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Jacob Rabinow Papers

Author:
Rabinow, Jacob, 1910-  Search this
Names:
Census Bureau  Search this
Control Data Corporation  Search this
RABCO  Search this
United States. National Bureau of Standards  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
5.5 Cubic feet (14 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Patents
Photographs
Engineering drawings
Date:
1947-1990
Summary:
The collection documents three major areas of Jacob Rabinow's work in improvement of electronic and other devices: phonograph record players, optical character recognition (reading machines) and automatic self regulation of watches and clocks.
Scope and Contents:
This collection comprises material from three major areas of Jacob Rabinow's work in improvement of electronic and other devices: phonograph record players, optical character recognition (reading machines) and automatic self regulation of watches and clocks. Included are technical descriptions, engineering drawings and sketches, numerous patent applications, patents, photographs of devices and voluminous correspondence, often related to patents and financial claims arising from them. The papers are grouped into the three areas of product innovation in approximate chronological order. In addition to many U.S. patents, Rabinow was granted numerous foreign patents, including British, French, German, Canadian and Japanese which are part of the collection. The patents as early as 1910 1917 were collected and assembled by Rabinow in his search of previous inventors' work.
Arrangement:
The papers are arranged into three series.

Series 1, Straight Line Photograph Arm, 1910-1917; 1947-1988

Subseries 1.1, Patents, 1910-1917; 1947-1988

Subseries 1.2, Litigation and Royalties, 1954-1980

Subseries 1.3, Brochures, Publicity, Photo Prints, and Advertisements, 1954-1980

Subseries 1.4, General Correspondence, 1954-1978

Series 2, Reading Machine, 1956-1990

Subseries 2.1, Patents, 1957-1958

Subseries 2.2, Brochures, Publicity, and Photo Prints, 1954-1970

Subseries 2.3, Correspondence, 1956-1960

Subseries 2.4, General Correspondence, 1954-1978

Series 3, Automatic Regulation of Watches and Clocks, 1948-1981

Subseries 3.1, Patents, 1948-1975

Subseries 3.2, Patent Right Litigation and Royalties, 1948-1976

Subseries 3.3, Brochures, Publicity, and Photo prints, 1953-1964

Subseries 3.4, General Correspondence, 1948-1981
Biographical / Historical:
Jacob Rabinow was born Jacob Rabinovich in the Kharkov, Ukraine in 1910 and moved with his family to Siberia in 1917 during the Bolshevik Revolution. In 1919, the Rabinow Family moved to China, where his father died. With his mother and brother, Rabinow then immigrated to the United States in 1921, where his mother established a corset shop in New York City. Rabinow graduated from the City College of New York with a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (1933) and a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering (1934). After graduation in 1934, he worked at diverse jobs until he was hired by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and now known as National Institute of Standards and Technology or NIST in 1938. At NBS Rabinow calibrated flow meters and then, with the outbreak of World War II, designed proximity fuses for Army bombs and rockets. To calculate the velocity of the falling fuses, he devised an acceleration integrator. He also worked on bombing techniques. Rabinow eventually became Chief of the Electro-Mechanical Ordnance Division at NBS before leaving in 1954 to form his own company, Rabinow Engineering.

At Rabinow Engineering, projects included the development of automatic winding equipment and test equipment for Sprague Electric; design of a letter sorter later built by Burroughs; a digital computer for the U.S. Post Office; and the construction of reading machines for RCA, UNIVAC, and others. When servicing machines began to require too much staff and travel, Rabinow sold his company and became a consultant. In 1964, Rabinow Engineering eventually became part of Control Data Corporation (CDC) where Rabinow was head of the Rabinow Advanced Development Laboratory. In 1968, Rabinow formed RABCO Company to manufacture his straight-line phonographs. RABCO was later acquired by the Harmon-Kardon Corporation. In 1972, Rabinow rejoined NBS where he was Chief Research Engineer. In 1975, he retired, but acted as a consultant.

Rabinow held 230 United States Patents on a wide variety of mechanical, optical and electrical devices. Of note is his magnetic particle clutch (1956) used in tape and disk drives; first automobile clutch to work by magnetic and not electrostatic charge (1956); first phonograph whose cartridge moved along a straight track rather than at the end of a swinging arm (1959); first self-regulating clock (1960); and his best known invention, a Reading Machine (1960). Rabinow was honored for his scientific work with the Naval Ordnance Development Award (1945); the President's Certificate of Merit (1948); the IEEE's Harry Diamond Award (1977); and the Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award (1998) Rabinow died September 11, 1999.
Related Materials:
The Division Medicine and Science holds the Rabinow Scanned Comparison Reading Machine (Accession #: 1982.0393.01).
Provenance:
Collection donated by Jacob Rabinow, 1990, Decmeber 17.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Electrical engineering  Search this
Computers  Search this
Electrical engineers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence -- 1930-1950
Patents
Photographs -- 20th century
Engineering drawings
Citation:
Jacob Rabinow Papers, 1947-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0403
See more items in:
Jacob Rabinow Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89c2aa548-4a5d-493e-a066-fe931d5dff11
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0403

Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company Records

Creator:
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co.  Search this
Names:
Atlantic City Railroad  Search this
Mine Hill & Schuylkill Haven Railroad  Search this
Reading Belt Railroad  Search this
Bines, William H.  Search this
Boggs, George B.  Search this
Buckholz, Charles W.  Search this
Byers, Charles E.  Search this
Chamberlain, E.C.  Search this
Davis, N.M.  Search this
Gowen, Franklin B.  Search this
Jamison, Robert  Search this
Keim, George DeB  Search this
Lorenz, William  Search this
Manning, Charles P.  Search this
Nichols, Henry K.  Search this
Rice, George  Search this
Richardson, F.E.  Search this
Royers, John H.  Search this
Steele, J. Dutton  Search this
Thompson, J.W.  Search this
Whitney, E.S.  Search this
Wilson, H.T.  Search this
Wootten, John E.  Search this
Yarington, T.O.  Search this
Zacharias, H.C.  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Transportation  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
18 Cubic feet (78 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Right of way deeds
Reports
Letterpress copybooks
Mechanical drawings
Estimates
Financial statements
Circular letters
Bills
Accident reports
Correspondence
Place:
Lackawanna County (Pa.)
Luzerne County (Pa.)
Cressona (Pa.)
Harrisburg (Pa.)
Norristown (Pa.)
Philadelphia (Pa.)
New Jersey
Sumerton (Pa.)
Cheltenham (Pa.)
Sunbury (Pa.)
Reading (Pa.)
Trenton (N.J.)
Schuylkill County (Pa.)
Pennsylvania
Date:
1860-1936
Summary:
Collection of engineering reports and correspondence from the Engineering Department of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was most used for the transportation of anthracite coal within Pennsylvania from 1833 through the early 1970s.
Scope and Contents:
Primarily outgoing correspondence from the Engineering Department of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company, the remainder being engineering reports and other miscellaneous papers.

