Roebling, Washington Augustus, 1837-1926. Search this
Collector:
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:
18.5 Cubic feet (62 boxes, 1 map-folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Specifications
Reports
Price lists
Photographs
Newsletters
Letterpress books
Correspondence
Blueprints
Ledgers (account books)
Genealogies
Notebooks
Patents
Date:
1836-1975
bulk 1930-1950
Summary:
Collection documents the work of the John A. Roebling's Sons Company, builders of bridges. The materials consist primarily of photograph albums documenting some of the bridges, tramways, ski lifts and chair lifts that Roebling's Sons Company was involved with. The documentation also includes specifications, patents, and reference materials about the engineering process of building bridges and bridges in general.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the work of the John A. Roebling's Sons Company, builders of bridges. The materials consist primarily of photograph albums documenting a variety of bridges, mostly in the United States. The documentation also includes specifications, patents, and reference materials about the engineering process of building bridges and bridges in general.
Series 1, Historical background materials, 1895-1958, is divided into two subseries: Subseries 1, John A. Roebling's and Sons Company materials, 1895-1949 and Subseries 2, Newsletters, 1929-1931.
Subseries 1, John A. Roebling's and Sons Company materials, 1895-1949, contains a variety of items related to the company such as historical narratives, correspondence, price lists, testing data, and a ledger with cost estimates. The correspondence is partially bound (pages 1 to 104) from a letter press book (handwritten and typescript) belonging to John A. Roebling's and Sons Company. William Hildebrand and Charles G. Roebling are the chief correspondents. The correspondence documents daily activities related to the design and erection of bridges as well as finances and supplies. Charles G. Roebling's notebook, undated, contains calculations and notes about various bridge projects.
Subseries 2, Newsletters, 1929-1931, contain copies of Blue Center and Wire Engineering, which were John A. Roebling's and Sons Company publications intended for employees. The newsletters were apparently used as scrapbooks, with black-and-white photographs pasted into the pages. Found among the pages of Blue Center are photographs of the Hudson River Bridge and in Wire Engineering, there are photographs of the Maysville, Kentucky Bridge.
Series 2, Photographs, 1926-1975, comprises the largest series in the collection. The photographs are primarily black-and-white and document aerial tramways, tramways for logging or mining, chair lifts, ski lifts, floods, and bridge construction projects. The latter makes up the majority. Most photographs were assembled into albums with corresponding captions and dates, and almost all of the photographs document bridges in the United States. There is one exception, the Yauricocha Tramway in Peru. In some instances, the captions are recorded on the back of the photographs, and others were recorded on album pages. The series is arranged alphabetically by name of bridge and/or project.
Series 3, Specifications, 1855-1962, consists of printed textual documents (both bound and loose) that contain information for bidders, proposals, contracts, and bonds, and the detailed specifications. This series is arranged alphabetically by bridge name.
Series 4, Reports, 1928-1938, contains bound reports (both progress and final) detailing problems, requirements, research, manufacture, plant installation, cable equipment, strand adjustments, and Roebling Company developments. This series is arranged alphabetically by bridge/and/or project.
Series 5, Patent materials, 1849-1952, consists of issued patents (to a variety of individuals) for cable and cable appliances, cables, and cable apparatus, cableways and tramways, and grips. The patents are arranged by subject area, then by patent number.
Series 6, Reference materials, 1836-1964, contains a wide range of materials—articles, biographical files, drawings, photographs, newspaper clippings, advertising, correspondence, notes—documenting all aspects of bridges. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series.
Series 1, Historical background materials, 1895-1958, undated
Subseries 1, Biographical, 1900-1958, undated
Subseries 2, John A. Roebling's and Sons Company materials, 1895-1949
Subseries 3, Newsletters, 1929-1931
Series 2, Photographs, 1926-1975
Series 3, Specifications, 1855-1962
Series 4, Reports, 1928-1938
Series 5, Patent materials, 1849-1952
Series 6, Reference materials, 1836-1964
Biographical / Historical:
John Augustus Roebling (1806-1869) was the founder and proprietor of John A. Roebling's Sons Company. Born in Mühlhausen, Germany, he was a civil engineer famous for his wire rope suspension bridge designs, in particular, the design of the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling married Johana Herting in 1836 and they had nine children: Washington A. Roebling (1837-1926); Laura R. Methfessel (1840-1873); Ferdinand W. Roebling (1842-1917); Elvira R. Stewart (1844-1871); Josephine R. Jarvis (b. 1847); Charles Gustavus Roebling (1849-1918); Edmund Roebling (1854-1930); William Roebling (b. 1856, d. 1860); and Hannah Roebling (died in infancy). Roebling's three sons, Washington Augustus Roebling; Ferdinand William Roebling and Charles Gustavus Roebling, worked for the company.
