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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Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This mining lamp is a “Guy’s Dropper” model made by the Shanklin Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Illinois, first manufactured in 1913. The lamp is named after its inventor, Frank Guy, a miner from Springfield. Frank Guy partnered with George and Edgar Shanklin to produce this lamp, and the lamp saw tremendous success through World War I. The Shanklin Mfg. Co. was sold to the Universal Lamp Company in 1932, who continued to make "Guy's Dropper."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1978.2497.02
- accession number
- 1978.2497
- catalog number
- 1978.2497.02
- 78.2497.02
- MHI-MI-1215
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is a copper oil-wick cap lamp made by J&A McDougall of Pittston, Pennsylvania likely in the latter half of the 20th century. The oil-wick cap lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and in use until the 1920’s. The font contained a mix of fat and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting flame was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap, or hooked onto any other suitable location.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1881
- ID Number
- AG.059073
- catalog number
- 059073
- accession number
- 014851
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This tin oil-wick cap lamp was used in the Wyoming Valley Region of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The manufacturer is unknown, but it was likely made in the latter half of the 19th century. The font contained a mix of lard and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting light was much brighter than the candles it replaced.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059077
- catalog number
- 059077
- accession number
- 14851
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp is an oil-wick cap lamp. The oil-wick cap lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and remained in use until the 1920’s. The font contained a mix of fat and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting light was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap, or hooked onto any other suitable location.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059080
- catalog number
- 059080
- accession number
- 014851
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This tin oil-wick lamp was manufactured by the Leonard Brothers of Scranton, Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. The Leonard Bros. (also known as T.F. Leonard Co.) advertised their lamps in the 1882 “Engineering and Mining Journal” as being available with three different spout sizes, made of seamless brass without any soldering. This particular lamp seems to have one of the larger spouts.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059081
- catalog number
- 059081
- accession number
- 14851
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This tin oil-wick mining lamp was manufactured by F.W. Watson & Co. of Scranton, Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. Mr. Watson was a prominent member of the Scranton community, serving as chief engineer of the Scranton Fire Department. According to the "Wilkes-Barre Scranton Statistical and Trade Review" of 1881 his company was known for its quality metalwork, such as plumbing, stoves, and steam fittings.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059082
- catalog number
- 059082
- accession number
- 014851
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp was manufactured by J.W. Queen and Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the latter half of the 19th century. The “safety” mining lamp was a tremendous step forward in preventing mining disasters. Encasing the flame in glass or metal gauze prevented combustible mine gases (called firedamp) from exploding, which would happen with the open flames in oil-wick cap lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059083
- catalog number
- 59083
- accession number
- 14841
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Mule Mining Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp was worn on the harness of a mining mule and would have been in use from about 1850-1900. Mules were used in the mining tunnels to haul ore to the surface. Some mules would spend their whole lives underground, even being stabled there. The metal casing surrounding the oil-wick lamp served to protect the mule from the flame.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059165
- catalog number
- 059165
- accession number
- 014921
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This oil-wick cap lamp was made by Jacob Vogle of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, in the late 19th century. The oil-wick cap lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and in use until the 1920’s. The font contained a mix of fat and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting light was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap, or hooked onto any other suitable location.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- patent date
- 1879-09-09
- ID Number
- AG.059213
- catalog number
- 059213
- accession number
- 014982
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This safety lamp was manufactured in the latter half of the 19th century by J.W. Queen & Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This Clanny style safety lamp employs a wire gauze and a glass globe surrounding the wick to protect the flame. Safety lamps were invented in the early 19th century, and are used to this day for gas detection, even as mine lighting has been replaced by electric lights.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059266
- catalog number
- 059266
- accession number
- 15369
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Davy safety lamp was made by J.W. Queen & Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. Sir Humphry Davy developed one of many safety lamp designs. He discovered that if the holes in the metallic gauze enveloping the flame were smaller than they were deep, the flame would not pass through. This prevented the combustible mine gases (called firedamp) from exploding, as would happen with the open flames earlier oil-wick cap lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059268
- catalog number
- 59268
- accession number
- 15369
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Davy safety lamp was made by the J.W. Queen and Company of Philadelphia in the late 19th century. The Davy lamp was used to alert miners to the presence of methane (firedamp) and prevent mine explosions. The flame would give off a blue cap if methane was present. In order to lower the methane to acceptable levels, it would be purposefully ignited by a “fireman.” This lamp belonged to such a fireman.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059269
- catalog number
- 59269
- accession number
- 15369
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Davy safety lamp was made by J.W. Queen & Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. Sir Humphry Davy developed one of many safety lamp designs. He discovered that if the holes in the metallic gauze enveloping the flame were smaller than they were deep, the flame would not pass through. This prevented the combustible gases (called firedamp) from exploding, as would happen with the open flames earlier oil-wick cap lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059271
- catalog number
- 59271
- accession number
- 15369
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Davy lamp was made by J.W. Queen & Company of Philadelphia in the late 19th century. Sir Humphry Davy developed one of many safety lamp designs. He discovered that if the holes in the metallic gauze enveloping the flame had a depth greater than a diameter, the flame would not pass through. This prevented the combustible gases (called firedamp) from exploding, as would happen with the open flames earlier oil-wick cap lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059272
- catalog number
- 59272
- accession number
- 15369
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is a miner's safety lamp, made by John Davis and Son, in Derby, Leicestershire, UK in the late 19th century. Safety lamps were invented in the early 19th century, and are still used to this day for gas detection, even as lighting utility has been replaced by electric lights. This safety lamp is a Clanny style lamp, evidenced by the wire gauze coupled with the lower glass enclosure.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.059273
- catalog number
- 59273
- accession number
- 15369
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This "Sunshine Lamp," has an unknown manufacturer but would have been in use from 1850 to around 1920. This lamp is called a Sunshine lamp because it burned "Sunshine" fuel produced by the Standard Oil Company (a mixture of paraffin wax and 3% mineral oil). This lamp's chain and hook indicate that it was hung rather than worn on the cap.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.062399
- catalog number
- 062399
- accession number
- 239748
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is a carbide mining lamp manufactured by the Friemann and Wolf Company, of Zwickau, Germany around 1910. The Friemann and Wolf Company was a prominent lamp manufacturer that exported lamps to the U.S. until World War I, when buying German items became unpopular. Worn on a miner's cap, the reflector behind the flame cast a wide range of light, improving the miner’s peripheral vision.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.062401
- catalog number
- 062401
- accession number
- 239748
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is a safety lamp manufactured by the Friemann and Wolf Company of Zwickau, Germany in the late 19th century. The Friemann and Wolf Company was a prominent lamp manufacturer that exported their lamps to the U.S. until World War I, when buying German products became unpopular. This lamp employs a glass casing to protect the flame from being extinguished, and wire gauze to cool the flame and prevent mine gas from igniting.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.062402
- catalog number
- 62402
- accession number
- 239748
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp is an oil-wick cap lamp. The oil-wick cap lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and remained in use until the 1920’s. The font contained a mix of fat and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting light was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap, or hooked onto any other suitable location.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.289440
- catalog number
- 289440
- accession number
- 059128
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp is an oil-wick cap lamp. The oil-wick cap lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and remained in use until the 1920’s. The font contained a mix of fat and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting light was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap, or hooked onto any other suitable location.
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MI-1001
- accession number
- 136485
- catalog number
- MHI-MI-1001
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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