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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Page 15 of 22
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Miner's Electric Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Edison Electric Hand Lamp is similar to the design of the cap lamp without the cord. The hand lamp consists of a battery enclosed in a self-locking steel case with a handle so the lamp can carried or hung. This lamp was most likely manufactured in the 1920's.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7942
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7942
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Cap
- Description (Brief)
- The miner’s cap is made of canvas with a metal and cardboard lamp bracket attached to the front. The lamp bracket likely would have held an oil-wick cap lamp. The small paper label attached to the bracket reads MINING AND / METALLURGY DEPT. / LAFAYETTE COLLEGE / EASTON, PA." The National Museum of American History received many objects in its mining and metallurgy collection from Lafayette College.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8783
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8783
- accession number
- 265669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Coal King Miner’s Helmet
- Description (Brief)
- This black Coal King brand miner’s helmet was made during the first half of the 20th century by the T.R. Jones Company of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The helmet is made of re-enforced leather, with a leather and metal lamp bracket in the front and a leather cord holder in the rear. The helmet’s cord holder keeps the cable out of the miner’s way, routing it behind the miner. The cord holder points to this helmet being used in conjunction with an electric lamp.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9575A
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9575A
- accession number
- 282791
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Cap
- Description (Brief)
- This canvas miner’s cap was manufactured by Thomas Lloyd & Sons of Houtzdale, Pennsylvania. The cap has a leather brim with a leather and metal lamp bracket. The bracket likely held either a carbide lamp or an oil-wick cap lamp. Before head protection became mandatory in industrial workplaces, miner’s caps served as a way to mount their lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9576A
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9576A
- accession number
- 282791
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Cap
- Description (Brief)
- This canvas miner’s cap was manufactured by Thomas Lloyd & Sons of Houtzdale, Pennsylvania. The cap has a leather brim with a leather and metal lamp bracket. The bracket likely held either a carbide lamp or an oil-wick cap lamp. Before head protection became mandatory in industrial workplaces, miner’s caps served as a way to mount their lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9576B
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9576B
- accession number
- 282791
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Wicker Mining Helmet
- Description (Brief)
- This wicker mining helmet was used in India. The prevalence of bamboo and rattan in India may be the reason this helmet was made of wicker instead of the plastic or leather helmets that were prevalent in the United States.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MI-1099.2
- catalog number
- MHI-MI-1099.2
- accession number
- 1978.0288
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Wicker Mining Helmet
- Description (Brief)
- This wicker mining helmet was used in India. The prevalence of bamboo and rattan in India may be the reason this helmet was made of wicker instead of the plastic or leather helmets that were prevalent in the United States.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MI-1099.1
- catalog number
- MHI-MI-1099.1
- accession number
- 1978.0288
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
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
-
Miner’s Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Davy-style safety lamp was made by an unknown maker in the second half of the 19th century. In Davy lamps, the flame is surrounded by metal gauze. The flame is unable to pass through the holes in the gauze, preventing any methane in the air from igniting.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9769
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9769
- accession number
- 304880
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp's manufacturer is unknown, but based on its design, it was most likely made in the late 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, as would happen with the open flames of carbide or oil-wick lamps. Further innovations included glass around the flame and a metal bonnet.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9763
- accession number
- 304880
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9763
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This safety lamp was manufactured by the Hughes Brothers of Scranton, Pennsylvania in the latter half of the 19th century. This Davy-style safety lamp employs a wire gauze that surrounds the flame. The flame is unable to pass through the holes in the gauze, preventing any methane in the air from igniting.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9761A
- accession number
- 304880
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9761A
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- The Koehler Manufacturing Company of Marlboro, Massachusetts produced this safety lamp during the 20th century. This lamp employs glass enclosure to protect the flame from extinguishing, wire gauze in the top-interior to keep the flame from escaping, and a metal bonnet exterior that serves both purposes.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9757A
- accession number
- 304880
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9757A
- 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 is one of the most popular Wolf designs, employing a glass enclosure, wire gauze on the top-interior, and a metal bonnet exterior to protect the flame.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9756A
- accession number
- 304880
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9756A
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Milburn "Miner A" carbide cap lamp was manufactured around 1914. After emigrating from England, Alexander Jenkins founded the Alexander Milburn Company in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1907. The Miner A model lamp was produced from 1914-1928.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8145
- accession number
- 239148
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8145
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This safety lamp is a bonnetted Clanny-type safety lamp that was most likely manufactured between 1880 and 1914. The lamp has a metal tag that reads "Eduard Schenk, Pittsburgh, P.A." Schenk was a distributor of Friemann and Wolf lamps from Germany before World War I.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8130
- accession number
- 239148
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8130
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp is a safety Lamp made by John Davis and Son, in Derby, Leicestershire, UK in the late 19th century. This lamp displays one of the most popular lamp designs; employing a glass enclosure, wire gauze on the top-interior, and a metal bonnet exterior to protect the flame.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7857
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7857
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- While safety lamps were phased out for light-producing purposes in the mid-20th century, they still play a role in gas detection. This Pieler lamp is made expressly for gas detection and measurement. The flame would have been lowered to a small height. In the presence of methane, a blue "cap" would appear on the flame, with the height of the flame corresponding to the amount of methane in the air, easily measured by the scale built into the lamp
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7867
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7867
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is a safety lamp manufactured by the Wolf Safety Lamp Company of America around the late 19th century. This lamp is one of the most popular Wolf designs, employing a glass enclosure, wire gauze on the top-interior, and a metal “bonnet” exterior to protect the flame. The "permissible" engraved on the lamp denotes that the lamp was approved by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7765
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7765
- accession number
- 235037
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This safety lamp was manufactured by the Wolf Safety Lamp Company of America, from Brooklyn, New York in the late 19th century. This lamp is one of the most popular and effective Wolf Company designs, employing a glass enclosure, wire gauze on the top-interior, and a metal bonnet exterior. Lamps such as this were often used to gauge methane levels in mines, and were designed with upper air intakes so air on the mine’s ceiling could be tested.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7763
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7763
- accession number
- 235037
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Safety Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- The E. Thomas and Williams Company of Aberdare, Wales, manufactured this safety lamp around the late 19th or early 20th century. The lamp employs a glass enclosure, double wire gauze on the top-interior, and a metal bonnet exterior to protect the flame.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7866
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7866
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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