Series 1: Letterpress Copybooks consists of 219 volumes from various engineers, each with own index (1865-1892): were generated by Chief Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, various resident engineers, other lower-level engineers, and the Chief Road-Master. Bulk of copybooks created by William H. Bines and Henry K. Nichols during long careers with the Philadelphia & Reading. Other volumes contain letters and reports by Charles W. Buckholz, Charles E. Byers, William Lorenz, and others. Correspondence covers all aspects of the engineering operations of the railroad, much of it at highest levels, being addressed to the Presidents of the Reading. Also includes one letterbook from John E. Wooten (1865), Superintendent.

Series 2: Reports of Chief Engineer to Auditor, 1908-1910; structural design calculation notebooks, 1901-1935; right of way deeds, 1903; and tracings of assorted machine parts.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into five series.

Series 1: Letterpress Copybooks, 1866-1870

Series 2: Chief Engineer Standard Plans, 1904-1942 Series 3: Construction Reports, 1901-1913

Series 4: Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Valuation of Railroads, 1913-1922

Series 5: Reports and Miscellaneous Papers, 1860-1936
Biographical / Historical:
This railroad was chartered in 1833 to provide low-cost transportation from the Schuylkill and Mahanoy anthracite coal fields in eastern Pennsylvania to Philadelphia. Main line from Philadelphia to Pottsville opened 1842. Reading expanded by acquiring other railroads, and by 1869 had monopoly of coal traffic from Schuylkill anthracite region.

Expansion accelerated when Franklin B. Gowen became president (1869) and attempted to dominate entire anthracite trade. Purchased Schuylkill Canal (1870) to eliminate competition for coal trade; then organized the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company in 1871 to purchase and operate coal mines; secured over 40 percent of U.S. anthracite reserves, but debt incurred led railroad to bankruptcy and receivership (1880). Gowen's reckless style drove the Reading into second receivership (1886), and he was forced to resign.

Gowen's Successor, Archibald A. McLeod, tried to increase company control over anthracite trade (1892-1893), then control of several New England railroads. The Reading went bankrupt again and McLeod was ousted. In a reorganization (1896), the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad and the Coal & Iron Company became properties of the Reading Company, a holding company. Later additions to system were infrequent and largely confined to short branches and improvements inalignment. Due to anti-trust proceedings, company divested mining subsidiary (1923) and merged wholly owned railroad companies into an operating company. Acquired Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad 1963, went bankrupt in early 1970s, and conveyed portions of its lines to Conrail (1976). The reorganized Reading Company retains real estate and other non-rail holdings.
Related Materials:
Hagley Museum & Library, Manuscripts & Archives Department, P.O. Box 3630, Wilmington, Delaware 19807.
Provenance:
Collection donated by the Reading Company, Philadelphia, Pa., 1960s.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Railroad accidents  Search this
Railroad engineering  Search this
Railroads -- New Jersey  Search this
Railroads -- Buildings and structures  Search this
Coal mines and mining -- Pennsylvania  Search this
Coal -- Pennsylvania  Search this
Railroad companies -- Pennsylvania  Search this
Engineering  Search this
Engineers  Search this
Railroad engineers  Search this
Coal -- Transportation  Search this
Anthracite coal industry  Search this
Railroads -- Surveying  Search this
Railroad tracks  Search this
Railroads -- Maintenance and repair  Search this
Railroads -- Signalling  Search this
Transportation  Search this
Railroads -- Pennsylvania  Search this
Genre/Form:
Right of way deeds
Reports
Letterpress copybooks
Mechanical drawings
Estimates
Financial statements
Circular letters
Bills
Accident reports
Correspondence -- 1930-1950
Citation:
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0208
See more items in:
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e44f13bf-04bf-4b9e-a922-1f180aa7a596
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0208

General Machinery Corporation Records

Creator:
General Machinery Corporation  Search this
Niles-Bement-Pond Co.  Search this
Donor:
Bement Company  Search this
Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Company  Search this
Long and Allstatter Company  Search this
Niles Tool Works  Search this
Ohio Historical Society  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
24 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Place:
Hamilton (Ohio)
Ohio -- Manufacturing
Date:
ca. 1899-1969.
Scope and Contents:
Over 2,000 photographic negatives of machinery produced by General Machinery Corporation and its predecessors; also three cubic feet of prints from the negatives.
Arrangement:
Divided into five series: Series 1, Long and Allstatter Negatives; Series 2, Niles Bement Pond Negatives; Series 3, Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Company Negatives; Series 4, Bement Company Negatives; Series 5, Niles Tool Works Negatives; Series 6, Photoprints from Negatives in General Machinery Corporation Collection.
Biographical / Historical:
The General Machinery Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio was formed in 1928 by the merger of Niles Bement Pond Co. and Hooven Owens Rentschler Co. Other companies that became part of General Machinery were Putnam Machine Co. and Long and Allstatter. The General Machinery Co. became subsumed by the Baldwin Lima Hamilton Co. during th e1950s..
Provenance:
The negatives were donated to the Division of Work and Industry, in several gifts in 1991 and 1992, by the Ohio Historical Society.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Manufacturing  Search this
Machinery industry  Search this
Machine-tool industry  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- 20th century
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
Citation:
General Machinery Corporation Records, ca. 1899-1969, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1115
See more items in:
General Machinery Corporation Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f033dccf-4766-43f4-8cbc-75d6462009f0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1115

Frick Company Records

Creator:
Frick Company, George (Waynesboro, Pa.)  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Names:
Frick, George, 1826-1892  Search this
Extent:
26 Cubic feet (49 boxes, 4 oversize folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Payrolls
Photographs
Purchasing records
Scrapbooks
Commercial correspondence
Clippings
Account books
Date:
1852-1961
bulk 1860-1920
Summary:
This collection documents, in correspondence, publications, forms, paperwork, drawings, newspaper clippings, diplomas and photographs, the operations and products of the Frick Company of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, manufacturers of steam-powered engines (portable, stationary, and traction), sawmills, threshing machines, grain separators and other mechanized agricultural harvesting implements, refrigeration, mechanical cooling systems, and ice making plants, from its founding in 1852 through 1961.
Scope and Contents:
This collection documents the founding and business operations of the Frick Company* of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, manufacturers of portable, stationary, and traction engines, threshing machines, sawmills, and refrigeration and ice making machinery. The collection covers the period from 1852 to 1961, with the bulk of the material dating from 1860-1873 and from 1880 through the 1920s and illuminates the evolution of mechanized agriculture and refrigeration technology from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century.

