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Creator:

Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-11-08T22:57:23.000Z

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Science & Technology  Search this

Topic:

American History  Search this

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LemelsonCenter

Data Source:

Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History

YouTube Channel:

LemelsonCenter

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_GIUUlhXgSfU

Creator:

Smithsonian Latino Center  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2017-08-18T17:14:49.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Latinos  Search this

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TheLatinoCenter

Data Source:

Smithsonian Latino Center

YouTube Channel:

TheLatinoCenter

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edanmdm:yt_iAYp_h5SgsE

Creator:

National Museum of the American Indian  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2018-01-18T21:19:56.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Native Americans;American Indians  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNMAI

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNMAI

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_yPEuQNp0nII

Creator:

National Air and Space Museum  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2018-07-24T15:38:21.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this

See more by:

airandspace

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

YouTube Channel:

airandspace

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_frHFCVHjZD0

Maker:

Meissen Manufactory  Search this

Physical Description:

blue (overall color)

polychrome (overall surface decoration color name)

ceramic, porcelain, hard-paste (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 6 in; 15.24 cm

overall: 2 3/8 in x 6 1/8 in x 4 1/2 in; 6.0325 cm x 15.5575 cm x 11.43 cm

Object Name:

bowl

Date made:

ca 1740

1740

ID Number:

CE.73.178

Catalog number:

73.178

Accession number:

308538

Collector/donor number:

274

See more items in:

Home and Community Life: Ceramics and Glass

The Hans C. Syz Collection

Meissen Porcelain: The Hans Syz Collection

Art

Domestic Furnishings

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b2-76a0-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_570323

Creator:

Chickering, Jonas, 1798-1853  Search this

Names:

Chickering & Sons Piano Company  Search this

Wurlitzer Company  Search this

McKay, John, Captain  Search this

Stewart, James  Search this

Former owner:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  Search this

Extent:

16 Cubic feet (37 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Microfilms

Trade literature

Photographic prints

Papers

Place:

Boston (Mass.)

Date:

1864 - 1985

Scope and Contents:

This collection consists of 51 volumes of Chickering & Sons piano registers, documenting piano production (May 1823-September 1985); correspondence related to the hundredth anniversary of Jonas Chickering's presidency of the Handel and Hayden Society; publications on the history of the Company and sales literature (1854-1984); newspapers articles about the company (1847-1876); photographs (1926-1966); advertising and management forms (1938-1968); and a copy of a letter by Jonas Chickering to his father dated January 27, 1838. There are also ten documents related to the construction, mortgaging and insurance of Chickering Hall in New York City (1876-1886). Chickering Hall opened with great acclaim in 1875 and was an important musical center in New York City in the last quarter of the 19th Century. Some grand pianos from turn of the century onward are not listed in the ledgers. It is thought that Chickering may have had a duplicate set of serial numbers for grand pianos but this collection lacks that volume.

Arrangement:

This collection organized into seven series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1950

Series 2: Publications, 1854-1884

Series 3: Company history and records, 1838-1940

Series 4: Newspapers, 1847-1876

Series 5: Photographs, 1924-1966

Series 6: Management forms and material, 1938-1968

Series 7: Microfilm of ledger books, 1823-1985

Biographical / Historical:

Chickering & Sons pianos are an old line that came into being in April 1823 in Boston. Jonas Chickering, the founder, was a youthful cabinet maker. He learned piano making from John Osborn, a true master of the trade. The division of labor in Osborn's shop was not very extensive and Chickering was compelled to study every part of the instrument and to make himself acquainted with all the details. This exposure to the full range of tasks would served him well when he became a master in his own right. During his four years with Osborn, he became acquainted with Osborn's partner, James Stewart, who was awarded a patent for a "detached" soundingboard that was incorporated in the partners' pianos.

When Osborn and Stewart severed their business relationship, Stewart and his new partner, Chickering, opened a small shop on Tremont Street near King's Chapel on February 15, 1823. The partnership lasted three years until Stewart withdrew and left for London. At the age of 28, Chickering became the sole owner of the small but prosperous manufactory. The firm's annual output climbed over the next three years and reached 47 instruments in 1829.

In early 1830, Chickering made Captain John McKay, an experienced, aggressive, and successful merchandiser a partner in Chickering & Company. Captain Mackay made frequent trips to South American ports with ships laden with pianos. Returning home, the hold was filled with fragrant rosewood and richly grained mahogany. Chickering's first invention was patented in 1837 the first practical casting of a modern iron frame built to sustain the great tension of the strings of the piano so that it would stay in tune for a considerable period. In 1845, another important patent was secured, representing the first practical method of overstringing for square pianos, and in 1849 he applied the same principle to uprights. These contributions and others have become standard with all piano manufacturers.

