugs on the bottom for fastening to a flat surface. These features suggest that it was a shop sign for one of the many stores in New Bedford, Massaschusetts that provided items to whalers needed for their dirty and dangerous business. In the 1878 New Bedford city directory, the only person listed with the surname Baker was Ansol Baker, a machinist.
- New Bedford was the largest American whaling port in the industry, which flourished until the Civil War and lasted into the early 20th century.
- Date made
- 19th century
- possible owner of sign
- Baker, Ansol
- ID Number
- CL.25052
- catalog number
- 25052
- accession number
- 2009.0157
- catalog number
- 2009.0157.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Hurricane Evacuation Route Road Sign
- Description
- As Hurricane Katrina approached in August 2005, over 80 percent of the residents of New Orleans fled the city during the mandatory evacuation. Thousands of residents, however, could not or would not leave.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Associated Date
- 2005
- fabricator
- New Orleans Department of Public Works
- ID Number
- 2005.0284.01
- accession number
- 2005.0284
- catalog number
- 2005.0284.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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