The largest portion of the collection contains photographs of Frick engines and refrigeration machinery, taken both in the foundry and in various installations worldwide, as well as original drawings of Frick machines, parts, and components used to illustrate catalogs and trade publications. Another large portion of the collection is correspondence, containing communication from clients ordering Frick products for their farms or businesses, as well as receipts and correspondence from local and regional suppliers of raw materials and components for the construction of Frick products.

The collection also contains numerous examples of operational paperwork from the 1880s-1890s, such as letterheads, order forms, contracts, test logs, and timesheets, as well as a significant amount of trade literature largely from 1880-1920, such as price lists, catalogs, product pamphlets, and advertising material.

There are several published company histories, technical drawings/blueprints of Frick products, diplomas awarded to Frick machinery presented at expositions and fairs (including the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893), full-color posters advertising Frick & Co., agent supplies (including telegraph cipher code books), accounting paperwork, payroll records, communications with shareholders, and significant documentation of the highly publicized labor dispute/strike at Frick in 1946.

This collection would be of interest to researchers in the areas of: agricultural machination and invention in the nineteeth century, steam and horse-powered engines, the development of refrigerating and ice making equipment in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, business operations and financial transactions in the nineteenth century, Pennsylvania history and companies, industrial photography, and nineteenth and twentieth centuries industrial trade literature.

*The name of the company was modified several times over the history of its operation, variations including George Frick, Frick & Bowman, Frick & Co., and Frick Company, depending on the time period in question. Efforts have been made to align the description of the materials throughout the collection with the correct company name at the time of their creation.
Arrangement:
This collection is divided into six series:

Series 1: Publications, 1852, 1874-1875; 1880-1932; 1942-1943; 1953; 1961

Subseries 1.1 Company History, 1928; 1953

Suseries 1.2 Trade Literature, 1874-1875; 1880-1926; 1930; 1932; 1943; 1952-1953; 1960-1961

Subseries 1.3 Advertising Material, 1852; 1880-1899; 1905; 1909-1929; 1942

Series 2: Correspondence, Receipts, and Ledger Books, 1852-1873; 1890-1902; 1914; 1924-1925

Subseries 2.1 Receipts and Business Correspondence: by company, 1855-1873

Subseries 2.2 Receipts and Business Correspondence: miscellaneous, 1852-1873; 1890; 1895

Subseries 2.3 Ledger Books, 1872; 1896-1898; 1892-1894; 1900-1902

Subseries 2.4 Other Correspondence, 1861-1873; 1898-1901; 1914; 1917; 1924-1925

Series 3: Company Management, 1856-1873; circa 1880s-1890s; 1917; 1927-1929; 1945-1946

Subseries 3.1 Accounting, 1856-1897

Subseries 3.2 Sales, circa 1880s; 1917; 1927

Subseries 3.3 Communications, 1860-1917

Subseries 3.4 Public Relations, 1928-1929; 1945-1946

Series 4: Foundry Operations, 1859-1872; 1877-1879; circa 1880s-1890s; 1900-1903; 1911; 1921; 1929

Subseries 4.1 Orders, 1859-1872; circa 1880s-1890s;1900-1902

Subseries 4.2 Drawings/Blueprints, 1871-1911; 1921; 1929

Subseries 4.3 Shipping and Receiving, 1860-1873; circa 1880s-1890s

Subseries 4.4 Timesheets and Testing, 1860; 1868; 1877-1879; circa 1880s-1890s; 1903

Series 5: Photographs and Artistic Renderings, circa 1880-1950

Subseries 5.1 Frick Buildings, Offices, and Operations, circa 1880-1910

Subseries 5.2 Portable, Stationary, and Traction Engines, 1889; 1893-1896; 1906-1908; 1912-1915; 1925

Subseries 5.3 Other Machinery, circa 1890s

Subseries 5.4 Ice Making and Refrigeration Machinery: Vertical Compressors, 1883-1906; circa 1920s

Subseries 5.5 Ice Making and Refrigeration Machinery: Horizontal Compressors, circa 1910-1920

Subseries 5.6 Ice Making and Refrigeration Machinery: CO2 Compressors and Later Models, circa 1920-1950; 1940-1941

Subseries 5.7 Ice Making and Refrigeration Machinery: Ice Plants, 1889; 1904; 1920-1927

Subseries 5.8 Ice Making and Refrigeration Machinery: Cold Storage Units, 1889; 1925; 1933; undated

Subseries 5.9 Installations: Ice Plants, 1892-1896; 1900-1933; 1945

Subseries 5.10 Installations: Refrigeration and Cold Storage Units, circa 1890-1905; circa 1915-1920

Series 6: Trade Shows and Exhibitions, 1877-1885; 1893; 1895; 1904; 1926

Subseries 6.1 Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas, 1877-1884; 1893; 1895; 1904

Subseries 6.2 Promotional Material, 1884-1885; 1926
Biographical / Historical:
Founded in 1852 by engineer and inventor George Frick (1826-1892), Frick Company has been an innovative machinery design leader in many areas of the agricultural and refrigeration industries over the last 160 years. Frick began building steam engines and threshing machines in a small shop in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.

Frick quickly gained a reputation for quality in the growing field of mechanized agriculture. His designs for early portable engines--transported and driven by horsepower--soon evolved into self-propelling, steam-powered vehicles that could be driven into the fields and then used to run the grain separating, cleaning and bagging machines that were revolutionizing the farming industry, increasing production at exponential rates.

In addition, Frick's stationary engines were put to use in mills of all kinds (grist, flour, paper, and woolen) to augment or replace their dependence on unreliable natural water power, including sawmills, of which Frick was soon building a line of portable, steam-driven versions. Between the mid-1850s and the early 1870s, the company continued to expand, outgrowing three different shops before building the final location of the works in Waynesboro. George Frick himself was continuously active in the company through the end of the nineteenth century as a mechanical engineer and product designer, as well as a frequent consultant, traveling to confer with clients on specifications for their orders.

Beginning in 1872, George Frick's business and personal life took a downturn with the deaths in quick succession of both his oldest son Frank and his new business partner C.F. Bowman, as a result of a typhoid fever epidemic that swept through the area. Additionally, the financial Panic of 1873 nearly closed Frick's company along with thousands of other American businesses that year, but thirteen local businessmen formed a partnership, putting forth the necessary capital to keep the manufacturing plant afloat. George Frick sold his controlling interest to the partnership, but remained as general manager of the company.