Roebling's Sons Company was active in the design and manufacture of wire rope used in the erection of suspension bridges since the 1840s. Roebling devised a system of spinning the wires together where weights and swivels turned the wire coils in the opposite direction from the twisting, thereby removing kinks. Method of and Machine for Manufacturing Wire Rope (US Patent # 2,720) issued on July 16, 1842. Roebling would adapt this wire rope to his suspension bridge principle. In 1848, he established a company—John Roebling's Sons Company—in Trenton, New Jersey, to manufacture his wire rope. Roebling manufacturing plants were sold in 1952 to the Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) Company of Pueblo, Colorado. In 1968, the Crane Company purchased the CF& I.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
George S. Morison Collection (AC0978)
Modjeski and Masters Company Records (AC0976)
Materials at Other Organizations
The Rutgers University, Special Collections and University Archives
Roebling family papers, cicra 1820s-1950s
Provenance:
This collection was donated by Blair Birdsall, former chief engineer at John A. Roebling's Sons Company in 1981.
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.
Stearns-Roger ; Stearns-Roger Fabricators, Inc. ; Stearns-Roger Manufacturers, Inc. ; Stearns-Roger Mfg. Co. ; see cataloged portion under Stearns-Roger Engineering Corporation. Search this
Notes content:
engineering & construction services for mining, metallurgical, synthetic fuels, petroleum & petrochemical refining industries and electric utilities ; pipe fabrication ; foundry capabilities ; Pearce Turret furnace ; Crane's automatic ore dresser and picking table ; mills & equipment ; separators ; sand pumps ; ore feeders ; mining machinery. "Operator's Manual for Liquefied Gas Storage Plant." .... These materials comprise the uncataloged portion of Stearns-Roger Corp., see cataloged portion under Stearns-Roger Engineering Corporation.
Includes:
Trade catalog and manual
Black and white images
Color images
Physical description:
46 pieces; 3 boxes
Language:
English
Type of material:
Trade catalogs
Trade literature
Place:
Denver, Colorado, United States
Date:
1900s
Topic (Romaine term):
Business services (advertising; marketing; organizational management; etc.) Search this
"WISSCO" ; Colorado Fuel & Iron Corp. , Wickwire Spencer Steel Div. , Pacific Coast Div. ; Wickwire Spencer Sales Corp. ; American Wire Fabrics Corp. ; American Isteg Co. Search this
Notes content:
"'Hot Welding' For Speed...And Quality.." By Gilbert E. Doan , from "Metal Progress" January 1932 ; springs ; formed wires ; World War II wartime publication ; "Clinton" welded sheathing ; "Clinton" electrically welded wire fabric ; wire fencing ; wire rope ; radiator enclosures , panels , and grilles ; wire ; staples ; tree guards ; park baskets ; garbage burners ; "Excelsior" picture cord and clothes line ; coal screens ; sand screens ; "Know Your Ropes: A Manual of Wire Rope Selection, Application And Usage That Tells You How To Make Your Wire Rope Last Longer" ; wire rope fittings ; "Clinton" puoltry netting ; "WISSCO" perforated metal ; conveyor belts ; automotive parts ; "Wickwire" valve springs ; "Wickwire" starter spring ; mechanics' wire ; other automotive parts ; clock springs ; motor springs ; door springs ; gate springs ; helical springs ; "Clinton" wire lath ; "Excelsior" box band and bale tie ; "Excelsior" stove pipe wire ; nails ; "Buffalo" barbed wire and fence cable ; "WISSCO" card and napper clothing ; "The Metallography of Steel Wire" by B. L. McCarthy ; "Fencing For Safety" ; wire fencing ; "Standard Method of Testing Isteg Steel Reinforcing Bars" ; "Isteg Steel for Reinforced Concrete" ; "WISSCO" decorative perforated metals ; "WISSCOLAY" preformed wire rope ; grilles ; "Protective Zinc Coatings for steel wire as used for Chain Link Fencing" by B. L. McCarthy ; "Wire the World Over" , a short history of wire drawing ; "Isteg" steel bars ; other wire products .
Includes:
Trade catalog, price lists and manual
Black and white images
Color images
Physical description:
71 pieces; 3 boxes
Language:
English
Type of material:
Trade catalogs
Trade literature
Place:
New York City, New York, United States
Date:
1900s
Topic (Romaine term):
Clocks and watches (including clock-making and watch-making equipment) Search this
Universal Smelting & Refining Company ; Wm. Ainsworth & Sons Co. Search this
Notes content:
A 1914 booklet entitled "Fire Concentration: the Partridge Hot Blast Smelting Furnace", plus a letter from Robert Ainsworth regarding this machine ; and an information black on various ores.
Includes:
Trade catalog
Black and white images
Physical description:
3 pieces; 1 box
Language:
English
Type of material:
Trade catalogs
Trade literature
Place:
Denver, Colorado, United States
Date:
1900s
Topic (Romaine term):
Business services (advertising; marketing; organizational management; etc.) Search this
