Jon and Jennifer Hanson Watch and Clock Collection
Extent:
27 Cubic feet (35 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Account books
Annual reports
Advertising
Blueprints
Business records
Photographs
Picture postcards
Price lists
Date:
circa 1826-2009
Summary:
Photos and photo negatives, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, and other printed material documenting the interior operations, products, and horological research relating to watch companies and watchmaking in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Scope and Contents:
The initial collection consists of approximately 760 photographs and negatives created by the Hamilton Watch Company and documenting its employees, equipment, materials, and factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many photographs depict the company's research and development efforts. There are also images of the Hamilton Watch Company's work in fuse assembly for bombs during WWII. The photographs are mainly organized by factory department or location. A number of these photographs were created by the advertising department and include identification numbers, location of the image, name of the photographer, and the identification of people in the photograph, as well as release forms for those pictured. If not located with the photographs, these items, as well as additional information, can be found in the corresponding folders. Negatives in poor condition were scanned. There are also five glass plate negatives.
Following addenda consist primarily of advertising material related to material catalogs and newspaper and magazine articles published by watch companies in the 19th and 20th centuries. Included in the addenda are photographs, correspondence, articles, and other material documenting the interior operations, products, and horological research relating to the Hamilton Watch Company, Bowman Technical School, Keystone Watch Case Company, Elgin National Watch Company, United States Watch Company, Waltham Watch Company, and other prominent watch manufacturers primarily in the 20th century.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into seven series.
Series 1: Photographic Prints and Negatives, 1931-1954, undated
Series 2: 2009 Addenda, 1930-1969
Series 3: 2010 Addenda, circa 1826-1985
Series 4: 2016.3007 Addenda, circa 1885-2009
Series 5: 2016.3197 Addenda, circa 1870s-1970s
Series 6: 2014 Addenda, circa 1866-1981
Series 7: 2017 Addenda, circa 1850s-1998
Biographical / Historical:
Hamilton Watch Company, established in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1892, was known for its manufacture of high quality wrist and pocket watches. Broadway Limited, its first series of pocket watches, was nicknamed "the watch of railroad accuracy," and Hamilton soon became associated with the railroad industry. The company also supplied wristwatches to the United States Armed Forces in the 1910s. Hamilton continued its association with the military during World War II when it stopped production of watches for consumers in order to provide the armed forces with one million timepieces. The company was responsible for the Ventura, the world's first electric (battery-powered) watch, and in 1970, the world's first digital watch.
In 1969, Hamilton closed its factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, signaling the end of its American manufacturing operations. All production moved to the facilities of the Buren Watch Company in Switzerland, a company that Hamilton had acquired three years before. The Hamilton brand is currently owned by the Swatch Group and carries two product lines, American Classic and Khaki.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
E. Howard Clock Company Records (NMAH.AC.0776)
Seth Thomas Clock Company Records (NMAH.AC.0627)
James Arthur Clock and Watch Collection (NMAH.AC.0130)
National Company (NATCO) Atomic Clocks Records (NMAH.AC.0547)
Harold Lyons Atomic Clocks Collection (NMAH.AC.0701)
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Series: Watchworks and Clockworks (NMAH.AC.0060)
Josephus Gill Ledger (NMAH.AC.1573)
Andrew Chi Atomic Clocks Collection (NMAH.AC.1264)
Richard Bond Clock Escapement Video Documentation: Videotapes (NMAH.AC.0682)
Illinois Springfield Watch Company Record Book (NMAH.AC.1145)
Harold Lyons Atomic Clocks Collection (NMAH.AC.0701)
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 14: Calendar, Time and Weather (NMAH.AC.0300.S14)
James Knight Co. Records (NMAH.AC.0847)
Jacob Rabinow Papers (NMAH.AC.0403)
Materials in the Division of Work & Industry
See accessions: 2010.0243.03; 2012.0266; 2014.0023; 2015.0030.011; 2016.0026; 2016.0381; 2017.0337.
Provenance:
The donor, Jon Hanson, purchased the photographs and negatives from Hamilton Watch Company (Series 1) in 1969 when Hamilton closed its Lancaster plant; they were later sold by his estate. Hanson donated these materials to the Archives Center in 2008.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
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.
National Museum of American History (U.S.) Search this
Extent:
45 Cubic feet (114 boxes, 23 map folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Color slides
Contracts
Copy prints
Correspondence
Illustrations
Letterheads
Maps
Negatives (photographic)
Newsclippings
Notebooks
Photographs
Picture postcards
Pocket notebooks
Postage stamps
Press releases
Reports
Specifications
Stereographs
Date:
1755-2000
Summary:
The collection consists of a wide range of materials--ephemera, trade literature, correpsondence, photographs, maps, plans, schematics, pamplets, brochures, postcards, calendars--documenting the subject of bridges.
Scope and Contents:
This collection was assembled by the Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (now the Division of Work and Industry) curators over the course of several decades. The collection consists of a wide range of materials documenting the subject of bridges broadly in terms of planning, construction, geography, aesthetics, cost, and failures. Well-known bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge and its bridge builders and engineers is also documented.