After this brief period of struggle, Frick and Company began again to expand its product line as well as its reputation. The new works in Waynesboro were modern and efficient, enough to warrant a feature article in Scientific American in 1881. The following year, the company built its first refrigeration machine, and a whole new direction of production opened up. Automatic and traction engines were still in demand, being constantly improved and updated, but refrigeration was the new frontier. Frick rose to become one of the leaders in development of high quality, durable, and functional refrigeration machinery. George's son A.O. Frick, now an engineer with the company, partnered with Edgar Penney, another design engineer, to develop the Corliss engine line, which would run the large ammonia compressors, creating what was called a refrigeration machine. They were intially used to power ice plants, which were being built all over the world after the mild winter of 1890 tipped the natural ice industry into decline. They also used cold storage/mechanical cooling units, of which breweries and meat packing plants were the earliest adopters, followed by cold food stores, florist shops, and fur storage, as well as the dairy and shipping industries. The Armour Packing Plant in Kansas City, Missouri was the proud owner of "The Largest Ice Machine in the World," built by Frick and shipped by train via specially-reinforced rails in 1896. At the turn of the twentieth century, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and industrial plants soon began to rely on refrigeration units for daily operations, and Frick's business was booming.

As gas-powered engine technology began taking over in the first decades of the twentieth century, Frick moved away from steam engines and focused on more specialized farm equipment such as dehydrators, peanut pickers, combines, balers and silo fillers. Their line of sawmills was also still in high demand. But increasingly, Frick was focused on steadily refining and improving its refrigeration equipment. Ammonia, while highly efficient as a coolant, had its dangerous downsides: it could be fatal if leaked, and could contaminate plant ice easily. Although many of Frick's ammonia compression refrigeration machines were still in use forty or more years after installation and were still preferred for industrial use, the technology needed to improve in order to be viable for the general public. Several publicized accidents led eventually to the preferred use of chloroflorocarbons as a coolant, and Frick developed enclosed-type CO2 compressors and eventually freon units. Other Frick refrigeration products included machinery for making dry ice, air conditioning units, and temperature controls for test plants, as well as marine refrigeration (developed during the First World War) for shipping food between continents. Frick did contract work for the US military during and following World War II, and was a major company involved in the development of quick-freezing systems to support the growing frozen food industry starting in the late 1940s.

Frick Company positioned itself as a permanent leader in the food production and distribution industry by the 1950s. The company is still in operation today, though it has been purchased several times, most recently by Johnson Controls, which maintains a product line bearing the name Frick.
Related Materials:
The Archives Center holds several collections that may be of interest to researchers in relation to the Frick Company Collection.

For related material on Corliss engines, see the following collections:

Chuse Engine and Manufacturing Company Records (AC 1088)

Corliss Steam Engine Album (AC 1016)

Corliss Steam Engine Reference Collection (AC 1329)

Nagle Engine and Boiler Works Records (AC 1083)

Providence Engineering Works Records (AC 1076)

Skinner Engine Company Records (AC 1087)

Robert Weatherill Company Records (AC 0992)

For related material on threshing machines and agricultural machinery, see the following collections:

John K. Parlett Collection (AC 3066)

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana (AC 0060)

For related material on refrigeration machinery, see the following collections:

Madison Cooper Papers (AC 1105)

Nickerson and Collins Photography (AC 1044)

Southwork Foundry and Machine Company Records (AC 1107)
Separated Materials:
The Division of Work and Industry holds artifacts related to this collection. See acquisition numbers AG79A09.1, MC 319243.12 and .13, and 58A9.
Provenance:
Collection donated by the Frick Company, through Terry Mitchell in 1961.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Harvesting machinery  Search this
Refrigeration and refrigerating machinery -- 1860-1960  Search this
Steam-engines  Search this
Engineers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Payrolls
Photographs -- 20th century
Purchasing records
Scrapbooks -- 1840-1990
Commercial correspondence
Clippings
Account books
Citation:
Frick Company Collection, 1852-1961, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0293
See more items in:
Frick Company Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89574cae5-edf0-454b-b164-68c3d17d454d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0293
Online Media:

E. Lewis Allen Papers

Engineer:
Allen, E. Lewis  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Donor:
Allen, Ellen Y.  Search this
Extent:
1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1925-1949
Content Description:
Papers contain performance data, publications, handwritten notes, and instruction manuals related to Westinghouse Corporation and the Westinghouse Engineering School. Also includes biographical materials (course books, notes and lesson plans) used by E. Lewis Allen.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Ellen Y. Allen, 1989.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Refrigeration and refrigerating machinery  Search this
Engineering -- 20th century  Search this
Citation:
E. Lewis Allen Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1528
See more items in:
E. Lewis Allen Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep81b7d83da-4aa1-48c5-9526-14d363036831
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1528

Bollman Truss Bridge Collection

Creator:
Vogel, Robert M.  Search this
Bollman, Wendell, 1814-1884  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (4 boxes and 1 map-folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Blueprints
Maps
Minutes
Correspondence
Diagrams
Advertisements
Specifications
Photographs
Date:
1852-1986
Summary:
Collection documents various aspects of the development, implementation and research value of the Bollman truss bridge design.
Scope and Contents note:
Papers documenting various aspects of the development, implementation and research value of the Bollman truss bridge design. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, articles and clippings, schematics, diagrams, maps, and other printed materials. Also includes records of government agencies associated with Bollman truss structures, such as meeting minutes, and surveys receipts.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical/Historical note:
Wendel Bollman (1814-1884) was a self-educated engineer who began working for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as a carpenter and devised a bridge-trussing system that was a series of independently supported floor beams, each carried by a double pair of eye-bar ties. He patented the system in 1852 and it became known as the "Bollman Truss". The Bollman truss was used on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, its subsidiaries, and several roads. It was the first bridge trussing system which all princicpal elements were made of iron. Bollman trusses were built until about 1875 nd rtained in service until about 1890.
Provenance:
Collection assembled by Robert M. Vogel, curator, for the National Museum of American History, Division of Civil Engineering reference files.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Civil engineers  Search this
Bridges -- Maryland  Search this
Railroad engineers  Search this
Trusses  Search this
Railroads -- United States  Search this
Periodicals  Search this
Patents  Search this
Genre/Form:
Clippings
Blueprints
Maps
Minutes
Correspondence
Diagrams
Advertisements
Specifications
Photographs -- 20th century
Photographs -- 19th century
Citation:
Bollman Truss Bridge Collection, 1852-1986, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1064
See more items in:
Bollman Truss Bridge Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84ae498db-2f19-4be6-900e-9e0fc4ec0b27
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1064

Kenneth T. Norwood Dam Slides

Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Donor:
Norwood, Helen Wilkes  Search this
Engineer:
Nrwood, Kenneth T. , d. 1991  Search this
Extent:
.50 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Color slides
Date:
1948-1965
Summary:
Collection documents dam construction in California, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Content Description:
Collection contains color slides documenting construction of the Brite Valley Dam, Mancos Dam, Sulphur Creek Dam, and Trenton Dam, in California, Colorado and Nebraska.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series, alphabetical by name of dam.
Biographical / Historical:
Born in Buffalo Gap, South Dakota, Norwood grew up in Everett, Idaho, and attended The College of Idaho for three years, and The University of Washington for one year. He had extensive work in advanced mathematics, hydraulics, civil engineering, surveying, and geodesics.