The Chickering firm made pianos in a new way, employing production strategies that paralleled developments in other trades undergoing industrialization. "When he first commenced business for himself about 15 instruments a year were turned out while in the later years Mr. Chickering's business finished between fifteen and sixteen hundred instruments a year and at least one grand piano worth about a thousand dollars every week." (Richard G. Parker, A Tribute To The Life and Character of Jonas Chickering "By one who knew him well" (Boston: William P. Tewksbury, 1854.)

He was a long time President of the Handel & Hayden Society of Boston, this Country's oldest oratorio, founded in 1815.

On December 1, 1853, a fire swept through the Washington Street factory. Rather than rebuild on Washington Street, plans were made to erect a new factory on Tremont Street in the South End of Boston. Chickering, however, never saw the new plant in operation as he suffered a stroke and died December 8, 1853. The large Chickering factory built in 1853 was described at that time as the largest building in the United States outside the U.S. Capitol, and as "... the most perfect and extensive pianoforte estblishment in the world."

Chickering's death in 1853 left the business in the hands of his sons. In 1867, Emperor Napoleon III of France bestowed the Imperial Cross of the Legion of Honor on Frank Chickering at the Paris World's Fair that year.

With the passing of C. Frank Chickering in 1891, the company lost headway; and it was purchased by the American Piano Company in 1908 (Chickering Brothers pianos, which were made for several years following 1892 were in no way related to Chickering & Sons, though this family of boys was trained in the Chickering & Sons Boston factory).

From 1905 to 1911, the firm alone among American builders supported the revival of early instruments by hiring the English musician and craftsman Arnold Dolmetsch to build harpsichords, clavichords, and violas.

Chickering & Sons continued manufacturing pianos in Boston until 1927, when the plant and its personnel were relocated to East Rochester, New York. The Chickering was the foremost piano of the time Longfellow had one and there was one on the stage at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. the night Lincoln was assassinated. In 1932 the Company became part of the Aeolian American Corporation.

William Knabe of Kreutzburg, Germany, trained as a piano manufacturer, established his business in Baltimore, Maryland in 1837, and controlled the market in the Southern states by 1860. The Civil War and economic pressures may have contributed to the death of Knabe in 1864. The Company was eventually purchased by the American Piano Company in 1908, shortly after Chickering became a part of the organization.

The Wurlitzer Company, a major musical instrument manufacturer, acquired the Chickering firm in 1985 and continued to produce instruments with the Chickering name. The Wurlitzer Company was later purchased by the Baldwin Piano Company; Baldwin was subsequently purchased by Wurltech, Inc., of Houston, Texas.

Provenance:

This collection was donated by the Wurlitzer Company, May 17, 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.

Topic:

advertising  Search this

Keyboard instruments  Search this

Business -- History  Search this

Musical instruments -- 1860-1990  Search this

Musical instrument manufacturing  Search this

Piano makers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Microfilms

Trade literature

Photographic prints

Papers

Citation:

Chickering and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1864-1985, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0264

See more items in:

Chickering & Sons Piano Company Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep886f1c94d-ee6e-4c1c-bc11-97884ec73a13

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0264

Creator:

Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2020-10-27T21:08:23.000Z

YouTube Category:

Science & Technology  Search this

Topic:

American History  Search this

See more by:

LemelsonCenter

Data Source:

Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History

YouTube Channel:

LemelsonCenter

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_8dBA1i9q82o

Manufacturer:

Smithsonian Institution  Search this

Materials:

Fuselage: Steel Tubing

Wings and Tail: Wood with Percaline (light-weight cotton) Covering

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 14.8 m (48 ft 5 in)

Length: 16.0 m (52 ft 5 in)

Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 4 in)

Weight: 340 kg (750 lb), including pilot

Type:

CRAFT-Aircraft

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Date:

1903

Credit Line:

On deposit from the Smithsonian Institution to the United States National Museum

Inventory Number:

A19180001000

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Location:

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Exhibit Station:

Pre-1920 Aviation

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9ce27099d-d73c-4d7b-80b6-f64b60864414

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nasm_A19180001000

Creator:

Anderson, William "Cat", 1916-1981 (musician)  Search this

Names:

Cat Anderson Quintet  Search this

Duke Ellington Orchestra  Search this

Lionel Hampton Orchestra  Search this

Mingus Quintet  Search this

Bechet, Sidney (musician)  Search this

Calloway, Cab, 1907-1994  Search this

Carter, Benny, 1907-2003  Search this

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996  Search this

Hampton, Lionel  Search this

Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978  Search this

Humphrey, Muriel  Search this

Johnson, Lucy Bird  Search this

Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973  Search this

Tatum, Art, 1909-1956  Search this

Webster, Ben  Search this

Extent:

5 Cubic feet (12 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Transcripts

Oral histories (document genres)

Oral history

Phonograph records

Photographs

Recordings

Interviews

Clippings

Audiotapes

Awards

Audiocassettes

Articles

Date:

1940-1981

bulk 1963-1977

Scope and Contents note:

Primarily audiotapes, sheet music, and photographic images. Also: correspondence, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, itineraries, awards, and ephemera.,Of particular interest are recordings or photographic images, including the personalities listed below, and President and Mrs. Tubman of Liberia; also, two interviews and three recordings of Cat Anderson as guest with various university and college jazz bands.

Arrangement:

Collection is divided into four series.

Series 1: Music

Series 2: Original tapes and recordings

Series 3: Photographs

Series 4: Miscellaneous

Biographical/Historical note:

Cat Anderson (Sept 12, 1916 - April 29, 1981) was one of the premier trumpet players of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Known for his effortless high notes, he was a strong section leader and a great soloist whose style exhibited humor and precision. He grew up in Jenkins= Orphanage in Charleston, SC, received basic music training there, and participated in many of their famous student ensembles. He formed and played with the Cotton Pickers, a group of orphanage teens while still a young man. Before joining Ellington in 1944, he played in several big bands, including Claude Hopkins and Lionel Hampton. Anderson left the Ellington organization from 1947 through 1949 again to lead his own group. From 1959 to1961 and after 1971 Anderson free lanced, working with the Ellington orchestra intermittently. He died in 1981 after receiving honors from the US Air Force, the Prix du Disque de Jazz, and the City of Los Angeles.

Related Archival Materials:

Related artifacts include: awards, plaques, mutes, trumpet mouth pieces, and the Jon Williams/Cat Anderson simulator in the Division of Cultural and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life). See accession: 1998.3074.

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History in January 1998, by Dorothy Anderson, Cat Anderson's widow. It was acquired through negotiations with her, her brother, Mr. John Coffey and her nephew, Andrew Brazington. The materials were picked up from Mr. John Coffey of upper N.W. Washington, DC on January 21, 1998.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Master tapes not available to researchers.

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.

Copyright status of items varies. Signed copies of releases on file.

Occupation:

Composers -- 20th century  Search this

Topic:

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Music -- Acoustics and physics  Search this

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Piano and synthesizer music  Search this

Inventions -- 1980-2000  Search this

Synthesizer music  Search this

Electric engineering -- 1980-2000  Search this

Band musicians  Search this

African American musicians  Search this

Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this

Inventors -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century

Transcripts

Oral histories (document genres)

Oral history

Phonograph records

Photographs -- 20th century

Recordings

Interviews

Interviews -- 1950-2000

Clippings -- 20th century

Audiotapes -- 1940-1980

Awards

Audiocassettes

Audiotapes

Articles -- 1940-1980

Citation:

William "Cat" Anderson Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0630

See more items in:

William "Cat" Anderson Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep891a9a0e4-7c4f-4956-b81e-6d65c57e1f29

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0630

Creator:

Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2015-09-28T19:17:15.000Z

YouTube Category:

Film & Animation  Search this

Topic:

American History  Search this

See more by:

LemelsonCenter

Data Source:

Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History

YouTube Channel:

LemelsonCenter

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_96Qh9SAVH4o

Creator:

Mowbray, H. Siddons (Harry Siddons), 1858-1928  Search this

Names:

American Academy in Rome  Search this

Pierpont Morgan Library  Search this

United States. Commission of Fine Arts  Search this

University Club (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

McKim, Charles Follen, 1847-1909  Search this

Mead, William Rutherford, 1846-1928  Search this

Mowbray, Florence Millard  Search this

Mowbray, George Mordey, d. 1891  Search this

Mowbray, George S.  Search this

Mowbray, Helen Amelia, d. 1910  Search this

Sherwood, Herbert F. (Herbert Francis), 1872-  Search this

Extent:

7.5 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Prints

Sketches

Etchings

Diaries

Place:

Larz Anderson Park (Brookline, Mass.)

