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Division of Transportation Railroad Reference Files

Collector:
Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Transportation  Search this
Creator:
White, John H., 1933-  Search this
Names:
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company  Search this
Pullman Railroad Company  Search this
Extent:
31.33 Cubic feet (94 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Color slides
Correspondence
Ephemera
Magazines (periodicals)
Manuscripts
Negatives
Newsclippings
Patents
Photocopies
Photographs
Research
Writings
Date:
1830s-1990
Scope and Contents:
The archivist has arranged the collection into seven series. The collections consists of original photographs, brochures, advertisements, correspondence, and trade literature as wells as photcopies of same and assembled by John White for many of his books about railroads.

Series 1: Car Builders, arranged alphabetically by company or individual.

Series 2: Equipment, Rolling Stock, arranged in two sections: alphabetically by White's heading: Articles in Progress and alphabetical by type of railroad car under White's heading: Research Files for Book in Progress.

Series 3: Locomotives, arranged alphabetically by Locomotive builders in two sections, first by individual company and second by individuals.

Series 4: Railroad Companies and Lines, arranged alphabetically by railroad companies and railroad lines.

Series 5: Publications, White's files for his book The American Railroad Freight Car, which are arranged into two sections, Illustrations and Text. Both sections are arranged numerically by chapters or sections of the book.

Series 6: Freight Cars

Series 7: Passenger Cars
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into seven series. Most material arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.

Series 1: Car Builders

Series 2: Equipment--Rolling Stock

Subseries 2.1: Articles in progress

Subseries 2.2: Research Files for Books in Progress

Series 3: Locomotives

Series 4: Railroad Companies and Lines

Series 5: Publications

Series 6: Freights Cars

Series 7; Passenger Cars
Historical:
John H. White, Jr., (1933- ), historian and museum curator, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated with a B.A. in history from Miami University, Ohio, in 1958. Shortly after receiving his degree, White joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution as Assistant Curator of the Division of Transportation, Department of Science and Technology, National Museum of History and Technology (NMHT). White became Associate Curator of the Division, 1961-1966, Curator, 1967-1985, and Senior Historian, 1986-1989. White specialized in land transportation, particularly the history of railroads. He retired in 1990. His papers, the John H. White, Jr., Papers, circa 1959-1989 are at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

This collection of railroad materials was begun many years ago by employees of the Smithsonian Institution, and maintained later by curators and museum specialists working in the Division of Transportation, NMHT, later named the National Museum of American History (NMAH).

Some of the clippings date back to the time of J. Elfreth Watkins in the 1880-1890s. In 1885 Watkins was appointed Curator of the Section of Steam Transportation, which was successively known as Transportation and Engineering, and Technological Collections. Other portions of White's collection were clearly from Carl Mitman, author of several hundred entries on inventors and engineers in the Dictionary of American Biography and a Smithsonian employee who served as Curator of Mechanical Technology in 1919. In 1921 Mitman took the title of Curator of the Divisions of Mineral and Mechanical Technology, serving in this capacity until 1931. In 1931 the Division of Engineering was established. Mitman served as Curator of the Division and in charge of Mineral Technology, 1931-1938, Head Curator of the Department of Arts and Industries, 1932-1938, and Head Curator of the Department of Engineering and Industries, 1938-1948.

Some portions of this collection were acquired under the time of Frank A. Taylor (Mitman's protégé) who was Assistant Curator, 1928-1931, Assistant Curator for Mechanical Technology, 1932, Curator of the Division and in charge of Mechanical Technology, 1932-1948, Head Curator of the Division of Engineering and Industry, 1948-1957. In 1955 Taylor was appointed Assistant Director, United States National Museum (USNM), with special responsibility for planning the new NMHT, and in 1958 was appointed the first Director of the new museum. In 1962 Taylor became Director of the USNM with responsibility for both the National Museum of Natural History and NMHT.

Smith Hempstone Oliver of the Division of Transportation also kept up the files to a degree, though his main interest was in automobiles.

When White started employment at the Museum in June, 1958, there were, perhaps, two file cabinets on railroads. As Mr. White mentions in a letter to the archivist in March of 2002, "It was and is a great mix of odds and ends -- photos, news clippings, small prints, manufacturing catalogs, post cards, etc. Some junk and some treasure."

White found the material very useful for research and greatly expanded the collection. It more than doubled in size during his years in the Division, 1958-1990. The collection was White's working file and was set up to meet his needs. According to White, the collections greatest lack was cross referencing -- which was mostly in his head. He could usually find things but the organization might be confusing to other users. It was not intended for public use.

White is the author of many books on railroads, including:

American Locomotives: An Engineering History, 1830-1880. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1968; 1997.

Early American Locomotives, with 147 engraving. New York: Dover Publications, 1972.

American Single Locomotives and the "Pioneer". Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1973.

The Pioneer, Chicago's First Locomotive. Chicago: Chicago Historical Society, 1976.

The American Railroad Passenger Car. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.

The John Bull, 150 Years a Locomotive. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981.

A Short History of American Locomotive Builders in the Steam Era. Washington, D.C.: Bass, 1982.