In the 1930's Norwood was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, the Idaho State Highway Department, the W.P.A. of Idaho City and The Bureau of Reclamation. In 1941 he worked for the U.S, Engineers Dept, in Portland, Oregon for airport layouts, then transferred to the L.A. District to enter foreign service in Central America.He was with the U.S. Corps of Engineers in the Managua, Nicaragua area, in the vicinity of San Marcos de Colon working on the Pan American Highway.

In 1942 he married Helen L. Kubli. There were no children. In 1944, Norwood returned to the United States and worked for Associated Shipbuilders in Seattle, Washington as liaison engineer. He sought a commission in both the Marine Corps and the Navy, but was physically disqualified as 2-A. In 1944 and 1945 he was engineer with Puget Sound Bridge and Dredge at Harbor Island, Washington, and with the Corps of Engineers, L.A. district for the Whittier Narrows Dam. In 1945 he returned to Central America with Tucker McClure Co. and in Guayaquil, Ecuador again working on the Pan American Highway. In 1950 he returned to the United States and was employed by Vinnell Construction Co in Alhambra, California.

Norwood worked on canal projects, highways, dams, flood control, and bridges. He traveled to many underdeveloped countries on government assignments to develop highways, airports, bridges, and did estimating, negotiating and bidding.

In 1963 he left Vinnell Co. and he and Ross Griggs formed Griggs-Norwood Inc. and their work encompassed engineering of all kinds. They were based first in Pasadena, California and then in Long Beach, California. Mr. Griggs soon retired. After Mrs. Norwood's death in 1974 he moved his base to Duarte, California. In 1978 he married Mrs. Helen Wilkes. He retired in 1980 and died May 1, 1991.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Helen Wilkes Norwood, wife of Kenneth T. Norwood, 1992.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Dams  Search this
Genre/Form:
Color slides
Citation:
Kenneth T. Norwood Dam Slides, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1552
See more items in:
Kenneth T. Norwood Dam Slides
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep891ef9025-750d-432a-9d26-2e8838729a27
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1552

Narrows Dam (Yadkin River, North Carolina) Photograph Album

Creator:
Kemmer, Frank  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.33 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Photograph albums
Place:
Yadkin River (N.C.)
North Carolina
Date:
1916-1917
Summary:
Photograph album showing all aspects of construction of the Narrows Dam on the Yadkin River in North Carolina.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of one album containing 101 photographs documenting the hydroelectric project and construction of the Narrows Dam on the Yadkin River near Badin, North Carolina. Frank Kemmer took the photographs from December 30, 1916 through April 25, 1917. Images include the trusses, piers, cranes and other equipment.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1, Photograph Album, 1916-1917
Biographical / Historical:
Narrows Dam is located on the Yadkin River, one of the largest rivers in North Carolina. The dam and its hydroelectric station was constructed by the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), to supply power for an aluminum production plant nearby.
Related Materials:
Other Archives Center collections relating to dams and hydroelectric power plants include Robert F. Olds Collection and John L. Savage Collection.
Separated Materials:
Four lantern slides of electric furnace operation were placed in the Division of Work and Industry Lantern Slide Collection (NMAH.AC.1013)and received no numbers.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Department of the History of Science and Technology, Division of Engineering and Industry by Frank Kemmer's granddaughter, Anne Wheelock, in 1990. It was transferred to the Archives Center in 2007.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Rivers -- North Carolina  Search this
Dams -- North Carolina  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 1910-1920
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Citation:
Narrows Dam (Yadkin River, North Carolina) Photograph Album, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1041
See more items in:
Narrows Dam (Yadkin River, North Carolina) Photograph Album
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8051547b7-8936-4617-86db-87eb3712ea04
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1041

Lucinda Rudell Covered Bridge Collection

Creator:
Moyer, Frances  Search this
Rudell, Lucinda  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Ephemera
Newsletters
Photographs
Pamphlets
Postcards
Placemats
Scrapbooks
Articles
Correspondence
Writings
Date:
1942-1986
Summary:
The collection documents Mrs. Rudell's research on covered bridges, mostly in the United States, but also including some in Europe and Canada.
Scope and Contents note:
The collection is comprised of Mrs. Rudell's research on covered bridges, mostly in the United States but also including some in Europe and Canada. Included are letters, responses to her inquiries to local groups and governments, pamphlets, travel and tourist information, writings on covered bridges, postcards, clippings, a photograph album of covered bridges, newsletters from the Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, and ephemera such as placemats and greeting cards depicting covered bridges.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical/Historical note:
Collector of covered bridge materials.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Frances Moyer in 1987.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Covered bridges  Search this
Greeting cards -- 20th century  Search this
Bridges  Search this
Genre/Form:
Ephemera
Newsletters
Photographs -- 20th century
Pamphlets
Postcards
Placemats
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Articles
Correspondence
Writings
Citation:
Lucinda Rudell Covered Bridge Collection, 1942-1986, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1028
See more items in:
Lucinda Rudell Covered Bridge Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep864937d29-d76f-4512-9c55-3682e20e50a2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1028
Online Media:

Rip Van Winkle Bridge Photographs

Creator:
New York Department of Public Works  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1933-1935
Summary:
Photographs that document the construction of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in New York during various stages of construction, construction crews, and pier interiors.
Scope and Contents:
90 photographs, documenting construction of the Rip Van WInkle Bridge during various stages of construction, construction crews, and pier interiors.