The materials consist of photographs, negatives, copy prints, illustrations, correspondence, newsclippings, journal articles, HABS/HAER drawings, engineeeing reports, contracts and specifications for building bridges, blueprints, and notebooks. Throughout the files is curatorial correspondence, principally with curator Robert Vogel and historians of the history of technology, bridge enthusiasts, and civil engineers. There is a mixture of primary, secondary and tertiary materials found throughout the collection.
Some of the materials related to the Brooklyn Bridge are photocopies or copy prints from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Roebling Collection and other archives and libraries. These materials were assembled for the exhibit "Building Brooklyn Bridge--The Engineering and Construction, 1867-1883" staged in 1983 at the National Museum of American History. These materials are filed under the title "Building Brooklyn Bridge."
Many of the photographs and other items are from collections at the National Museum of American History: Llewellyn Nathaniel Edwards, Henry Grattan Tyrrell, Samuel E. Reed Collection, and the T.F. Healy Collection.
Publications vary widely, but some titles include American Contract Journal, American Railroad Journal, Harpers Weekly, Scientific American, Engineers and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering News-Record, Engineering Record, and others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series, then alphabetically.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Horatio Allen Papers, NMAH.AC.1447
American Public Works Association "Top Ten Public Works Projects of the Century--1900-2000" Nominations, NMAH.AC.0983
American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Film Collection, NMAH.AC.0711
Archives Center Business Americana Collection, NMAH.AC.0404
Archives Center Lantern Slide Collection, NMAH.AC.0686
Archives Center Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0483
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1086
Benjamin Franklin Bridge Photograph Album, NMAH.AC.1029
Berlin Construction Company Records, NMAH.AC.1032
Victor Blenkle Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0200
Bollman Truss Bridge Collection, NMAH.AC.1064
Donald M. Burmister Paper, NMAH.AC.1068
Canadian Bridges Photograph Albums, NMAH.AC.1025
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Collection, NMAH.AC.0930
Robert Covington Stereograph Portfolio, NMAH.AC.1201
Cummings Structural Concrete Company Records, NMAH.AC.0218
Arthur d'Arazien Industrial Photographs, NMAH.AC.0314
Victor C. Darnell Bridge Construction Photographs, NMAH.AC.1018
William E. Dean Papers, NMAH.AC.0230
Robert Dearborn Panama Canal Glass negatives, NMAH.AC.1111
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1074
U.S. Steel Corporation Photograph Albums, NMAH.AC.1037
Rip Van Winkle Bridge Photographs, NMAH.AC.1027
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Series: Bridges, NMAH.AC.0060
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Series: Railroads, NMAH.AC.0060
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Series 2: Other Collection Divisions, NMAH.AC.0060
Washington, D.C. Bridges Collection, NMAH.AC.1095
Raymond W. Wilson Covered Bridge Collection, NMAH.AC.0999
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.
Collection contains postcards from North America and England depicting factories in the first half of the twentieth century.
Content Description:
Collection consists of postcards collected by William Lawrence (Larry) Bird Jr. The postcards contain color images of factories, stores, and buildings located throughout the United States with a few from England. They are arranged first by country and then in alphabetical order by state.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged in one series.
Biographical / Historical:
William Lawrence "Larry" Bird, Jr. received his Bachelor of Art (B.A.) degree in History from the University of Maryland in 1973 and two years later his Master of Art (M.A.) degree also in history from the University of Arizona. He went on to obtain his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History from Georgetown University in 1985.
Bird spent much of his museum career as a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, in its Division of Political History. He curated numerous exhibitions including Design for Victory: World War II Posters on the American Home Front (with Harry R. Rubenstein, 1998); Paint by Number: The How-to Craze that Swept the Nation (2001); Holidays on Display (2007); America's Doll House: The Miniature World of Faith Bradford (2010); Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes, and Curios from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (2013); and is co-author and co-curator of American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith (2017).
Bird's many publications include "American Television from the Fair to the Family, 1939-1989;" "Vote: The Machinery of Democracy;" "Paint by Number: Accounting for Taste in the 1950s;" "Holidays on Display;" "America's Doll House: The Miniature World of Faith Bradford;" and "Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes and Curios from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History." He is currently Curator Emeritus and continues to write.
Related Materials:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Postcards, NMAH.AC.0060
Loretta Thomsen Smith Picture Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0147
Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0200
Archives Center Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0483
Darrell L. Bertness Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.1190
William L. Bird Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.1465
Provenance:
The collection was assembled and donated by William L. Bird. Jr., curator.
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.
Collection consists of postcards on numerous subjects.
Content Description:
Postcards, on numerous subjects including American architecture, infrastructure, attractions, businesses, and travel related subjects.
Arrangement:
Collection is unarranged.
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.
Collection documents the construction of the Panama Canal and life in the Panama Canal Zone.
Content Description:
Collection consists primarily of photographs--both loose and in albums--documenting the construction of the Panama Canal and life in the Panama Canal Zone from individuals who worked there. Materials also include scrapbooks, postcards, letters, envelopes, a patent (US Patent 1,299,318 for a drill), railroad tickets, vehicle licenses, certificates, newspaper clippings, and telegrams.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Historical:
The Panama Canal Zone was established with the signing of the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty as an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States in 1903. The treaty allowed for the construction of the Panama Canal, a strip of land 10 miles wide extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, by the United States. Panama granted exclusive canal rights to the United States in exchange for financial reimbursement and protection of the newly established republic in Panama. The Canal Zone had two administrative subdivisions, the Balboa (Pacific) and Cristobal (Atlantic) districts. Balboa Heights was the administrative headquarters for both the Canal Zone government and the Panama Canal Company. The Canal Zone existed until 1979. Full control over the Canal Zone and the operation of the canal was transferred to Panama in 2000.