Date:

1872-1976

Summary:

The papers of painter and muralist Harry Siddons Mowbray (1858-1928) and the Mowbray family measure 7.5 linear feet and date from 1872 to 1976. The papers document Mowbray's career as a painter and decorative muralist as well as his activities with the Commission of Fine Arts, the American Academy in Rome, and the Sculpture Commission of Connecticut. The papers include biographical materials, scattered correspondence, nineteen diaries, personal business records, commission files, organization files, writings and notes, printed materials, three scrapbooks, photographs, and artworks. There are scattered family papers of Helen Mowbray, Florence Mowbray, George Mowbray, and George Siddons Mowbray.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter and muralist Harry Siddons Mowbray (1858-1928) and the Mowbray family measure 7.5 linear feet and date from 1872 to 1976. The papers document Mowbray's career as a painter and decorative muralist as well as his activities with the Commission of Fine Arts, the American Academy in Rome, and the Sculpture Commission of Connecticut. The papers include biographical materials, scattered correspondence, nineteen diaries, personal business records, commission files, organization files, writings and notes, printed materials, three scrapbooks, photographs, and artworks. There are scattered family papers of Helen Mowbray, Florence Mowbray, George Mowbray, and George Siddons Mowbray.

Biographical material includes biographical sketches, certificates, obituaries and estate records, and school material. Also found are printed materials from memorial dedications, ceremonies, and dinners held in Washington, D.C., such as menus, invitations, and admission tickets.

Correspondence is scattered and consists of letters from family, professional colleagues, artists, and architects including Charles McKim and William R. Mead. Florence Mowbray's correspondence includes thank you notes and condolences.

Diaries include seventeen written by Harry Siddons Mowbray, one by Helen Mowbray, and one by Florence Mowbray. Harry Siddons Mowbray's diaries date from 1876 to 1927 and reference a trip to the Azores, current events, his career and works of art, and his service with the Commission of Fine Arts.

Writings and notes consist of Mowbray's handwritten autobiography, school writings, lists, and a biography of Mowbray by Herbert Sherwood.

Personal business records consist of a French military sponsorship, gift acknowledgements and receipts.

Commission files include correspondence, printed materials, and writings relating to Mowbray's works of art at: Larz Anderson House, Appellate Court in New York City; Federal Building in Cleveland, Ohio; Gunn Memorial Library in Washington, CT; the Life of Christ Series; Madison Square Church in New York City; Morgan Library in New York City; St. John's Church in Washington, CT; University Club in New York City; and F. W. Vanderbilt House in Hyde Park, New York.

Organization files document Mowbray's participation with the American Academy in Rome, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Sculpture Commission of Connecticut. Files generall include organizational history, correspondence, printed material, writings, reports, meeting minutes, and printed material. Of note are materials relating to the standardization of the flag of the United States.

Printed material includes blank stationery and postcards, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and an issue of Collector's News.

Photographs include two photo albums complied by the Mowbray family, portraits of Mowbray, snapshots with colleagues and friends, and photos of works of art.

One scrapbook compiled by Harry Siddons Mowbray relates to his travels in Rome in 1903-1904. Annother documents his artwork and career, and the third contains clippings concerning his chemical inventions.

Artworks include sketches, prints, and etchings by Harry Siddons Mowbray and others.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 11 series. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Information, 1872-1965 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1, 13, 15)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1873-1957 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Diaries, 1876-1929 (1.2 linear feet; Box 1-2)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1870-circa 1930 (0.2 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 5: Personal Business and Financial Records, 1877-1966 (3 folders; Box 3)

Series 6: Commission Files, 1896-1979 (0.4 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 7: Organization Files, 1904-1928 (0.7 linear feet; Box 3-4, 13, 15-16)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1876-1976 (0.2 linear feet; Box 4, 16)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1874-circa 1928 (4.7 linear feet; Box 4-14, 17-18)

Series 10: Scrapbooks, circa 1890-1920 (0.3 linear feet; Box 5, 13-14)

Series 11: Artwork, 1870-1910 (3 folders; Box 5, 13)

Biographical / Historical:

Harry Siddons Mowbray (1858-1928) was a painter, muralist, and public servant who was active in New York, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C..

Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1858, Harry Siddons was orphaned at an early age. He was sent to live with his mother's sister Annie and uncle, George Mowbray, whose name he adopted. Harry Siddons Mowbray attended West Point Military Academy but left to pursue a career as a painter. Upon moving to Paris, Mowbray enrolled at the Atelier Bonnant where he studied under Léon Bonnat. Mowbray received attention for his decorative murals thoughout the East Coast of the United States. His commissions included the J.P. Morgan Library, F. W. Vanderbilt house, Larz Anderson house, Appellate Courthouse of New York City, St. John's Church in Washignton Connecticut, and the Federal Building in Cleveland, Ohio. Later in his career, Mowbray returned to painting and completed theLife of Christ series of works.