Great Yellow Fleet: A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars. Golden West Books, 1986

The American Railroad Freight Car: From the Wood-Car Era to the Coming of Steel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Provenance:
Collection materials donated by Jack White in 1995.
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.
Topic:
Electric railroads  Search this
Freight cars  Search this
Locomotives  Search this
Porters  Search this
Railroads -- History  Search this
Railroad car builders  Search this
Railroad companies  Search this
Railroad passenger cars  Search this
Transportation  Search this
Genre/Form:
Articles
Color slides
Correspondence
Ephemera
Magazines (periodicals)
Manuscripts
Negatives
Newsclippings
Patents
Photocopies
Photographs -- 19th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Research
Writings
Citation:
Division of Transportation Railroad Reference Files, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0523
See more items in:
Division of Transportation Railroad Reference Files
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83b50b7ee-ab37-4b18-b17c-cffb2543738e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0523
Online Media:

Accomodating Nature: The Photographs of Frank Gohlke

Creator:
Smithsonian American Art Museum  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2010-07-26T15:46:15.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
See more by:
americanartmuseum
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
YouTube Channel:
americanartmuseum
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_eiV0DVjr_e8

The Philately of New Zealand - Innovation Born of Necessity, 1855-1955, Maynard Sundman Lecture 2011

Creator:
National Postal Museum  Search this
Type:
Lectures
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2011-02-07T17:03:37.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Postal service;Letter mail handling;Stamp collecting  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianNPM
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianNPM
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_BdeR7qM03eQ

Stamps: An American Journey

Creator:
National Postal Museum  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-06-02T21:44:59.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Postal service;Letter mail handling;Stamp collecting  Search this
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SmithsonianNPM
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianNPM
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_q4tH81D_pL0

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Creator:
National Museum of African American History and Culture  Search this
Type:
Conversations and talks
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2023-01-08T10:16:06.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
African Americans  Search this
See more by:
WatchNMAAHC
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
YouTube Channel:
WatchNMAAHC
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_GGpzyQj88WY

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Creator:
National Museum of African American History and Culture  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-06-23T15:54:50.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
African Americans  Search this
See more by:
WatchNMAAHC
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
YouTube Channel:
WatchNMAAHC
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_P1ArPjWegpY

Black History Month With NMAAHC Curator Mary Elliott

Creator:
National Museum of African American History and Culture  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2023-01-12T22:41:58.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
African Americans  Search this
See more by:
WatchNMAAHC
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
YouTube Channel:
WatchNMAAHC
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_bm2Si3zdRlE

"The 39 Clues" online field trip: Decoding History

Creator:
National Museum of American History  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2013-03-07T18:33:46.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
American History  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianAmHistory
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianAmHistory
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_F4uZV51Z_10

My Name is Pauli Murray | History Film Forum

Creator:
National Museum of American History  Search this
Type:
Conversations and talks
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2021-10-01T16:24:41.000Z
YouTube Category:
Film & Animation  Search this
Topic:
American History  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianAmHistory
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianAmHistory
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt__1LTWUpiBwU

Reflections on the Greensboro Lunch Counter

Creator:
National Museum of American History  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-01-30T21:14:18.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
American History  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianAmHistory
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianAmHistory
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_uFQ3ZCAgAA0

Raman spectroscopy in cultural heritage preservation Howell G.M. Edwards, Peter Vandenabeele, Philippe Colomban

Author:
Edwards, Howell G. M. 1943-  Search this
Vandenabeele, Peter  Search this
Colomban, Philippe  Search this
Physical description:
xxxviii, 493 pages illustrations (chiefly color), charts, facsimile, portraits 25 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
2023
Topic:
Historic preservation--Data processing  Search this
Cultural property--Protection--Data processing  Search this
Raman spectroscopy  Search this
Call number:
QD96.R34 E39 2023
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1161238

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Creator:
Smithsonian Education  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2019-01-30T19:57:55.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Education  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianEducation
Data Source:
Smithsonian Education
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianEducation
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_uRwr4G_1hNc

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Creator:
Smithsonian Institution  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2013-05-03T01:57:41.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianVideos
Data Source:
Smithsonian Institution
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianVideos
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_0k2eDLdhGAg

Honoring the American Flag through Native Art

Creator:
National Museum of the American Indian  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2021-06-14T04:00:12.000Z
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_WhrqET6hNHU

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Creator:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this
Type:
Conversations and talks
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2019-12-18T22:21:43.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Design  Search this
See more by:
cooperhewitt
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
YouTube Channel:
cooperhewitt
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_0rr2Nz7TIHc

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Creator:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this
Type:
Lectures
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2023-05-26T16:07:20.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Design  Search this
See more by:
cooperhewitt
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
YouTube Channel:
cooperhewitt
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_obFbRjMZEtg

The Wright Brothers Discover Aspect Ratio

Creator:
National Air and Space Museum  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-03-10T18:33:13.000Z
YouTube Category:
Science & Technology  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_2Ab6jUgTtl4

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Creator:
National Air and Space Museum  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-07-06T15:45:01.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Aeronautics;Flight;Space Sciences  Search this
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airandspace
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
YouTube Channel:
airandspace
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_3kajnxQpGh8

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Creator:
National Air and Space Museum  Search this
Type:
Conversations and talks
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2018-11-14T20:14:50.000Z
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_CCKaCGyyOFs

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Creator:
National Air and Space Museum  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-04-22T15:22:50.000Z
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_D3GznsYCZ_o

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