Provenance:
Collection assembled from several accessions that were purchased and donated. In some instances, the immediate source of acquisition is unknown. Known provenance includes: David Wheeler (1983.0630); Lloyd A. Buchalter (1987.0854); Audrey Stoner Schurmann (1999.0334); Edgar L. Fogelmann (2001.0302); Jack Brewer (1999); and Georgie Dallimore (1980).
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.
The collection is comprised of the results of Shanks's research on covered bridges, mostly in America but also covered bridges in Canada and Switzerland. Included are albums containing color photographs of covered bridges, slides of covered bridges, postcards depicting covered bridges; maps, and guidebooks; newsletters, magazines, and newspaper clippings on the subject of covered bridges.
Scope and Contents:
The collection is comprised of the results of Shanks's research on covered bridges, mostly in America but also covered bridges in Canada and Switzerland. Included are albums containing color photographs of covered bridges, slides of covered bridges, postcards depicting covered bridges; maps, and guidebooks; newsletters, magazines, and newspaper clippings on the subject of covered bridges.
Series 1, Photograph Albums, 1963-2006, consists of bound albums of black-and-white and color photographs by Shanks documenting covered bridges in the United States and other countries. The series is arranged geographically and then alphabetically. Some of the states have documentation preceding the photographs which lists the counties where the covered bridges he photographed were located. Shanks assigned a number to each state and each county for organization purposes. The number 35-04-03 means Ohio-Ashtabula County-third photograph in the group. The majority of photographs are identified.
In some instances, correspondence, brochures, fliers for covered bridge activities, invitations to covered bridge events, and copies or portions of Covered Bridge Topics, a quarterly journal published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, containing articles and information relating to covered bridges, are also included. Wooden Covered Spans, the newsletter for the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania is also present. The covered bridge photographs from Switzerland were taken by Leonard Reich.
Series 2, Slides, 1971-1997, consists of color slides taken by Shanks documenting covered bridges in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec, Canada, and Switzerland. The slides depict bridge interiors, side elevations, landscape views surrounding the bridge, river views, views of the road leading up to the bridge, and restoration work. Each slide is labeled with the name of the state/country/province, county and/or township, date, name of bridge and in some instances, the name of the river the bridge spans. Other numbers such as 38-63-22 are also present on the slides and represent a numbering system Shanks applied to his slides, which are keyed to states and counties. Shanks assigned a Roman numeral and Arabic numeral system to some of the slides (e.g. I-1 to I-100) and (13-1 to 13-100). This arrangement has been retained and while there is no key to it, the slides are arranged chronologically.
Series 3, Guide Books, 1876-2009, consists of bound guide books about covered bridges. The most significant of the guide books is theThe Stranger's Guide in Baltimore and its Environs, 1876. This small pocket guide book contains sketches of public buildings, monuments, notable localities, resorts, and suburban drives. The guide book is intended to show strangers where to go and what to see when in Baltimore.
Series 4, Maps, 1850, 1982, contains two maps for the city of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland.
Series 5, National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc, 2005-2010, consists of copies of the Covered Bridges Topics, the official magazine for the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc. (N.S.P.C.B.) and the newsletter for the N.S.P.C.B.
Series 6, Newsclippings, 2006, 2008, consists of two articles fromThe Post Standard, New York about covered bridges.
Series 7, Postcards, 1963-1985, consists of color postcards of covered bridges from a variety of locations in the United States. The postcards are arranged alphabetically by state. Some bear cancelled postmarks, but the majority are blank.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into seven series.
Series 1, Photograph Albums, 1963-2006
Series 2, Slides, 1971-1977
Series 3, Guide Books, 1876-2009
Series 4, Maps, 1850, 1982
Series 5, National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc., 2005-2010
Series 6, News clippings, 2006, 2008
Series 7, Postcards, 1963-1985
Biographical / Historical:
Shanks, an employee of Baltimore Gas and Electric for over 40 years, was a covered bridge enthusiast and collector. He set a goal of photographing every covered bridge in America. Lester Shanks died October 10, 2010.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Bridges (series), circa 1818-1940 (AC0060)
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Bridges: stereographs, circa 1868-1902 (mostly circa 1875-1880) (AC0060)
Robert Bagby Stereographs and Lantern Slides, 1919; circa 1940-1960 (AC1185)
Provenance:
Donated by Eunice C. Shanks on August 11, 2011.
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.
Archival materials documenting the career of musician Chuck Mangione.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the career of musician Chuck Mangione. It includes recordings including 33 rpm and 45 rpm records, CDs, audio cassettes and DVDs; photographs, posters, postcards, articles, press releases, handbills, and printed material. The collection is arranged into five series.
Arrangement:
The collection is dividedinto five series.
