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 18 of 22
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Miner’s Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This oil-wick cap lamp was made by an unknown maker during the second half of the 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 flame was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap.
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9773B
- accession number
- 304880
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9773B
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This oil-wick cap lamp was made by an unknown maker during the second half of the 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 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.
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8777C
- accession number
- 265669
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8777C
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This oil-wick cap lamp was made by an unknown maker during the second half of the 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 flame was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap.
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MT-3368
- accession number
- 239341
- catalog number
- MHI-MT-3368
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Cap Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This oil-wick mining lamp was made by an unknown maker and would have been in use from around 1850-1920. It has as double spout, indicating that it burned "Sunshine" fuel, a mixture of paraffin wax and 3% mineral oil produced by the Standard Oil Company. Called a "Sunshine Lamp," the outer spout served to insulate the wick in the inner spout, thereby conducting enough heat to melt the wax in the Sunshine fuel. This kind of lamp hooked onto a miner’s cap, and produced an open flame.
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8777B
- accession number
- 265669
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8777B
- 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 Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is an Auto-Lite Carbide Mining Lamp, produced by the Universal Lamp Company of Chicago, Illinois. Auto-Lite carbide mining lamps were produced from 1913 through 1960, most following the design Jacob Sherman patented in 1924. This lamp’s design places its manufacture date in the early 1920’s. This particular lamp is noteable for the octagonal base and large On/Off lettering on the top.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9712
- accession number
- 299568
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9712
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This “bulging waist” carbide mining lamp was made by the Baldwin Company of New York City during the early 20th century. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MT-311987
- catalog number
- MHI-MT-311987
- accession number
- 157348
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This full shift carbide mining lamp was made by the Baldwin Company of New York City during the early 20th century. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8800A
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8800A
- accession number
- 265669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp is a Dew-R-Lite hand lamp model, manufactured around the mid-1920’s by the Dewar Manufacturing Company of Brooklyn, New York. Dewar produced carbide mining lamps from around 1914 until it was bought by the Wolf Safety Lamp Co. in the late 1930's. Dewar was well known for its “I-T-P” (It’s Trouble Proof), Sun Ray, and Dew-R-Lite lamp brands.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8941B
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8941B
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp is a Dew-R-Lite model, manufactured in the 1930's by the Dewar Manufacturing Co. of Brooklyn, New York. Dewar produced carbide mining lamps from around 1914 until it was bought by the Wolf Safety Lamp Co. in the late 1930’s. Dewar was well known for its “I-T-P” (It’s Trouble Proof), Sun Ray, and Dew-R-Lite lamp brands. This lamp is notable for its perforated reflector.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8942
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8942
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This carbide mining lamp's manufacturer is unknown, but would have been made in the early 20th century. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-7937
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-7937
- accession number
- 240639
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This “Half-Shift” carbide mining lamp was made by the Baldwin Company of New York City around 1908. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MT-311988
- catalog number
- MHI-MT-311988
- accession number
- 157348
- 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 Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is a safety 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 their lamps to the U.S. until World War I, when buying German products 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.MHI-MN-8773
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8773
- accession number
- 265669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner's Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This is an Auto-Lite Carbide Mining Lamp, produced by the Universal Lamp Company. Auto-Lite carbide mining lamps were produced from 1913 through 1960, most following the design Jacob Sherman patented in 1924. This lamp’s design places its manufacture date in the early 1920’s.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9546B
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9546B
- accession number
- 280476
- 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
- AG.MHI-MN-8213
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8213
- accession number
- 240547
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This carbide mining lamp was made by the Baldwin Company of New York City during the early 20th century. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit. The lamp would then be worn on a miner’s cap, with the reflector granting a much strong light than previous lamps.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8788C
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8788C
- accession number
- 265669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp was manufactured by the Justrite Manufacturing Company, in Chicago, Illinois in the first half of the 20th century. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-9008
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-9008
- accession number
- 263095
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This Victor model carbide mining lamp was manufactured by the Justrite Manufacturing Company of Chicago, Illinois around 1920. This lamp was designed by William Frisbie and features his patented Polygon system. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8788B
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8788B
- accession number
- 265669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Miner’s Carbide Lamp
- Description (Brief)
- This lamp was manufactured by the Justrite Manufacturing Company, in Chicago, Illinois during the 1930s. Acetylene gas is produced when water from the lamp's upper level encounters the calcium carbide stored in the base via a dripping mechanism. The amount of water flowing into the calcium carbide container can be controlled, with more water producing more gas and a bigger flame when the lamp is lit. This Justrite lamp features an Air Cooled Grip, with spacing between the rubber barrier and hot metal allowing the grip to stay cool.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MN-8788F
- catalog number
- MHI-MN-8788F
- accession number
- 265669
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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