The State of New York, Department of Public Works, Division of Engineering, created this collection to document the construction of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River at Catskill, New York, between 1933 and 1934. Photographers represented are A.C. Dario, F.J. Hart, and A. McMahon. The collection includes ninety photographs, captioned with the State of New York photograph number, subject, camera location or point of view, date, and remarks.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1, Photographs, 1933-1935
Biographical / Historical:
The Rip Van Winkle Bridge spans the Hudson River between Hudson and Catskill, New York. It was built by the New York State Bridge Authority and opened July 2, 1935.
Related Materials:
Holton Duncan Robinson Papers
Provenance:
The collection was purchased by the National Museum of American History, Division of Engineering and Industry (now called the Division of Work and Industry), 1984.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Bridges -- New York (State)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 1930-1940
Citation:
Rip Van Winkle Bridge Photographs, 1933-1935, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1027
See more items in:
Rip Van Winkle Bridge Photographs
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88de7fafc-9775-4815-82a3-8db91cbb314c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1027
Online Media:

Quebec Bridge Photograph Collection

Donor:
Enterline, Stevenson  Search this
Eney, William J.  Search this
Creator:
Quebec Bridge Company.  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.5 Cubic feet (3 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Postcards
Photographs
Place:
Canada
Quebec
Date:
1905-1986
bulk 1905-1916
Summary:
The collection documents the construction of the first and second Quebec Bridges over the St. Lawrence River. Construction on the first bridge began in 1900 and the bridge collapsed before completion in 1907. Construction on the second Quebec Bridge, which is the longest cantilever bridge in the world, was completed in 1917.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the construction of the first and second Quebec Bridges over the St. Lawrence River primarily through photographs. The collection is arranged into two series: Series 1, Photographic Materials, 1905-1965 and Series 2, Other Materials, 1916-1986.

Series 1, Photographic Materials, 1905-1965, is divided into two subseries: Subseries 1.1, Photographs, 1907-1965 and Subseries 1.2, Photograph Album, 1905. The black-and-white photographs primarily document the construction of the second Quebec Bridge, 1907-1917. Many of these photographs were taken in a workshop where the production of the bridge parts and building materials occurred. One picture, marked number 24, is of the Prime Minister of Canada, Robert Borden, attending the construction site in October 1913. This series also contains photographs of the 1907 bridge collapse and pictures taken in 1965 of the current second bridge. Subseries 2, Photograph Album, 1905, documents the construction of the first Quebec cantilever bridge. The album contains mounted black-and-white photographs taken between May 12 and November 23, 1905.

Series 2, Other Materials, 1916-1986, consists of newspaper articles and postcards. The newspaper articles detail the 1916 construction accident on the second Quebec bridge; one 1917 article about the bridge; and one 1986 article about the 1907 collapse of the first bridge. There are three postcards, both black-and-white and color, of the Quebec Bridge.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1, Photographic Materials, 1905-1965

Subseries 1, Photographs, 1907-1965

Subseries 2, Photograph Album, 1905

Series 2, Other Materials, 1916-1986
Biographical / Historical:
The first Quebec Bridge was built over the St. Lawrence River in order to connect important railroad lines.[1] This bridge collapsed on August 29, 1907, killing 79 men.[2] The engineers for the second bridge were Maurice Fitzmaurice, H.E. Vautelet, and Ralph Modjeska.[3]

Notes: [1] "Bridge of 1,800-FT. Span Across the St. Lawrence," Popular Mechanics Vol. 8, No. 12 December 1906

[2]"Wrecked Quebec Bridge to be Recommended"[3] "Wrecked Quebec Bridge to be Recommended"
Provenance:
Originally collected for the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering's reference collections; exact date and source of acquisition unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: reproduction fees may apply.
Topic:
Bridges -- Design and construction  Search this
Bridges -- Canada  Search this
Bridge failures  Search this
Bridges -- Quebec  Search this
Rivers -- Quebec  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Postcards -- 1900-1920
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Citation:
Quebec Bridge Photograph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1026
See more items in:
Quebec Bridge Photograph Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep87b51becf-1e0e-417b-80c4-79ab4bdf13b0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1026
Online Media:

Minnesota Railroads Photograph Albums

Creator:
Krainik Gallery (Falls Church, Va.)  Search this
Krainik, Cliff  Search this
Names:
Minnesota and Pacific Railroad.  Search this
Soo Line Railroad.  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
2 Albums
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Albums
Photographs
Photograph albums
Place:
Minnesota
Date:
1886-1887
Scope and Contents note:
Two photograph albums containing photographs of railroad bridge construction in Minnesota , on the St. Croix River, the Clearwater River, and the Soo River. The photographs, most of which are captioned and dated, include images of such things as cutting, filling, bridges and piers, camps, and surveying. A few images of towns and people are included. The railroads involved are the Minnesota and Pacific Railway and the Soo Railway.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Provenance:
Transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work and Industry, 2007.
Purchased by the Museum's Division of Engineering and Industry from the Krainik Gallery in 1986.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Railroads -- Construction  Search this
Railroads -- 19th century  Search this
Bridges -- Minnesota  Search this
Bridges -- Design and construction  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 1880-1890
Photograph albums -- 19th century
Citation:
Minnesota Railroads Photograph Albums, 1886-1887, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1023
See more items in:
Minnesota Railroads Photograph Albums
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep890f1871f-068e-47b2-9bb2-1a2459a6e63b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1023

W. A. Fishbaugh Panama Canal Photograph Album

Creator:
Hunt, Mary Alice Minear  Search this
Hunt, George Laird  Search this
Fishbaugh, William Arthur  Search this
Minear, A. Bruce  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Photograph albums
Place:
Panama Canal (Panama)
Panama -- 1900-1910
Date:
1905-1908.
Summary:
Photograph album of commercially-produced photographs of Panama Canal construction.
Scope and Contents note:
This collection consists of a photograph album of one hyndred commercially produced views of Panama Canal construction. Also included are some views of life in the Canal Zone, including hospitals, villages, street scenes, jungles, cemeteries, animal life, and bullfights. The album was assembled by A. Bruce Minear, who was sent to Panama by President Theodore Roosevelt to develop the YMCA for the men working on the canal. Most photographs are captioned.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1, Photograph Album, 1905-1907
Historical:
On November 18, 1903, the United States and Panama negotiated the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which granted the United States permission to construct a canal that would join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Construction for the Panama Canal began on May 4, 1904. The large workforce (at its highest population in 1913 it numbered 44,733 men, not including those sick, on leave, or otherwise absent) had a great impact on Panama. As there were not enough amenities to accommodate them when they arrived, they built entire communities, paved streets, improved communication systems, and installed water and sewage systems. Likewise, the railroad was improved for more efficient transportation of supplies, labor, food, and equipment. Much to the credit of Chief Sanitary Officer Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, yellow fever was completely eradicated on the Isthmus and malaria cases greatly reduced. Native villages and towns along the planned construction route were required to relocate.