Series 1; Personal Papers, 1998 - 1999, undated,
Series 2: Music Scores, 1970-1978
Series 3: Photographs, undated
Series 4: Posters, 1980
Series 5: Audiovisual Materials, 1972-1979
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Frank Mangione was born on November 29, 1940 in Rochester, New York. He has enjoyed fame as both a musician and a composer. Early in his musical career, he performed with Art Blakey's band. Mangione has created compositions for both the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec and the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. In addition, he has created the music for motion picture films including the 1978 soundtrack for The Children of Sanchez, in which he won a Grammy in 1979, and for the theme song in 1981 for The Cannonball Run.
Provenance:
Donated by Chuck Mangione to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History in 2009.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audiovisual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Listening to audio discs requires special arrangement. Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
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.
The collection consists of approximately 50 cubic feet of material documenting Aladdin Industries Inc., manufacturers of vacuum ware and lunch boxes. The majority of the material dates from 1947 to the 1970s. The strength of the collection is with the lunch box documentation and product development, marketing, and sales records. There is some interesting labor history—specifically United Steel Workers agreement. The files of Victor S. Johnson, Sr. and Victor S. Johnson, Jr. form the core of the collection and provide rich documentation on the company's activities.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into seventeen series.
Series 1: Historical and Background Materials, 1919-1997
Series 2: Victor S. Johnson Sr. Files, 1916-1945
Series 3: Victor S. Johnson Jr. Files, 1906-1983
Series 4: Employee and Personnel Records, 1910-2001
Series 5: Research and Development Records, 1910-1976
Series 6: Patent Records, 1889-1973
Series 7: Sales Records, 1939-2000
Series 8: Advertising and Marketing Records, 1931-2001
Series 9: School Lunch Kits, 1952-1989
Series 10: Lamps and Kerosene Heaters, 1911-2000
Series 11: Temp-Rite, 1972-2000
Series 12: Competitors, 1963-2001
Series 13: Style Guides, 1966-1998
Series 14: Newsletters, 1943-1998
Series 15: Photographs, 1923-1986
Series 16: Scrapbooks, 1908-1962
Series 17: Audiovisual Materials, 1993-1996
Biographical / Historical:
Victor Samuel Johnson Sr., (1882-1943) was born in Nebraska. As a soap salesman for the Iowa Soap Company, he became interested in kerosene mantle burners. Dissatisfied with the available kerosene lamps, he began selling and dealing U.S. made mantles and incorporated the Mantle Lamp Company of America in Chicago in 1908. Johnson selected the name "Aladdin" from the famous story, "Aladdin; or The Wonderful Lamp." Johnson began research and development of a mantle lamp that gave off a steady white light and did not smoke. The Mantle Lamp Company began manufacturing lamps in 1912, with Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Company burners, and marketed them as "Aladdin Lamps." The company diversified in 1917 and began producing insulated cooking dishes, known as Aladdin Thermalware jars, for the U.S. military. These jars had an aluminum or steel jacket wrapped around a heavy glass receptacle. The space between was filled with cork. The introduction of the thermalware began the company's venture into heat and cold retaining receptacles.
In 1919, Johnson organized a subsidiary of the Mantle Lamp Company of America, Aladdin Industries, Inc., to market and sell the Aladdin thermalware jars and vacuum ware. At the same time, Mantle lamp Company of America formed Aladdin Limited in Canada and England to sell thermalware as well as Pathfinder Radio Corporation, Cadillac Photograph Corporation, Aladdin Chemical Corporation, Aladdin Phonograph Corporation, Johnson Laboratories, Inc. (radio components), and Aladdin Radio Industries (magnetic and radio research). Pathfinder, Cadillac, Aladdin Chemical and Aladdin Phonograph all failed. In 1926, the Mantle Lamp Company acquired Lippincott Glass Company of Alexandria, Indiana, where it manufactured and fabricated glass chimneys, shades and lamp bases, mantles, wicks, and metal lamp bases. The Alexandria plant closed in 1952 and eventually moved to Nashville.
In 1943, Victor S. Johnson Sr. died and his son, Victor S. Johnson Jr. (1906-), succeeded him as president of Aladdin Industries Inc. Johnson Jr. moved Aladdin from Chicago to Nashville, Tennessee in 1949 to place the company strategically in mid-America to distribute its products. Aladdin's general offices, vacuum bottle production, and electric lamps and kerosene completed the move by 1952.
In 1950, Aladdin began illustrating flat metal school lunch kits (lunch boxes with liquid containers) with images of popular radio, movie and television figures. Hopalong Cassidy was the first character kit. This innovative marketing decision produced an explosive growth in the lunch kit market and made Aladdin a pioneer in image licensing. Character lunch boxes became a large part of the childhood experience and are collector's items today. Over the years, Aladdin extended the range of characters depicted and began manufacturing plastic and soft, vinyl lunch kits with printed themes. It also introduced "3D" embossing on the flat metal kits. Embossed metal lunch kits were completely phased out in 1986 due to high production costs. In addition to the school lunch kits, Aladdin also introduced wide mouth vacuum bottles (pint and quart size) in 1953. The wide mouth bottles also carried "adult" themes such as the "Angler" fisherman's bottle. The thermosware line eventually moved from metal to plastic jackets and from a glass insulated filler to foam.
