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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Patent model for feeding apparatus for cylinder presses
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a feeding apparatus for cylinder presses. Maker, patent number, and date are unknown.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1870
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1997.0198.20
- catalog number
- 1997.0198.20
- accession number
- 1997.0198
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for inking apparatus for printing presses
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for an inking apparatus for printing presses, which provided an improved means of operating the carriage of inking rollers. Rollers pass over the entire length of a stone distributing ink more accurately and efficiently. The invention was granted patent number 188386.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1877
- patent date
- 1877-03-13
- maker
- Macdonald, F.
- ID Number
- 1997.0198.13
- accession number
- 1997.0198
- patent number
- 188386
- catalog number
- GA.89797.188386
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for printers' sidesticks and quoins
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for printers' quoins and sidesticks which was granted patent number 164543. Tapered sidesticks were grooved along the inclined side. Quoins, with a metal key to slide in the groove, were made using a pair of wedge-shaped blocks to provide fine adjustment.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1875
- patent date
- 1875-06-15
- maker
- Gilbert, William
- ID Number
- GA.89797.164543
- patent number
- 164543
- accession number
- 089797
- catalog number
- GA*89797.164543
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Copying Press
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a copying press which was granted patent number 193346. The patent describes a letter-copying press in which the pressure was produced by inflating an air bag.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1877
- patent date
- 1877-07-24
- maker
- Powlett, James A.
- ID Number
- GA.89797.193346
- patent number
- 193346
- accession number
- 089797
- catalog number
- GA*89797.193346
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patend model for an inking apparatus for printing presses
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates inventions relating to the inking apparatus on oscillating presses, such as Potter's jobbing press. The two patents, numbered 169191 for bearings for distributing rollers, and 171243 for the inking apparatus itself, are demonstrated on one model.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1875
- patent date
- 1875-12-21
- maker
- Hubbard, James F.
- Potter, Jr., Charles
- ID Number
- GA.89797.171243
- accession number
- 089797
- catalog number
- GA*89797.171243
- patent number
- 171243
- 169191
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Railway Ticket Printing and Registering Machine
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a railway ticket printing and registering machine; the invention was granted patent number 141336. A roll of card blanks was pre-numbered and printed with the station name. This machine added the destination and date and cut off each ticket, while printing a record copy of the sale. It was an improvement on an earlier Dyer patent (1872, Patent 134042).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1873
- patent date
- 1873-07-29
- maker
- Dyer, John
- ID Number
- GA.89797.141336
- accession number
- 089797
- patent number
- 141336
- catalog number
- GA*89797.141336
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Patent Model of an Intaglio Plate Printing Machine
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for an intaglio printing press, which was granted patent number 210116. The patent describes a plate wiping mechanism that reproduced the sweeping movement of the human hand. The wiping cloth was in lengths travelling from one storage roller to another, always offering a fresh portion to the plate. Constant Guy was from Paris, France.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1878
- patent date
- 1878-11-19
- maker
- Guy, Constant A.
- ID Number
- GA.89797.210116
- accession number
- 89797
- 89797
- patent number
- 210116
- catalog number
- GA*89797.210116
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Rotary Lithographic or Type Press
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a rotary lithographic press which was granted patent number 200927. The revolving type cylinder had two flat sides where type forms or lithographic stones were mounted. The two curved surfaces of the cylinder were used as ink distributing surfaces. Patentee George Newsum was from Leeds, England, where he patented this press in 1872.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1878
- patent date
- 1878-03-05
- maker
- Newsum, George
- ID Number
- GA.89797.200927
- accession number
- 089797
- patent number
- 200927
- catalog number
- GA*89797.200927
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for printers' sidesticks and quoins
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for sidesticks made with two symmetrical series of inclined surfaces; the invention was granted patent number 133948. Matching quoins were adjusted by turning a double-threaded screw.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1872
- patent date
- 1872-12-17
- maker
- McGrath, Thomas
- ID Number
- 1996.0062.12
- patent number
- 133948
- accession number
- 1996.0062
- catalog number
- 1996.0062.12
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for engraving machine
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for an engraving machine. Maker, patent number, and date are unknown.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1870
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1997.0198.14
- catalog number
- 1997.0198.14
- accession number
- 1997.0198
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for sidesticks and quoins
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a combination of quoins and sidesticks which was granted patent number 218518. The quoins swiveled on the ends of wide screws that turned into the sides of the metal sidesticks. A guage in the center of each sidestick told the compositor how far the quoin could be extended.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1879
- patent date
- 1879-08-12
- maker
- Gosorn, George T.
