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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Oil Painting or Overpainted Print, Capturing a Sperm Whale
- Description
- The most dangerous part of a dangerous job was working in the actual whaleboat, first chasing and then capturing and killing the prey.
- This picture is a copy or an overpainted example of a famous print first issued in 1835, believed to be the first indigenous American whaling print. It is derived from a sketch by whaleman Cornelius Hulsart, who lost an arm on the whaler Superior and subsequently became an artist.
- The original print was one of a pair produced to raise money for Hulsart, and it was dedicated to Superior's owners N. & W.W. Billings of New London, Connecticut. It is a fairly accurate portrayal of the danger in approaching and killing a wounded, enraged whale. As shown by the red, bloody whale spout, the whalers have struck the prey’s lungs or arteries, but the animal was still strong enough to break a boat in half and flip a crewman into the water.
- date or original painting
- 1835
- whaleman and artist
- Hulsart, Cornelius
- owner of the ship Superior
- N & W. W. Billings
- ID Number
- DL.65.0876
- catalog number
- 65.0876
- accession number
- 256396
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Whooping Crane, Grus Americana
- Description
- Robert Havell Jr. engraved this copper plate in 1834 for John James Audubon's publication, Birds of America, published in Britain between 1827 and 1838 as a series of large folio engravings. The Museum's Graphic Arts Collection includes seven of the original copper plates and prints from a number of editions of the work.
- Birds of America was published in several formats. The first large folio edition was intended for wealthy patrons or institutions. Later editions, produced in the United States. for a more general audience, included text and smaller, less costly lithographic illustrations.
- Audubon introduced new species and new artistic forms. His dramatic images of birds, pictured life-size in animated poses with realistic backgrounds, represented a departure from the conventions of natural history illustration. His artistic ingenuity, as reproduced in engravings and lithographs, won new audiences for the subject of nature study, eventually leading to the organization of Audubon societies.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1834
- referenced
- Audubon, John James
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- engraver
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- ID Number
- GA.16984
- catalog number
- 16984
- accession number
- 15996
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Scarlet Ibis, Ibis Rubra Viell, 1. Adult, 2. Young Second Autumn
- Description
- Copper plate engraved in 1837 by Robert Havell Jr. for John James Audubon's publication, the Birds of America, published in Britain between 1827 and 1838 as a series of large folio engravings. The museum's Graphic Arts Collection includes seven of the original copper plates.
- The Birds of America was published in several formats. The first large folio edition was intended for wealthy patrons or institutions. Later editions, produced in the U.S. for a more general audience, included text and smaller, less costly lithographic illustrations.
- Audubon introduced new species and new artistic forms. His dramatic images of birds, pictured life-size in animated poses with realistic backgrounds, represented a departure from the conventions of natural history illustration. His artistic ingenuity, as reproduced in engravings and lithographs, won over new audiences for the subject of nature study.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1837
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- engraver
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- ID Number
- GA.16982
- catalog number
- 16982
- accession number
- 15996
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Horned Grebe
- Description
- Robert Havell Jr. engraved this copper plate in 1835 for John James Audubon's publication, the Birds of America, published in Britain between 1827 and 1838 as a series of large folio engravings. The Museum's Graphic Arts Collection includes seven of the original copper plates and prints from several editions of the work.
- The Birds of America was published in several formats. The first large folio edition was intended for wealthy patrons or institutions. Later editions, produced in the United States for a more general audience, included text and smaller, less costly lithographic illustrations.
- Audubon introduced new species and new artistic forms. His dramatic images of birds, pictured life-size in animated poses with realistic backgrounds, represented a departure from the conventions of natural history illustration. His artistic ingenuity, as reproduced in engravings and lithographs, won new audiences for the subject of nature study, eventually leading to the organization of Audubon societies.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1835
- referenced
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- Audubon, John James
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- graphic artist
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- ID Number
- GA.00927
- accession number
- 1884.015094
- catalog number
- 00927
- accession number
- 15094
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Hooping Crane, Grus Americana (Young)
- Description
- Robert Havell Jr. engraved this copper plate in 1835 for John James Audubon's publication, Birds of America, published in Britain between 1827 and 1838 as a series of large folio engravings. The Museum's Graphic Arts Collection includes seven of the original copper plates and prints from several editions of the work.
- Birds of America was published in several formats. The first large folio edition was intended for wealthy patrons or institutions. Later editions, produced in the United States for a more general audience, included text and smaller, less costly lithographic illustrations.
- Audubon introduced new species and new artistic forms. His dramatic images of birds, pictured life-size in animated poses with realistic backgrounds, represented a departure from the conventions of natural history illustration. His artistic ingenuity, as reproduced in engravings and lithographs, won new audiences for the subject of nature study, eventually leading to the organization of Audubon societies.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1835
- referenced
- Audubon, John James
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- graphic artist
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- ID Number
- GA.16986
- accession number
- 15996
- catalog number
- 16986
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Horned Grebe
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1835
- referenced
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- Audubon, John James
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- graphic artist
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- ID Number
- 2006.0021.01
- accession number
- 2006.0021
- catalog number
- 2006.0021.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Virginia Partridge, Perdix Virginiana. Lath., Male Adult, 1. Young, 2. Female Adult, 3. Young, 4. Very Young Birds, 5.
- Description
- Copper plate engraved in 1830 by Robert Havell Jr. for John James Audubon's publication, the Birds of America, published in Britain between 1827 and 1838 as a series of large folio engravings. The museum's Graphic Arts Collection includes seven of the original copper plates.
- The Birds of America was published in several formats. The first large folio edition was intended for wealthy patrons or institutions. Later editions, produced in the U.S. for a more general audience, included text and smaller, less costly lithographic illustrations.
- Audubon introduced new species and new artistic forms. His dramatic images of birds, pictured life-size in animated poses with realistic backgrounds, represented a departure from the conventions of natural history illustration. His artistic ingenuity, as reproduced in engravings and lithographs, won over new audiences for the subject of nature study.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1830
- graphic artist
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- ID Number
- GA.16985
- catalog number
- 16985
- accession number
- 15996
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
American Robin, Turdus Migratorius, Male, 1. Female, 2. Young, 3., Chestnut oak. Quercus Vrinus
- Description
- Copper plate engraved in 1832 by Robert Havell Jr. for John James Audubon's publication, the Birds of America, published in Britain between 1827 and 1838 as a series of large folio engravings. The museum's Graphic Arts Collection includes seven of the original copper plates.
- The Birds of America was published in several formats. The first large folio edition was intended for wealthy patrons or institutions. Later editions, produced in the U.S. for a more general audience, included text and smaller, less costly lithographic illustrations.
- Audubon introduced new species and new artistic forms. His dramatic images of birds, pictured life-size in animated poses with realistic backgrounds, represented a departure from the conventions of natural history illustration. His artistic ingenuity, as reproduced in engravings and lithographs, won over new audiences for the subject of nature study.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1832
- original artist
- Audubon, John James
- graphic artist
- Havell, Jr., Robert
- ID Number
- GA.16983
- catalog number
- 16983
- accession number
- 15996
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Corset and Whalebone Scrimshaw Busk
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1825 - 1835
- fashion
- 19th century
- ID Number
- CS.287645.001
- catalog number
- 287645.001
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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