In 1965, Aladdin purchased the Stanley steel bottle operation from Landers, Frary and Clark in New Britain, Connecticut. Aladdin's diversification strategy led to the introduction in 1968 of the Temp-Rite® meal distribution plan, an insulated thermal tray service for hospitals, the airline industry, and prisons. The Temp-Rite® system gave rise to a full line of products and services and Aladdin formed a subsidiary, known as Aladdin Synergetics, Inc., to handle its health care and food service operations. Aladdin Synergetics was sold to Welbilt Corporation in 1998; the new operation was named Aladdin Temp-Rite. Other products added over the years included electric lamps, shades, kerosene stoves, and an electronics division in 1956. This division was established from a small technical research group whose function was patent licensing. As a subsidiary of Aladdin Industries, it produced transformers and radio and telephone filters. The subsidiary was sold to Vernitron in October, 1979.
At various times, Aladdin established offices in Alexandria, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland Oregon, Canada; Hungry; France; Australia, New Zealand; England; Iraq, Iran, Brazil, Japan, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Uruguay, France, Germany, Iceland, Sweden, and South Africa to market and sell its products.
Aladdin was financially mismanaged in the 1990s and rapidly declined. Aladdin Industries Inc. reorganized in 1999 and became known as Aladdin Industries LLC. High labor costs and unsuccessful efforts to develop new products led to further decline. By January, 2002, Aladdin had sold its remaining product lines and closed its Nashville plant. Aladdin lamps are still sold today by the Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company of Clarksville, Tennessee.
Separated Materials:
The Division of Cultural History (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds 30 lunch boxes and 28 thermos bottles from Aladdin Industries, Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, there is a pair of lamps. See Accession 2003.0255. Although the children's steel lunch boxes predominate, the collection represents the full spectrum of Aladdin box designs including vinyl, hard plastic, and fabric.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center by Aladdin Industries in 2003.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but the oversize map folders are 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.
Image shows a uniformed sailor, Allen Schindlerm, with a U.S. flag image behind him.
Local Numbers:
AC1146-0000023.tif (AC Scan No.)
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Collection 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.
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
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
Picture postcards
Postcards
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents note:
Postcards depicting lighthouses in the United States and Canada.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series and then alphabetically by name of city of town where the lighthouse is located.
Series 1: Postcards
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquistion 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.
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology 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:
10 Cubic feet (29 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Drawings
Pamphlets
Photographs
Reports
Road maps
Scrapbooks
Trade catalogs
Picture postcards
Place:
California
New York
San Francisco (Calif.)
Date:
1888-1972
bulk 1930s
Summary:
The papers contain materials relating to the design and construction of highway bridges.
Scope and Contents:
These papers contain materials relating to the design and construction of highway bridges in the United States. The materials consist of publications, reports, testing data, correspondence, photographs taken by Morgan depicting suspension, concrete arch, moveable, steel arch, timber, concrete, steel simple span, cantilever, and stone bridges.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into four series.
Series 1: Bridges, 1888-1972
Series 2: Trade Literature, 1920-1959
Series 3: Photographs, 1921-1959
Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1916-1946
Biographical:
Nathan Wilson Morgan (b. 1891) was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and earned a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Colorado in 1916. In 1922 he married Mabel M. Fand. He worked for the American Bridge Company from 1916-1925 and for the United States Bureau of Public Roads, Bridge Division from 1925-1961.
Donated by Nathan W. Morgan to the National Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History), Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, in 1964.
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.
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.
Two scrapbooks containing postcards, stamps, and hand-written information about various states of the United States. The initial pages in volume 1 contain information about the early history of postcards in Europe and the United States.
Arrangement:
1 series.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Loretta Thomsen Smith, 1980.
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.
The collection consists of seven series, the largest, Series 1, being the postcards. The largest categories in this series are the geographic, both United States and foreign, and greeting cards. The most important and probably the most interesting of the geographic cards are from Maryland as they give us an historic view of the state. This is particularly true of the large number of cards depicting Baltimore and its buildings, parks, schools, etc. There are several cards showing the Great Fire of February 7, 1904 and postcards such as this are a valuable historic resource.
The greeting cards are primarily from the "golden age" of postcards and were sent or given on many occasions. There are large numbers of Christmas, Easter and Valentines Day cards, but there are also substantial numbers of cards for days that we no longer associate with card giving such as Decoration Day (now known as Memorial Day) and Washington's Birthday (though these cards are included under political figures in Box 8).
There are a number of postcards depicting various Popes and other religious themes such as the Lord's Prayer. Some of the postcards of Rome have cartouches of a Pope in the center of the pictures and were sent by a monsignor to someone in Baltimore.
Many cards show various means of transportation such as airplanes, boats and ships, and railroads and streetcars. Another interesting category is "novelty" with a number of postcards with pictures of women with real hair. Throughout the collection there are other novelty cards on wood and leather.
The other series are smaller, though all consist of ephemera collected by Mrs. Litzinger. Series 2, Oversize Postcards, and Series 3, Greeting Cards are the largest and those most directly related to the primary collection. These series are organized in the same manner as Series 1.