- ID Number
- 1996.0062.09
- patent number
- 218518
- accession number
- 1996.0062
- catalog number
- 1996.0062.09
- patent number
- 218518
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Flatbed Cylinder Press, Typographic or Lithographic
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a flatbed cylinder press which was granted patent number 124460. The patent describes improved mechanisms for control of the impression cylinder, inking rollers, sheet flier, and feed guides on stop cylinder presses for typographic or lithographic printing. The model is broken and incomplete.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1872
- patent date
- 1872-03-12
- maker
- Tucker, Stephen D.
- ID Number
- GA.89797.124460
- patent number
- 124460
- accession number
- 089797
- catalog number
- GA*89797.124460
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for printers' furniture
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for printers' furniture which was granted patent number 141450. Furniture of a single length was used, and each piece was slotted horizontally from each end to near the middle, so that the side and end pieces could be fitted through each other.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1873
- patent date
- 1873-08-05
- patentee
- Montague, Harlan P.
- ID Number
- GA.89797.141450
- accession number
- 089797
- patent number
- 141450
- catalog number
- GA*89797.141450
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for hand cancelling machine
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a device that cancels checks and drafts by punching figures into the paper to match the value of the check; the invention was granted patent number 106665.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1870
- patent date
- 1870-08-23
- maker
- Corne, William F.
- ID Number
- GA.22835
- accession number
- 249602
- patent number
- 106665
- catalog number
- GA*22835
- accession number
- 249602
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for method of making autographic stencils
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a method of preparing autographic stencils in which a porous paper stencil was prepared by varnishing the face of a sheet of paper, then drawing on it with a sharp stylus. The invention was granted patent number 215833. The inventor called his process Multograph, or Stulograph. The model consists of a stencil frame and an envelope of papers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1879
- patent date
- 1879-05-27
- maker
- Nickerson, Samuel S.
- ID Number
- GA.89797.215833
- accession number
- 089797
- patent number
- 215833
- catalog number
- GA*89797.215833
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Flatbed Cylinder Printing Press
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a flatbed cylinder press which was granted patent number 128731. The eccentric gears gave a variable motion to the cylinder, synchronizing it with the reciprocating bed.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1872
- patent date
- 1872-07-09
- maker
- Johnson, William
- ID Number
- GA.89797.128731
- accession number
- 89797
- patent number
- 128731
- catalog number
- GA*87979.128731
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Pantographic Engraving Machine
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a pantographic engraving machine which was granted patent number 99794. The patent describes a machine for engraving on name plates and other metallic ware.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1870
- patent date
- 1870-02-15
- maker
- Spencer, J. Civilian
- ID Number
- GA.89797.099794
- accession number
- 89797
- patent number
- 099794
- catalog number
- GA*89797.099794
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent model for stencils for sign painter's template
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a template that includes all the letters of the alphabet in a single pattern; the invention was granted patent number 147942.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1874
- patent date
- 1874-02-24
- patentee
- Hutchison, Merrill
- ID Number
- GA.89797.147942
- accession number
- 089797
- patent number
- 147942
- catalog number
- GA*89797.147942
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model for a Postmarking and Cancelling Machine
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for an apparatus for postmarking and postmark-cancelling; it was granted patent number 219587. The patent details the feeding mechanism for a postmarking machine.
- date made
- ca 1879
- patent date
- 1879-09-16
- maker
- Leavitt, Thomas
- ID Number
- GA.89797.219587
- accession number
- 89797
- catalog number
- GA.23815
- accession number
- 306487
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Patent Model of a Flatbed Cylinder Press
- Description (Brief)
- This patent model demonstrates an invention for a flatbed cylinder press which was granted patent number 120646. The patent detailed improvements to the movement of the bed in cylinder presses. The bed traveled faster when the cylinder was not in contact, allowing the cylinder to be of a smaller diameter than otherwise.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1871
- patent date
- 1871-11-07
- maker
- Huber, Berthold
- ID Number
- GA.89797.120646
- patent number
- 120646
- accession number
- 089797
- catalog number
- GA*89797.120646
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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- Models 189
- Patents 189
- patent model; press, printing 12
- press, flatbed cylinder printing 8
- Machine, Sewing 6
- Machine, Sewing; Bookbinding 6
- machine sewing 6
- Printing presses 5
- manufacture, printers quoins 5
- press, platen printing 5
- Apparatus? 4
- Delivery Apparatus 4
- Feeder, Paper 4
- machine, typecasting 4
- manufacture, sidesticks and quoins 4
- Machine, Rounding and Backing; Bookbinding 3
- Machine, Type Casting 3
- Machine, Type Casting; Pivotal 3
- Machine, Type Composing 3
- Press, Printing, Part of 3
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