Collection documents James W. Queen & Company and its successors Leeds and Northrup Company, Queen-Gray Company, and Gray Instrument Company, manufacturers of instruments for laboratory and industrial use. The collection contains catalogs, circulars, photographs, and miscellaneous publications and documents.
Scope and Contents:
The collection contains catalogs, circulars, blueprints, and photographs describing equipment and supplies offered for sale by James W. Queen & Company and its successors, including the Leeds and Northrop Company, the Queen Gray Company, and the Gray Instrument Company.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into three series.
Series 1, Catalogs and Circulars, 1896-1952
Series 2, Photographs, circa 1907
Series 3, Miscellaneous Materials, 1850-1951
Biographical / Historical:
James W. Queen & Company of Philadelphia manufactured scientific instruments for laboratory and industrial use. The company was founded in 1853 by James W. Queen (1811-1890), and J.G. Gray became the president in the 1890s. The company won several awards, including the Franklin Institute's John Scott Medal for the invention of the self-regulating aspect of their x-ray tubes. In 1912 James W. Queen & Company was reorganized into the Queen-Gray Company. After J.G. Gray's death in 1825, it became the Gray Instrument Company.
Sources
Charles E. Smart, The Makers Of Surveying Instruments In America Since 1700, (Troy, New York: Regal Art Press, 1962) (accessed 6 August 2010).
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, "Queen," Physical Sciences Collection- Surveying and Geodesy(accessed 6 August 2010).
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
AC0215, Instrument Society of America Collection, 1911-1969
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
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.
Topic:
Scientific apparatus and instruments industry Search this