Series 4 consists of paper dolls, another popular collectible in the early part of the century. Series 5 consists of scraps which were chromolithographed pictures which were either cut out of printed sheets of pictures and designs or punched out of die cut sheets. The designs were then used to make early greeting cards or were placed in albums called scrap books. Sometimes scraps and postcards were included in the same album. Series 6 consists of trade cards which were used to advertise various businesses. Sometimes these were in the form of postcards and sometimes the designs were cut out to make scraps, so it is easy to see how these various types of ephemera are inter-related. Series 7 consists of a small number of miscellaneous items such as metal prints the size of postcards, religious cards, political birthday cards, magazine clippings, plastic cards, invitations and bicentennial souvenirs.
Arrangement:
Collection arranged into seven series.
Biographical / Historical:
This collection of postcards and other ephemera was assembled by Beatrice Litzinger who lived her entire life in and around Baltimore, Maryland. The collection is particularly rich in view cards from both Baltimore and Maryland.
The collection also has a large number of greeting cards from the "golden age." It was acquired by the Archives Center in February, 1997 from Joseph Litzinger, the widower of Beatrice Litzinger who died in 1995. We know little about Mrs. Litzinger or how she acquired her collection as it came to the Archives Center after she died by way of a nun with whom she had become friendly and was returning to Ireland. Her husband was quite elderly and had moved to California though he indicated that Mrs. Litzinger had wanted her collection to come to the Smithsonian. The collection was donated by him to the Smithsonian in memory of his wife.
It is believed that Mrs. Litzinger started to collect postcards when she was young. She continued to collect throughout her life. She purchased some of the postcards, and others were mailed to her or given to her by friends. A large portion of the modern geographic postcards came by way of an extended family of friends and neighbors who traveled extensively. Mrs. Litzinger was deeply religious and a devout Catholic and the collection has a substantial number of religious postcards including some sent to her by a writer we believe was her parish priest on trips to Rome.
General:
Picture postcards were immensely popular at the beginning of the twentieth century. They were a novelty at a time when large numbers of people of moderate means began to travel. They became souvenirs of trips and an easy way for travelers to communicate with friends and relatives left behind. At the same time, the low cost of stamps and postcards combined with colorful and imaginative pictures and greetings made them a convenient way to send greetings at holidays and for other special events such as birthdays.
Postal regulations did not allow private postcards until the 1890's. Though the dates varied from country to country, in the United States these were first allowed in 1898. The period 1901-1907 is known as the undivided back era. Until 1907 the picture or design was on the front and only the address was to appear on the back, forcing the message to be written on or around the image. On March 1, 1907 postcards with divided backs for address and message were allowed in the United States, though they had been permitted in England as early as 1902. This was the beginning of the divided back era and the "golden age" of postcards which continued until 1915.
During this period, collecting postcards and other ephemera became a very popular pastime. Often they were placed in scrapbooks and albums. The subject range of postcards is almost limitless and various categories, such as view cards, greeting cards, humor or novelties, were collected. Often the postcards were printed in sets or series and many were designed by famous artists. Postcard collecting in the United States was given the name deltiology and is still a popular hobby.
Most of the postcards during the "golden age" were printed in Europe, primarily in Germany, where the printing technology was considered the best. The start of World War I ended this importation and from 1915 printing was concentrated in England and the United States. White border cards were developed at this time and they were popular until 1930, though greeting card publication declined and only view cards remained popular. From 1930 until 1945 ( or, variously, 1955 or 1960) linen postcards were published, using a type of paper that had the look and uneven feel of linen. Photochrome postcards, which tend to be slick and glossy, were introduced in 1939 and are still in use today. During the entire period, starting around 1900, real photographs, which could be matte or glossy, color or black and white, or hand tinted, were used.
View cards have been the most popular type of card collected. In addition to being souvenirs of places traveled, they offer historic references to buildings and places which have changed or may no longer exist.
Related Materials:
Materials at the Archives Center
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, ca. 1724-1977 (AC0060)
Lou Newman Collection of Baseball Memorabilia (AC0696)
Provenance:
Gift of Joseph Litzinger in memory of his wife, Beatrice Litzinger.
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.
Frost, A. B. (Arthur Burdett), 1851-1928 Search this
Extent:
2.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Date:
circa 1849-1986
Summary:
The papers of painters Samuel Wood and Adelaide Lawson Gaylor measure 2.6 linear feet and date from circa 1849-1986. They illustrate the couple's careers and lives through biographical materials, correspondence, writings, subject files, printed and photographic material, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The Wood and Adelaide Lawson Gaylor papers measure 2.6 linear feet and date from circa 1849-1986. Biographical material consists of items related to Wood, Adelaide, and their daughter Isabel (Dale) including death certificates, birth certificates, and resumes. Also included are various art sales records. Correspondence is to and from the Gaylor's regarding personal and professional matters. Writings include journals, notebooks, and various autobiographical accounts about Wood's life and career, as well as writings about the Gaylor's and miscellaneous topics by others. Subject files consist of materials relating to the artistic careers of Wood Gaylor and Adelaide Lawson, to Gaylor's work as a fashion pattern designer, and, more broadly, to the New York art scene starting in 1930. Printed material includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, publications, news clippings, and picture postcards. Photographic material consists of photographs of Wood and Adelaide, their family and friends, and artworks. Artwork includes multiple sketchbooks and sketches by Wood, Adelaide, and their daughter Isabel (Dale).
