Collection is open for research but Series 11 and films are stored off-site. Special arrangements must be made to view some of the audiovisual materials. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
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.
Collection Citation:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
The Employee Relations Department, also known as the Industrial Relations Department, administered benefits programs, handled personnel and training matters, and employee communications through house organs such as the Western Union News.
The Employee Benefits Plan Booklets, 1912-1971, tell the story of Western Union pensions and benefits plans. Established in 1913, the plan for employees' pensions, disability benefits, and death benefits was a comprehensive non-contributory plan. This plan appears to have experienced several names changes from "Provisional Pension Plan" to "Plan for Employees Pensions Disability Benefits and Insurance" to Plan for Employees Pensions Disability Benefits and Death Benefits." One booklet, dated 1929, pertains specifically to the Postal Telegraph Cable Company.
Employee Stock Subscription plan materials (1914-1928) include correspondence and printed plans. The correspondence and the plans themselves set forth the regulations and restrictions for employees to purchase stock.
Employee Wage Cards, 1914-1922, consist of twelve shoeboxes. These records were maintained by the Western Union Cable System. They are arranged according to "live" and "dead" files, European side, North American Side, and Cable Office Errors. The records are then divided by geographic location (Ballenskelligs, Bay Roberts, Canso, Duxbury, Glasgow, Halifax, Hammels, Havre, Hearts Content, London Training School, London Western Union House, Liverpool, Manchester, North Sydney, Paris, Penzance, Penzance Training School, Rye Beach, St. Pierre, and Valentia.). The geographic locations are divided by job titles. Within job titles, the cards are arranged alphabetically by surname. There are two types of cards-an employee wage card and an employee service card. Both cards contain the same type of information--first name, surname, date of birth, sex, station employed at, dates of employment, title, monthly rating, special monthly payments, special allowances if any, and general remarks--but they differ in size. Remarks typically contained information about a death, resignation, drawing pensions, or job performance.
Minutes of Employee' Benefits Fund Committee, 1912-1949, consist of reviewed applications for sickness and accident disability benefits, life insurance, and pensions. The committee also determined the applicability of the plan to employees in special circumstances. Western Union established the committee following its 1913 adoption of the Plan for Employees' Pensions, Disability Benefits and Death Benefits as a comprehensive non-contributory plan. The first five volumes (volumes A to E) are indexed with each book. Minutes for the periods July 1920 to May 1925 or January 1937 to March 1942 do not exist.
Job Classification, Contracts, and Agreements, 1966-1973, consists of six handbooks. These handbooks contain wage schedules, job titles, job descriptions, and pertinent employee information set forth in the official contract with Western Union. There is one handbook that deals specifically with an agreement between Western Union and the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO.
The American School of Correspondence, 1911-1921 subseries consists of published "instruction papers" on a variety of topics such as Banking and Banking Law, Direct Current Motors and Telegraph Repeaters. The "instruction papers" were prepared by Western Union divisions such as the Engineering Department or the Commercial Department and faculty members at various colleges and universities in the United States.
Service Records, 1883-1931, consists of four oversized bound volumes numbered one to four; one miscellaneous volume from 1907-1931, and service cards for seamen who served on various cable ships. These bound service records are organized alphabetically according to the name of city and/or town. For example, Grand Fork, North Dakota is followed by Great Falls, Montana. The majority of cities and towns represented are located in the mid west. An alphabetical index of cities for each volume precedes the records. These records, like the employee wage cards, provide similar information--name of office, date office opened, date office closed, name of employee, designation of occupation, rate of pay, date employed, date left service, and remarks. The smaller miscellaneous volume, 1907-1931, is also arranged alphabetically by city/town, but contain only the name of the employee and what appears to be the date employment began. The volume deals with personnel serving in California and Arizona. The service cards, 1921-1922, are arranged alphabetically by cable ship name. The cards contain the name of the seaman, address (name of the cable ship), date of service, date salary became effective, job title, and rate of salary per month.
Employee Clippings contains employee signatures/autographs which consist of two small volumes of collected employee signatures, one dating 1871-1898, the other 1909-1949. The latter volume of signatures appears to be have been assembled for the purposes of the Western Union Museum. The signatures include a wide variety of employees, from presidents to telegraph operators.
*Researchers should consult Series 27: Notebooks, Subseries 7, for an employee work diary of 1942.
Arrangement:
This series is divided into eleven subseries:
1. Western Union Employee History, 1910-1932
2. Employee Membership Cards and Passes, 1885-1940
3. Employee Handbooks, 1912-1971
4. Employee Stock Subscription, 1914-1928
5. Employee Wage Cards, 1914-1922
6. Minutes of Employees' Benefits Fund Committee, 1912-1949
7. Job Classification, Contracts, and Agreements, 1941-1973
11. Employee Signatures and Autographs, 1871-1898, 1909-1949 (includes clippings and obituaries)
12. Telegraph Associations, 1852-1929
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but Series 11 and films are stored off-site. Special arrangements must be made to view some of the audiovisual materials. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
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.
Collection Citation:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
George Westinghouse Commemoration : A forum presenting the career and achievements of George Westinghouse on the 90th anniversary of his birth. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. [Book.]
Publisher:
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Search this
Names:
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company Search this
Hardbound book, 78 pp., illus. Includes essays on the Westinghouse Company, George Westinghouse, the air brake, alternating current, the steam turbine, railway electrification, and industrial relations. "This edition reprinted from the Society's publication, Mechanical Engineering, for March and April 1937, by the Westinghouse Companies, with revised illustrations." (Note, p. 6.)
Local Numbers:
AC Scan Nos. AC0060-0001688-01; AC0060-0001688-02; AC0060-0001688-030 (formerly 2006052.tif; 02006053.tif; and
02006054.tif)
General:
In Electricity series, Box 18, Folder 11. Illustrations on pages 16, 23 (right), and 25 are in the Archives Center scan library.
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research use on site by appointment. Photographs must be handled with cotton gloves unless protected by sleeves.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Electricity, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Container:
Box 12, Folder 18
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1916
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
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.
Collection Citation:
Leo Baekeland Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Collection Creator:
Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Extent:
1 Item (6.0" x 3.5")
Container:
Box 19, Folder 5
Type:
Archival materials
Diaries
Date:
1916 May 1-1916 October 1
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
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.
Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Collection Creator:
Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Extent:
1 Item (6.0" x 3.5")
Container:
Box 20, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Diaries
Date:
1919 March 31-1919 September 30
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
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.
Series 6: Roach-Fowler Company "The Hope of a Nation" Posters, 1929
Series 7: Miscellaneous Posters, 1950s
Biographical / Historical:
F.F. Randolph was a New York businessman and collector of posters.
Related Materials:
Four posters by Norman Rockwell, the "Four Freedoms" series, transferred from this accession to the Division of Political History (now Division of Political and Military History).
Provenance:
Donated by Mr. and Mrs. F.F. Randolph to the Archives Center in 2005.
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.
1 Item (Ink on paper, 4-5/8" x 9" (11.75 x 22.86 cm.).)
Type:
Archival materials
Brochures
Maps
Paintings
Place:
Naugatuck Valley
Date:
1926
Scope and Contents:
Brochure "with graphic maps." Reproduction of painting on cover, captioned "In the Scenic Naugatuck Valley," shows a man and woman in 17th-century Puritan clothing, looking down on a red convertible car on a mountain road. Artist unidentified. From Automobile Industry series, Box 25 Folder 12 or 16.
Local Numbers:
0300600211 (AC Scan No. for cover)
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Automobile Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
