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Charles Adler, Jr. Collection

Creator:
Adler, Charles, Jr., 1899-1980 (engineer, inventor)  Search this
Extent:
6 Cubic feet (15 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Patent applications
Clippings
Correspondence
Photographs
Receipts
Place:
Baltimore (Md.) -- 20th century
Date:
1899 - 1980
Summary:
The collection contains correspondence, news clippings, photographs, patents, and printed materials documenting the inventive career of Charles Adler, Jr. Adler is best known for his development of the first traffic actuated signal light in 1928.
Scope and Contents:
The collection contains biographical information about Adler and his career. Materials relating to his professional activities include newspaper clippings, photographs and other memorabilia; his published writings include articles in periodicals and newspapers. In addition, there are patent applications, royalty receipts and correspondence, as well as lengthy descriptions of various safety devices Adler invented. Many photographs are not captioned, including images of devices Adler invented, as well as images of aircraft, automobiles, and trains. There are portraits of family members, Adler, and his associates.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1, Biographical Material, 1899-1980

Series 2, Scrapbooks and Clippings, 1920-1989

Series 3, Correspondence, 1928-1975

Series 4, Patents and Inventions, 1929-1980

Series 5, Photographs and Scrapbooks, circa 1920-1930

Series 6, Publications, 1952-1980
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Adler, Jr. (1899-1980), a professional engineer and inventor was a life-long resident of Baltimore, Maryland. He began his career as an inventor at age 14, receiving a patent on an electric automotive brake. After attending Johns Hopkins University, he served briefly in the Army during World War I and worked at several jobs before being associated in 1919 with the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, where he developed a series of safety devices. In 1928 he developed and installed in Baltimore the first traffic actuated signal light. In 1937 he became a consultant to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, continuing to invent safety and signal devices for automobiles, trains and aircraft. He was granted over sixty United States patents. He was a licensed pilot and a member of numerous professional engineering societies. From 1953-1959, Adler served on the Maryland State Aviation Commission and he was a member of the Maryland Traffic Safety Commission from 1952 until his death in 1980.
Provenance:
This collection was donated by Charles Adler, Jr.'s daughter, Mrs. Amalie Adler Ascher on September 15, 1989.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Engineers -- 1920-1980  Search this
Inventions -- 20th century  Search this
Railroads -- 20th century  Search this
Inventors -- 20th century  Search this
Aeronautics and state -- 20th century  Search this
Traffic signs and signals -- 1920-1980  Search this
Traffic engineering -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Patent applications
Clippings -- 20th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Receipts -- 20th century
Citation:
Charles Adler, Jr. Collection, 1899-1980, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0351
See more items in:
Charles Adler, Jr. Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82dd3fcc6-42d6-4c6d-9a85-bf1368a8613b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0351
Online Media:

Broken Icarus the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, the golden age of aviation, and the rise of fascism David Hanna

Author:
Hanna, David 1967-  Search this
Subject:
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)  Search this
Physical description:
xvi, 233 pages illustrations, maps 24 cm
Type:
Books
History
Date:
2022
20th century
1933-1945
20e siècle
Topic:
Aeronautics--History  Search this
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
World politics  Search this
Fascism--History  Search this
Politique mondiale  Search this
Fascisme--Histoire  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics and state  Search this
Fascism  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1156232

Over empires and oceans : pioneers, aviators and adventurers : forging the international air routes, 1918-1939 / Robert Bluffield

Author:
Bluffield, Robert  Search this
Physical description:
xiii, 298 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Type:
Books
History
Date:
2014
20th century
Topic:
Aeronautics, Commercial--History  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial--Political aspects  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial--Social aspects  Search this
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
Globalization  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1055850

The other space race : Eisenhower and the quest for aerospace security / Nicholas Michael Sambaluk

Author:
Sambaluk, Nicholas Michael  Search this
Subject:
Eisenhower, Dwight D (Dwight David) 1890-1969  Search this
Physical description:
xxvii, 316 pages ; 24 cm
Type:
Books
History
Place:
United States
Date:
2015
20th century
Topic:
Space race--History  Search this
Astronautics and state--History  Search this
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
National security--History  Search this
Astronautics, Military--History  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1049342

Empire of the air : aviation and the American ascendancy / Jenifer Van Vleck

Title:
Aviation and the American ascendancy
Author:
Van Vleck, Jenifer 1974-  Search this
Subject:
Pan American World Airways, inc History  Search this
Physical description:
370 pages, 22 pages of unnumbered plates : illustrations, map ; 25 cm
Type:
Books
History
Place:
United States
Date:
2013
20th century
Topic:
Aeronautics, Commercial--History  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial--Political aspects  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial--Social aspects  Search this
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
Globalization  Search this
Foreign relations  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1021279

FDR and civil aviation : flying strong, flying free / Alan P. Dobson

Author:
Dobson, Alan P  Search this
Subject:
Roosevelt, Franklin D (Franklin Delano) 1882-1945 Political and social views  Search this
United States Civil Aeronautics Administration History  Search this
Physical description:
ix, 280 p. ; 22 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
United States
Date:
2011
20th century
1933-1945
Topic:
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial--Law and legislation--History  Search this
Politics and government  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_960353

Chasing the moon : the people, the politics, and the promise that launched America into the space age / Robert Stone and Alan Andres

Author:
Stone, Robert 1958-  Search this
Andres, Alan  Search this
Physical description:
xiii, 359 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
Type:
Books
History
Place:
United States
Outer space
Date:
2019
20th century
Topic:
Astronautics and state--History  Search this
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
Space flight--History  Search this
Space race  Search this
Exploration  Search this
History  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1110456

Taking flight : the foundations of American commercial aviation, 1918-1938 / M. Houston Johnson V

Author:
Johnson, M. Houston V  Search this
Physical description:
x, 287 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Type:
Books
History
Place:
United States
Date:
2019
20th century
Topic:
Aeronautics, Commercial--History  Search this
Aeronautics and state--History  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial--Government policy--History  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1104134

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