In addition to painting, Mowbray served on public commissions and committees. He was a member of the federal Commission of Fine Arts from 1921 until his death in 1928. During this time, he was involved in the planning of many Washington, D.C. memorials and public works including the standardization of the flag of the United States of America. He served as director of the American Academy in Rome from 1903-1904.

Harry Siddons Mowbray married Helen Amelia Millard in 1888. They had one child, George Siddons Mowbray. After his wife's death, Mowbray married her sister, Florence in 1915. Together, Florence and Mowbray had two children. He died in 1928. After her husband's death, Florence Mowbray was active in publishing her husband's autobiography.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel 2895) including Mowbray's letters to his son George, travel diaries of Helen Mowbray, writings, artworks, and a photograph. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

The Harry Siddons Mowbray and Mowbray family papers were donated in multiple accretions by Mrs. Henry S. Mowbray, Mowbray's widow, Hugh McKittrick Jones, Jr., Mowbray's son in law, and Mrs. Helen M. Rogers from 1979-1983. Mrs. Helen M. Rogers also loaned materials for microfilming in 1983.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- Connecticut  Search this

Topic:

Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Flags -- United States  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Prints

Sketches

Etchings

Diaries

Citation:

Harry Siddons Mowbray and Mowbray family papers, 1872-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.mowbharr

See more items in:

Harry Siddons Mowbray and Mowbray family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9427779e6-0055-4892-aef8-0287d36de439

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-mowbharr

Creator:

Tainter, Charles Sumner, 1854-1940  Search this

Hartsook Studio (San Diego, Calif.)  Search this

Names:

American Graphophone Company  Search this

Clark, Alvin and Sons Company  Search this

Edison Phonograph Works  Search this

International Graphophone Company  Search this

Volta Graphophone Gompany  Search this

Bell, Alexander Graham, 1847-1922  Search this

Bell, Chichester  Search this

Berliner, Emile, 1851-1929  Search this

Former owner:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Electricity and Modern Physics  Search this

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanisms  Search this

Extent:

2 Cubic feet (6 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Laboratory notebooks

Date:

1878-1937

Summary:

Charles Sumner Tainter has been recognized as the father of the talking machine, and much of the material in this collection represents his experimental work on the graphophone. Alexander Graham Bell, Chichester Bell, and Tainter established the Volta Laboratory Association in 1881. This collection presents a comprehensive picture of the early development of the phonograph and Tainter's substantial contributions to the project.

Scope and Contents:

Charles Sumner Tainter has been recognized as the father of the talking machine, and much of the material in this collection represents his experimental work on the graphophone.

Alexander Graham Bell, in partnership with his cousin Chichester Bell, and Tainter, established the Volta Laboratory Association in 1881, which stayed in operation until 1885. During this time Tainter recorded his experiments on the graphophone in thirteen note books or "Home Notes" and in two large volumes of technical drawings and notes. One of these volumes contains very exact drawings for a multiple record duplicator (1897-1908); the other contains rough sketches of his experiments with various apparatuses (1883-1884).

Tainter also wrote an unpublished, undated manuscript on The Talking Machine and Some Little Known Facts in Connection with Its Early Development. Another document consists of a binder with the printed patent specifications of Tainter, Alexander Graham Bell, and Chichester Bell (1880-1903). All of these documents are contained within this collection, except Volumes 9, 10, and 13 of Tainter's "Home Notes" which were destroyed in a fire in Tainter's Laboratory in Washington, D.C., in September 1897. The other ten volumes were needed in a law suit and were in possession of his attorney at the time of the fire. Records of Court testimony in suits involving the phonograph (1894-1896) are also included in this collection.

Tainter's memoirs, Early History of Charles Sumner Tainter provide a personal account of his childhood and youth, and of his later role as a member of the U. S. Government Expedition to observe the transit of Venus in 1874. Certificates, photographs, clippings, some correspondence, handwritten notes, and articles on the history of the phonograph complete the collection of his papers.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into three series:

Series 1, Papers, 1878-1937

Series 2, Laboratory Notes, 1881-1908

Series 3, Artifacts, undated

Biographical / Historical:

Charles Sumner Tainter, son of George and Abigail Sanger Tainter, was born on April 25, 1854, in Watertown, Massachusetts, near Boston. His father was an inventor with several patents to his name. In his memoirs Tainter describes his father as "a man of much force of character and inventive ability" and his mother as, "a woman of high character and beloved by all." His school years left him with a terror of public speaking that followed him all his life. He completed public school without much enthusiasm and then became essentially self-educated, studying only subjects that interested him. He obtained scientific and technical books from the public library, and was an avid reader of Scientific American. In his memoirs he recalls: "I believe that this journal had a great influence in molding my thoughts in mechanical and scientific directions as I grew up with it and used to read it regularly."