Arrangement:
This collection consists of seven series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1890-1979 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1866-1986 (.23 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1909-1979 (.7 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 4: Subject Files, circa 1877-1976 (.5 Linear feet: Box 2)
Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1910-1984 (.5 Linear feet: Box 2, OV 4)
Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1849-1970 (.4 Linear feet: Boxes 2-3, OV 5)
Series 7: Artwork, circa 1916-1940 (.2 Linear feet: Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Samuel Wood Gaylor (1883-1957) and Adelaide Lawson Gaylor (1889-1986) were husband and wife artists who worked primarily in New York.
Samuel Wood Gaylor was a painter and lithographer known for his colorful paintings and colored wood carvings. Wood Gaylor was born in Stamford, Connecticut and moved frequently throughout his childhood. When he turned sixteen, he left school to begin work creating sewing patterns at Butterick's. Wood continued to work in the sewing pattern industry where he advanced from designer to assistant manager for the Home Pattern Company, and finally to head of the Manhattan based locations of the New York Pattern Company.
In 1909, he married his first wife Ruth E. M. Lorick, with whom he had one daughter Ruth Wood Gaylor, and began his art training at the National Academy of Design. He continued in 1912 by taking instruction from Walt Kuhn at the New York School of Art in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In 1926, Wood married his second wife Adelaide Lawson, with whom he had two sons Wynn Lawson and Randall, and one daughter Isabel (Dale) Gaylor who died in 1955.
During his career Wood created artwork in several styles including the impressionist, abstract, and muralistic styles. He had works exhibited in the Armory Show, was a part of the Cooperative Mural Workshop for a short time, and had multiple solo exhibitions. In 1917, Wood joined the Penguin Club with Walt Kuhn and others. This club aimed to provide support for artists who rejected the conservative aesthetics of the National Academy. He exhibited at the Armory Show, the Penguin Club, and the Downtown Gallery and participated in many art organizations including the Kit-Kat Club, Modern Artists of America, American Society of Painters, and Sculptors and Engravers. He served on the board for the Salons of America, the Hamilton Easter Field Art Foundation, the New York City Municipal Art Committee, and the Museum of Art, Ogunquit, Maine.
Wood Gaylor died in 1957 at the age of seventy-three in Glenwood Landing, New York.
Adelaide Lawson Gaylor was a painter known for her modernist oil paintings of figures and landscapes. Adelaide Lawson was born in New York to her parents Simeon Levy and Belle Hart Lawson. She completed her artistic training at the Art Students League of New York under Kenneth Hayes Miller and also studied under Hamilton Easter Field at his Ogunquit School of Painting and Sculpture in Ogunquit, Maine.
Lawson's first public exhibition was at the MacDowell Club in 1916. In 1922, she contributed a painting to a group exhibition held at a segregated high school art studio in Washington D.C. organized and run by black artists. Lawson was a supporter of Black rights and because of her participation in this event her name can be found listed among other black artists. Other exhibitions and shows Lawson participated in were with the Whitney Studio Club, Society of Independent Artists, and the New York Society of Women Artists. She also joined and became a director of the Salons of America founded by Hamilton Easter Field. In 1925, Lawson had her first solo exhibition at Gallery 134.
Adelaide Lawson Gaylor died in 1986 at the age of 97 in Long Island, New York.
Provenance:
The Wood and Adelaide Lawson Gaylor papers were donated in several installments from 1958 to 2015. In 1958 material found on reel D9 was donated by T. J. McCormick. Material on reel D160 was donated in 1964 by Adelaide Lawson Gaylor and the remainder of the material was donated in 1986 by the Gaylors' sons, Wynn L. and Randall Gaylor. Sixteen items, mostly cards and letters to Gaylor were donated in 2008 by Christine Oaklander in honor of Dr. William Innes Homer, Art Historian and Professor Emeritus at the University of Delaware. Oaklander purchased the letters from Wynn Gaylor. An additional twenty-one documents, mostly cards and letters to Gaylor, were donated in 2015 by Wynn Gaylor.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Wood and Adelaide Lawson Gaylor papers, circa 1849-1986, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Collection documents both negative and positive images of African Americans, primarily on postcards, as drawings, cartoons, and similar art forms collected mostly during the Civil Rights Movement in America.
Scope and Contents:
Collection consists of 932 postcards documenting African American life and culture in American society beginning in the late nineteenth century.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged in one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Materials were collected between 1946 and 1970 by David and Iris Hoffman and Iris's sister Joyce Boaz. Most of these materials were purchased in antique shops during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was an effort led by black Americans to end institutionalized racial discrimination, disenfranchisement, racial segregation, and the negative portrayal of them in American society. It was the intention of the donors to create a collection that would visually document the historical changes in the way African Americans were treated and perceived in the United States. The Hoffmans and Boaz were able to amass 932 postcards depicting both positive and negative images of African Americans in drawings, cartoons, and similar art forms.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Archives Center Ethnic Imagery Collection NMAH.AC.1138
Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection NMAH.AC.0200
Coon Chicken Inn Records and Graham Family Papers NMAH.AC.1153
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana NMAH.AC.0060
Provenance:
The collection was donated by David and Iris Hoffman in December 1987.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
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.