The first self-propelled, ocean-bound vessel traveled on the canal on January 7, 1914, and the canal was formally opened in August of that year. The Panama Canal construction project was the most expensive construction project in United States history to that date, costing $375,000,000.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

W. P. Stine Panama Canal Papers (NMAH.AC.1039)

John Frances Little Panama Canal Scrapbook Photograph Albums (NMAH.AC.0708)

Katherine Kingsford Panama Canal Photograph Album (NMAH.AC.1040)

A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Albums (NMAH.AC.1015)
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the National Museum of American History's Division of the History of Science and Technology, Engineering and Industry Collections by Mary Alice Minear Hunt and George Laird Hunt, 1987.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Villages -- Panama  Search this
Streets -- Panama  Search this
Hospitals -- Panama  Search this
Jungles -- Panama  Search this
Animals -- Panama  Search this
Bullfights  Search this
Canals -- Panama  Search this
Cemeteries -- Panama  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 1900-1910
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Citation:
W.A. Fishbaugh Panama Canal Photograph Album, 1905-1908, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1021
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89f31081a-f85f-4f90-a28f-4c4db92b7093
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1021
Online Media:

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Photographs

Creator:
Cotton, Robert, Sir  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Photographs
Place:
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Date:
1984-1985.
Scope and Contents note:
Fifty-eight titled photographs taken by Sir Robert Cotton, of scenes along the C & O Canal, including locks, acqueducts, canal station; and cyclists and joggers along the towpaths.
Arrangement:
1 series.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Sir Robert Cotton, date unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Canals -- West Virginia  Search this
Locks  Search this
Aqueducts  Search this
Canals -- Maryland  Search this
Canals -- Virginia  Search this
Canals -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 1980-1990
Citation:
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Photographs, 1984-1985, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1022
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80df4d8c7-feda-463a-b1d9-3fb973e290ef
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1022

A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Albums

Creator:
Van Tassell, A.R.  Search this
Jackson, Paul  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Photographs
Place:
Mexico
Hawaii
Havana (Cuba)
Hawaii -- Oahu -- Honolulu
Cuba -- Havana
Cuba
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii.)
Honolulu (Hawaii)
Hilo (Hawaii)
Panama Canal (Panama)
Panama
Date:
1900-1956.
Summary:
Photograph album documenting the work and life of A.R. Van Tassell, an engineer who worked on structures in Hawaii as well as the Panama Canal.
Scope and Contents note:
The collection consists of two photograph albums documenting A.R. Van Tassell's engineering career and family life. The first album includes photographs that begin in 1900 and include images of buildings, structures, ships, harbors, a sugar factory, the Kilauea Volcano, mills, and the "Rainbow Bridge" near Hilo, which Van Tassell was involved in building. Other images feature Van Tassell's friends and family, as well as his wedding trip to Laredo, Texas. The album also contains photographs from Mexico City, Havana, and various travels in the United States. Van Tassell has included tickets from bull fights and musical programs in Mexico City. The photographs are captioned and dated. Three loose postcards found in this album have been placed in a folder. The second, smaller album consists of photographs taken of the Panama Canal.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1, Photograph Albums, 1900-1956
Biographical/Historical note:
In 1900, A.R. Van Tassell took his first engineering job in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of seventeen. In 1902, he went to Mexico City to help build the Central Post Office. He also worked on the Panama Canal and was employed as an engineer during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. He was married at least twice and had one daughter, Janet.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

W. P. Stine Panama Canal Papers (NMAH.AC.1039)

John Frances Little Panama Canal Scrapbook Photograph Albums (NMAH.AC.0708)

Katherine Kingsford Panama Canal Photograph Album (NMAH.AC.1040)
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the National Museum of American History's Division of Engineering and Industry by Paul Jackson, 1987.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Hawaii -- Hawaii -- Hilo  Search this
Engineers  Search this
Harbors -- Hawaii  Search this
Harbors -- Cuba  Search this
Bullfights -- Mexico  Search this
Canals -- Panama  Search this
Castles -- Cuba  Search this
Bridges -- Hawaii  Search this
Sugar -- Hawaii  Search this
Sugar -- Cuba  Search this
Pyramids -- Mexico  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
Citation:
A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Album, 1900-1956, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1015
See more items in:
A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Albums
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8541cabd1-b1ec-4bcb-9dc5-01a6a22348c9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1015
Online Media:

Robert B. Rice Papers

Author:
Rice, Robert B., 1900-1976  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
30.1 Cubic feet (81 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Personal papers
Date:
1915 - 1954
Summary:
Personal papers and correspondence (ca. 1946-1953) of Rice; publications, mostly on Diesel engines, their components and technical problems; material from Rice's academic career; directories of Diesel engine manufacturers and brochures describing their products; technical manuals and reprints of technical articles.
Scope and Contents:
The collection contains personal papers and correspondence, c. 1946 1953, of Robert B. Rice, as well as publications about diesel engines, their components and technical problems, dating from 1915 1954. It also includes academic material: class notes, examination questions, and theses required for the masters degree. There are directories of manufacturers of diesel engines, both foreign and domestic, and copies of brochures and technical manuals describing their products. Diesel engine applications in road transportation, railroads, electrical generation, ships, and aircraft are described in numerous brochures and published articles. Technical articles on diesel fuels (including coal) and lubricants are also included. There are numerous papers on other types of internal combustion engines.

Included are specifications, parts lists, instruction books, design data, pamphlets, test data, and drawings for American and foreign diesel engines, parts, and accessories, 1936 1947; research reports, trade literature, facts sheets, articles, test data, catalogs, and handbooks on disel engines for railroad, aircraft, and marine use, 1926 1967; diesel engine charts, 1943 1945; and materials on metals, fuel lubrication, jet propulsion, steam engines, turbines, and thermodynamic and heat power problems.

The collection is arranged into seven series. Series 1, Indexes and Directories, consists primarily of catalogues of diesel engines. Series 2 is composed of Rice's Professional and Academic Material. Series 3, Diesel Engines, consists of information on manufacturers of diesel engines; this information is sub divided into U.S. and foreign manufacturers and it is arranged alphabetically. Series 4 -6 provide information on Electric Utility Generator Units, Diesel Components and Technical Problems, and Fuels and Lubricants. Series 7, Reference Materials, is divided into Files and Blueprints, Manuals and Publications, and Design Drawings and Technical Data for the DZ 710 Aircraft Diesel.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into seven series.