In 1870 Tainter started to work for Charles Williams, Jr., a manufacturer of telegraphs and electrical apparatus in Boston, for five dollars a week. Two years later he became associated with Johnson and Whittlemore, manufacturers of electrical instruments in Boston. He stayed with them until the business folded in 1873, and then joined Alvan Clark and Sons, a well-known manufacturing company of large telescopes and optical instruments in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts. As a technician at the Alvan Clark and Sons Company, Tainter assisted with the building of the Equatorial Telescope mounted in the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. He also constructed much of the equipment that was used during the U.S. government expedition to observe the transit of Venus in the South Pacific on December 8, 1874. The Secretary of the Navy appointed Tainter a member of this expedition, and Tainter vividly reveals his role in the event in his memoirs: "Early History of Charles Sumner Tainter." See Series 1, Box 1. [Note: Henry Draper, (1837 1882), a scientist whose collection of papers are also stored in the Archives Center, Series 3, Box 6, was superintendent of the government commission for the observation of the transit of Venus.] After he returned from the expedition in 1875, Tainter rejoined Alvan Clark and Sons Company and stayed there for three years.

Tainter started his own business in 1878 in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, constructing scientific instruments. It was in Cambridgeport, that he met Alexander Graham Bell. A year later Tainter accepted Bell's proposal to join him in Washington, D.C. to establish a small laboratory. After a series of experiments they developed the radiophone, an instrument for transmitting sound to distant points through the agency of light, using sensitive selenium cells. The radiophone was shown at an electrical exhibition in Paris in 1881, where Tainter was awarded a gold medal and diploma for his part in the invention. Between 1879 and 1880, Tainter and Bell also experimented with and tried to improve on Edison's talking machine.

The Academie des Sciences of Paris awarded Bell the Volta prize in 1880 for his development of the telephone. The prize included $10,000 that Bell used a year later to establish the Volta Laboratory Association, a small research laboratory in Washington, D.C. He asked his cousin, Chichester A. Bell, a chemist from London, and Tainter to join him in this venture. Although they devoted much of their attention to electrical and acoustical research, most of their efforts went into the improvement of Edison's talking machine. Edison had used tinfoil as the recording medium for his first phonograph in 1877, but then abandoned the project and turned his attention to the electric light and power distribution system. Meanwhile, Chichester Bell and Tainter saw the fragile tinfoil as a major obstacle in any further development of the instrument, and after much experimenting came upon the idea of replacing the tinfoil with a wax compound onto which they could engrave the sound waves directly. This invention was patented in May 1886 under the name Graphophone. It was an important step in the development of the phonograph since for the first time it was possible to manufacture the device commercially. Tainter recorded his experiments on the graphophone in thirteen notebooks ("Home Notes") and two large volumes of technical drawings and sketches. See: Series 2, Boxes 1, 2, and 3.

Bell and Tainter recognized Edison as the inventor of the talking machine, and they wanted to work with him and carry the costs for all further experiments in exchange for half the share of the profits, but Edison rejected this proposal. He felt that they wanted to steal his invention. In 1885 the partnership between Bell, his cousin, and Tainter was dissolved, and the graphophone rights were given to a group of Washington court stenographers who felt that the graphophone could best be utilized as a dictaphone. The group subsequently formed the Volta graphophone Company where Tainter continued to work for several years. The Volta Graphophone Company was reorganized two years after its formation as the American Graphophone Company. Eventually Edison sued the Volta Graphophone Company (1894), and the American Graphophone Company (1895-96).

In June 1886 Tainter married Lila R. Munro, daughter of William J. Munro of Newport, Rhode Island. Two years later he suffered a severe case of pneumonia, which was to incapacitate him intermittently for the rest of his life.

The Volta Graphophone Company sold the foreign rights for the graphophone in the spring of 1889 to form the International Graphophone Company. Tainter became associated with this new company and went to Europe to look after its interests there. In the same year the graphophone was exhibited at the Paris Exposition and Tainter was awarded the Decoration of "Officier de L Instruction Publique" from the French government for his invention of the graphophone. Upon his return from Europe Tainter established a factory for the International Graphophone Company in Hartford, Connecticut in 1889. When he left the company in 1890, he launched his own laboratory in Washington, D.C., where he continued to improve on the phonograph and a number of new inventions were patented.