Genre/Form:
Postcards -- 1900-1950
Picture postcards -- 20th century -- United States
Citation:
Hoffman/Boaz Postcard Collection, 1898-1920, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, box X, folder XX, digital image file XXXXXXX.
Archives Center, National Museum of American History Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (11 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gocards
Picture postcards
Date:
20th-21st centuries
Scope and Contents:
Postcards, arranged by geographical area or by the subjects. Collection includes two boxes of "GoCards" (freely distributed commercial postcards) as well.
Arrangement:
The collection is arraned into three series.
Series 1: Subjects
Series 2: Geographical, United States
Series 3: Geographical, Foreign
Series 4: Advertising Postcards
Provenance:
The collection consists of materials found in collections, gifts from museum staff, and unsolicited gifts from the public.
Donated by Gloria A. Rupp (1980); purchased from Calvin R. Flautt Antiques (1987); donated by Marjorie Johnson (1990); donated by Susan elsass (1993); donated by Dolores Scott (1994); donated by Morrill B. Donnald (1999); donated by Claire Reilly (1999) donated by Michael Ravnitzky (2007); Gretchen Redd (2007); Ruth Ann Empie Groves (2008); Robert E. Fry (2008); Daniel Eudaily (2008); Byron Jeffrey Fogel (2008); Sue Franklin (2009); and Carlin Otto (2013)
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.
Pocket sample case of stationary products offered by the Ohio Card Company, Cadiz, Ohio.
Scope and Contents note:
A pocket sample case of greeting cards and postcards offered for sale by the Ohio Card Company of Cadiz, Ohio.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Ohio Card Company was a dealer in postcards, namecards, fine art pictures, games, novelties, etc. The company offered a way of ordering namecards and postcards via the mail using sample books. Acquired in the 1920s (probably in Atlanta, Georgia) by Charlene J. Burris's grandparents (Milton and Mary Lola Johnson) to hold a lock of hair from Ms. Burris's mother (Ouida LaRuth Johnson, b. 1918).
Provenance:
Collection donated by Jeanne and Charles Burris and James and Kathryn Byrd and Family, date unknown.
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.
Picture postcards -- 20th century -- United States
Trade literature
Greeting cards
Postcards
Sample books
Citation:
Burris and Byrd Family Card Sample Case,1920, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Jeanne and Charles Burris and James and Kathryn Byrd and Family.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0126
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Westermann, H. C. (Horace Clifford), 1922- Search this
Extent:
1 Item ((on 1 microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1977
Scope and Contents:
A picture postcard, April 12, 1977, to Lloyd E. Herman, Director of the Renwick Gallery, thanking him for a catalog and for including him in "The Object as a Poet" show.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; Brookfield, Connecticut. Died 1981.
Provenance:
Donated 1977 by Lloyd E. Herman, Director of the Renwick Gallery.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The collection primarily documents through press releases, news bulletins, guidebooks, souvenirs, maps, ephemera and related publications world's fairs occurring after 1960.
Scope and Contents:
The strength of this collection lies in the documentation of world's fairs occurring after 1960. There is a substantial amount of material for the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair, International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67 (Montreal, Canada), HemisFair '68 (San Antonio, Texas), Japan World Exposition or Expo '70 (Osaka, Japan), International Exposition on the Environment or Expo '74 (Spokane, Washington), International Ocean Exposition or Expo '75 (Okinawa, Japan), International Energy Exposition or 1982 World's Fair (Knoxville, Tennessee), Expo '86 (Vancouver, Canada), and Expo '88 (Brisbane, Australia). These materials were originally assembled by Eugene Kaeck, who created and managed the non-profit organization San Francisco Archive and Research Center for World's Fairs and Expositions, Incorporated. After Kaeck's death his home and its contents were purchased by Daniel Meyerson.
The collection contains some of the correspondence from the San Francisco Archive and Research Center for World's Fairs and Expositions, Incorporated but primarily consists of material that was created for fair goers. These materials inform the consumer about activities, amusements, pavilions, eating establishments and offer tips about getting around the grounds. Included among these materials are guidebooks, press releases, news bulletins, brochures, schedules, postcards, souvenirs, maps, fact sheets and ephemera. There is also a substantial amount of material created by the hospitality industry that relates to tourism including lodging accommodations, transportation and sightseeing opportunities. Mostly created by transportation and lodging companies, the materials include maps, guides, tickets, brochures and tour books. In addition publications including magazines, newspapers and books discuss the history of world's fairs as well as the theme, significance, corporate participants and achievements of individual expos dating before, during and after the fair.
The collection is arranged into two series. Series one includes fairs sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). The materials are arranged in chronological order. Series two consists of other celebrations around the world including the Prague International Fair, Festival of Britain, Soviet Exhibition of Science, Technology, and Cuture, Mexican National Fair, Alaska Centennial, First World Exhibition of Transport and Communications and the International Garden Show in Amsterdam. There is a substantial amount of material from the Canadian National Exhibition, 1977-1981. These materials are arranged in chronological order.
Arrangement:
Series 1, World Expositions, 1915-2000, undated
Series 2, Other Celebrations, 1949-1994, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Daniel H. Meyerson was San Francisco antiques dealer.
Provenance:
Collection was donated by Daniel H. Meyerson in 2000 in honor of Mel Seiden.
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.