Series 1: Indexes and directories

Series 2: R.B. Rice professional and academic material

Series 3; Diesel engines (by manufacturer)

Series 4: Electric utility generator units

Series 5: Diesel components and technical problems

Series 6: Fuels and lubricants

Series 7: Reference materials
Biographical / Historical:
Rice was a consulting engineer and professor of engineering at Newark College of Engineering, 1928-1936, and at North Carolina State University, 1937-1956.
Related Materials:
The Archives Center also holds collection #308, the Robert B. Rice Film Collection, 1936-1945. In addition, there is a small group of Rice's papers, primarily concerned with his academic career, in the Archives of North Carolina State University at Raleigh.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Robert B. Rice, October, 1972.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Diesel motor  Search this
Engineers -- 1910-1960  Search this
Internal combustion engines  Search this
Engineering -- 1910-1960  Search this
Genre/Form:
Personal papers -- 20th century
Citation:
Robert B. Rice Papers, 1915-1954, Archives Center, National Museumof American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0322
See more items in:
Robert B. Rice Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep816dac5d7-ab6b-48f7-9f7b-3c5098c7f94f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0322

Richard H. Miller Bridge Collection of Postcards and Slides

Collector:
Miller, Richard H.  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (11 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Postcards
Picture postcards
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Date:
1900-1991
Summary:
This collection is made up of Richard H. Miller's collection of postcards and slides illustrating bridges from around the world.
Scope and Contents:
This collection is made up of postcards and photographic slides of bridges collected and organizedby Miller. Many of the postcards were sent by others before being purchased by Miller and include messages, postmarks and secondhand prices. A small number of postcards appear to have been sent to Miller by friends, while the remainder do not have any dates or notations. The slides are captioned.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Postcards, undated

Series 2: Slides, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Richard H. Miller (1913-2015) was an an industrial engineer and bridge enthusiast. A longtime resident of Cheshire, Connecticut, Miller collected postcards and slides of famous bridges as a lifelong hobby.
Provenance:
Donated by Richard H. Miller in 1991.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Bridges  Search this
Genre/Form:
Postcards
Picture postcards -- 20th century
Photographs -- Color transparencies -- 1950-2000
Slides (photographs)
Citation:
Richard H. Miller Bridge Collection of Postcards and Slides, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0950
See more items in:
Richard H. Miller Bridge Collection of Postcards and Slides
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8bf0846f6-3f57-4335-a30a-2072f17de936
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0950

Nicholas C. Mandragos Papers

Creator:
Mandragos, Nicholas C., 1896- (engineer)  Search this
Mandragos, Frieda  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering  Search this
Extent:
2.5 Cubic feet (10 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Instructional materials
Lecture notes
Date:
1905-1964, undated
Summary:
The papers of immigrant engineer Nicholas C. Mandragos.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists almost entirely of notes Mandragos used as the basis for lectures to his engineering classes. They cover various problem areas: stress analysis of structures, strength of materials, hydraulics and other technical aspects of structural design. There are also a few notes Mandragos made as a student in the 1920s and 1930s. The notes are carefully hand printed with detailed technical drawings, sometimes in photocopy. They are arranged alphabetically by subject, usually with dates.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Nicholas C, Mandragos was born on the Greek island of Symi in 1896, was educated at the Salvago Professional School in Alexandria, Egypt, at New York University and at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He received a bachelor of science degree in engineering at the latter institution plus 21 points of graduate studies. After being employed as a structural engineer by New York Central RR, 1926 1937, Mandragos was employed in research during World War II at the War and Navy Depts. He also lectured on photoelasticity at George Washington University 1943 1949 and was an associate professor there 1947 1949; later he was a consulting engineer.
Separated Materials:
Instruments and models are housed in the the Division of Work and Industry.
Provenance:
This material was donated to NMAH, together with several instruments and models relating to materials testing, in October 1992 by Mr. Mandragos' widow, Frieda Mandragos.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Hydraulic engineering -- 1920-1960  Search this
Concrete -- 1920-1960  Search this
Strength of materials -- 1920-1960  Search this
Tolerance (Engineering) -- 1920-1960  Search this
Engineers -- 1920-1960  Search this
Engineering -- Study and teaching -- 1920-1960  Search this
Structural engineering -- 1920-1960  Search this
Genre/Form:
Instructional materials
Lecture notes
Citation:
Nicholas C. Mandragos Papers, 1927-1959, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Frieda Mandragos.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0484
See more items in:
Nicholas C. Mandragos Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8fc18fd5e-0a03-421f-ac93-ea933d86f5d2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0484

Naima Rauam Bridge Watercolors Collection

Creator:
Rauam, Naima  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Extent:
.25 Cubic feet (1 folder, 10 in x 15 in and 11 in x 14 .75 in )
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Watercolors
Place:
United States of America -- New York -- Queens County -- Queens
Date:
1989-1991
Content Description:
Collection consists of 36 watercolors documenting the bridge construction of the Jamaica Bay Bridge and Cross Bay Boulevard Bridge.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Naima Rauam, 1994.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Artists  Search this
Topic:
Bridges  Search this
Civil engineering  Search this
Genre/Form:
Watercolors
Citation:
Naima Rauam Bridge Watercolors Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1584
See more items in:
Naima Rauam Bridge Watercolors Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a475ebd4-9433-4141-a62e-1be6da5c71b9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1584

Exhibition Records, 1896-1983, 1991-1997, 2002-2010

Creator:
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of Medicine and Science  Search this
Subject:
United States National Museum Division of Engineering  Search this
United States National Museum Section of Transportation and Civil Engineering  Search this
National Museum of History and Technology (U.S.) Division of Electricity and Nuclear Energy  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of Electricity and Modern Physics  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of the History of Technology  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
Physical description:
3 cu. ft. processed holdings
4.79 cu. ft. unprocessed holdings
Type:
Manuscripts
Floor plans
Black-and-white photographs
Color photographs
Clippings
Drawings
Posters
Electronic records
Compact discs
Digital versatile discs
Digital images
Color negatives
Brochures
Architectural drawings
Color transparencies
Date:
1896
1896-2010
1896-1983, 1991-1997, 2002-2010
Topic:
Nuclear energy  Search this
Electricity--History  Search this
Physics--History  Search this
Museums--Educational aspects  Search this
Science--History  Search this
Museum curators  Search this
Medicine--History  Search this
Museum exhibits  Search this
Technology--History  Search this
Local number:
SIA RS00404
Restrictions & Rights:
Materials less than 15 years old Restricted. Contact reference staff for details
See more items in:
Exhibition Records 1896-1983, 1991-1997, 2002-2010 [National Museum of American History (U.S.) Division of Medicine and Science]
Data Source:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_arc_220172

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