At the Chicago Exposition in 1893 Tainter was asked to manage the exhibition of more than a hundred machines for the American Graphophone Company. In 1897 a fire destroyed Tainter's Washington laboratory and much valuable material was lost, including three volumes of his "Home Notes", which contained some of the findings of his experiments on the graphophone. Three years later the city of Philadelphia awarded the John Scott medal to Chichester Bell and Tainter for their work in connection with the graphophone.

Tainter's chronic illness forced him to suspend his work frequently and seek treatment and relief in various sanatoria and spas both in Europe and in the United States. He and his wife eventually moved to California. They settled in San Diego in June of 1903 to enjoy the better climate there. Again Tainter established a laboratory and continued to work whenever his health allowed. In 1915 he was awarded a gold medal and diploma for his work with the graphophone at the San Francisco Exposition. Tainter's wife died in 1924. Four years later he married Laura Fontaine Onderdonk, widow of Charles G. Onderdonk.

At the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Pittsburgh in December 1934, Tainter was made an Emeritus Life Member, having been a fellow for 55 years. His obituary also mentions that in 1915 Tainter was awarded a gold medal at the Panama Pacific Exposition for his work on the graphophone.

Tainter died on April 20, 1940. He was considered an inventor, a physicist, and a manufacturer of electrical apparatus, but most of all he was known as the father of the talking machine.

Separated Materials:

Materials Located at the National Museum of American History

Medal award given to Charles Sumner Tainter, Exposition Internationale d'Electricite, Paris, 1881. See Accession #: ME*313452.02

Gold medal award given to Charles Sumner Tainter. Panama - Pacific Exposition, 1915. See Accession #: ME*313452.01

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Laura F. Tainter, Charles Sumner Tainter's widow, in 1947 and 1950.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. 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.

Topic:

Physicists  Search this

Inventors  Search this

Electrical engineers  Search this

Light machinery  Search this

Mechanical engineering  Search this

Dictating machine  Search this

Sound recording and reproduction  Search this

Talking machine  Search this

Phonograph  Search this

Genre/Form:

Laboratory notebooks

Citation:

Charles Sumner Tainter Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0124

See more items in:

Charles Sumner Tainter Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8887378c2-5b90-4839-90fc-901c69375fb7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0124

Patented by:

Phinney, William H.  Search this

Maker:

Phinney, William H.  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 3 7/8 in x 4 3/8 in x 11 1/4 in; 9.8425 cm x 11.1125 cm x 28.575 cm

overall: 3 7/8 in x 4 1/4 in x 12 in; 9.8425 cm x 10.795 cm x 30.48 cm

Object Name:

Scale

Object Type:

Patent Model

Scales

Place made:

United States: Rhode Island, Pawtucket

Date made:

1870

Subject:

Weights & Measures  Search this

ID Number:

CH.308931

Accession number:

89797

Catalog number:

308931

Patent number:

106,869

See more items in:

Medicine and Science: Chemistry

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a0-e6ab-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1681

Patented by:

Wright, W. F.  Search this

Parts manufacturer:

E. & T. Fairbanks & Company  Search this

Fabricator:

Wright, W. F.  Search this

Manufacturer:

E. and T. Fairbanks and Company  Search this

Measurements:

arm with sliding weight: 6 1/4 in; x 15.875 cm

small scale: 2 3/4 in x 3 3/4 in; 6.985 cm x 9.525 cm

overall: 4 3/8 in x 9 1/2 in x 3 3/4 in; 11.0998 cm x 24.13 cm x 9.525 cm

Object Name:

Balance

Object Type:

Patent Model

Scales

Place made:

United States: Vermont, Saint Johnsbury

Date made:

1882

Subject:

Weights & Measures  Search this

ID Number:

CH.308970

Accession number:

89797

Catalog number:

308970

Patent number:

256,423

See more items in:

Medicine and Science: Chemistry

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-6707-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1691

Maker:

United States Torsion Balance Co.  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 4 1/2 in x 10 in x 5 in; 11.43 cm x 25.4 cm x 12.7 cm

overall: 5 3/4 in x 10 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in; 14.605 cm x 26.67 cm x 11.43 cm

Object Name:

torsion balance

Object Type:

Balances

Place made:

United States: New York, New York City

Date made:

1886-1887

Subject:

Weights & Measures  Search this

ID Number:

CH.318490

Catalog number:

318490

Accession number:

235073

See more items in:

Medicine and Science: Chemistry

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a0-e02d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2333

Maker:

Levi Strauss and Company  Search this

Physical Description:

cotton (overall material)

metal (part material)

Measurements:

waist circumference: 27 1/2 in; x 69.85 cm

overall length, side: 35 3/4 in; 90.805 cm

fly, top of waistband to rivet: 8 1/2 in; 21.59 cm

front pockets, curved opening (not including waistband): 3 in x 4 3/4 in; 7.62 cm x 12.065 cm

front pockets, depth to base of waistband: 8 in; 20.32 cm

patch watch pocket: 3 3/4 in x 3 1/4 in; 9.525 cm x 8.255 cm

patch pocket, right hip: 6 1/2 in x 6 1/8 in; 16.51 cm x 15.5575 cm

levi strauss label, back waist: 2 1/16 in x 3 1/4 in; 5.23875 cm x 8.255 cm

yoke, back waist, height: 3 in; 7.62 cm

belt, right back: 1 1/4 in x 4 3/8 in; 3.175 cm x 11.1125 cm

waistband, width: 1 1/4 in; 3.175 cm

buttons, center front and suspender: 5/8 in; x 1.5875 cm

buttons, fly: 1/2 in; x 1.27 cm

rivets: 3/8 in; x .9525 cm

seat (cb waist to crotch): 15 1/4 in; 38.735 cm

rise (cf waist to crotch to cb waist): 27 in; 68.58 cm

inseam: 26 in; 66.04 cm

ankle circumference: 16 in; x 40.64 cm

ankle, width of front leg: 6 1/2 in; x 16.51 cm

ankle, width of back leg: 9 1/2 in; x 24.13 cm

Object Name:

trousers

Object Type:

Main Dress

Man

Trousers

Lower Body

Other Terms:

trousers; Lower Body; Main Dress; Male

Place Made:

United States: California, San Francisco

Date made:

1873 - 1896

Related Publication:

Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History

National Museum of American History. Treasures of American History online exhibition

Related Web Publication:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/treasures

Credit Line:

Gift of Walter Haas, Jr.

ID Number:

CS.256979.002

Catalog number:

256979.002

Accession number:

256979

See more items in:

Home and Community Life: Costume

Clothing & Accessories

Industry & Manufacturing

National Treasures exhibit

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-7a2d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_371609

Manufacturer:

RSC Energia  Search this

William "Bill" M. Shepherd  Search this

Astronaut:

William "Bill" M. Shepherd  Search this

Materials:

Overall: Aluminum, Velcro, Steel, Nylon, Paint

Dimensions:

Storage (Rehoused on aluminum pallet with three additional objects): 121.9 × 200.7 × 124.5cm, 226.8kg (48 × 79 × 49 in., 500lb.)

Type:

SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Instruments & Payloads

Country of Origin:

Russian Federation

United States of America

Credit Line:

Transferred from NASA, Johnson Space Center.

Inventory Number:

A20020242000

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9f26a87fe-e8cb-4739-8556-0beea03775da

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nasm_A20020242000

Manufacturer:

Delta Wing Kites and Gliders Incorporated  Search this

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 9.7 m (32 ft)

Length: 2.5 m (8 ft 3 in)

Weights: Empty, 34 kg (75 lb)

Gross, 134 kg (295 lb)

Type:

CRAFT-Aircraft

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Credit Line:

Gift of Bill Bennett.

Inventory Number:

A19840713000

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

See more items in:

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Location:

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Exhibit Station:

Ultralight Aircraft

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9a11ee04f-eee3-4e0d-8426-504e2fe2159f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nasm_A19840713000

Manufacturer:

Delta Wing Kites and Gliders Incorporated  Search this

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 11.4 m (37 ft 5 in)

Length: 2.5 m (8 ft 4 in)

Weights: Empty, 25 kg (55 lb)

Gross, 122 kg (270 lb)

Type:

CRAFT-Aircraft

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Date:

1977

Credit Line:

Gift of Bill Bennett

Inventory Number:

A19840714000

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Location:

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Exhibit Station:

Ultralight Aircraft

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9771a48de-8570-44d7-b5e9-2643301c6558

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nasm_A19840714000

Manufacturer:

Delta Wing Kites and Gliders Incorporated  Search this

Dimensions:

Wingspan: 9 m (29 ft 5 in)

Length: 2.7 m (9 ft)

Weights: Empty, 19 kg (41 lb)

Gross, 109 kg (241 lb)

Type:

CRAFT-Aircraft

Country of Origin:

United States of America

Credit Line:

Gift of Bill Bennett.

Inventory Number:

A19840715000

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

See more items in:

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Location:

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Exhibit Station:

Ultralight Aircraft

Data Source:

National Air and Space Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv96ed774d9-5b56-401c-b1e8-b77c10a1a867

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nasm_A19840715000