F.C. Brown was a physicist and inventor who created and supervised the development of education exhibits, most notably as organizing director of the New York Museum of Science and Industry (part of the Museums of the Peaceful Arts), 1926-1931. He was also curator of physics exhibits at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, 1932-1937. Much of Brown's scientific research focused on the element selenium. He invented the phonopticon, an improvement on the optophone (invented by Fournier d'Albe, 1912). Material focuses on Dr. Brown's professional life: correspondence, photographs, photo albums, scrapbooks, and ephemera from the positions he held and research he conducted. Very little personal information is included.
Scope and Contents:
The material in the F. C. Brown Papers focuses primarily on Dr. Brown's professional life and includes correspondence, photographs, photo albums, scrapbooks and ephemera. Very little personal information is included. The collection is arranged into ten series.
Series 1, Biographical/General, 1905-1940, contains material which relates to Dr. Brown's personal life and research. Scientific publications, which do not relate directly to the professional positions he held, can be found here. Also included are some personal financial records and two photographic portraits of Dr. Brown.
Series 2, Correspondence, 1902-1964, undated, is arranged chronologically and pertains directly to Dr. Brown's career.
Series 3, Inventions, 1904-1942, documents Dr. Brown's inventions and include invention notebooks, loose notes, patent documents, correspondence, and an article announcing the invention of the phonopticon.
Series 4, U. S. Army Ordnance Department, 1918-1919, contains materials from Dr. Brown's tenure at the U. S. Army Ordnance Department. It includes a panoramic photograph and various official reports.
Series 5, U. S. Bureau of Standards, 1917-1926, contains assorted papers from the U. S. Bureau of Standards which date from 1917 to 1922, and also a few photographs, including a panoramic portrait of Bureau personnel in 1920.
Series 6, Museum Work, 1927-1940, consists of materials primarily dealing with Dr. Brown's work in the New York Museum of Science and Industry (part of the Museums of the Peaceful Arts) and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Of note is material relating to the dedication ceremony at which the airplane Bremen was given to the Museums of the Peaceful Arts and two scrapbooks which contain clippings, brochures, and photos showcasing developments and events in science, industry and the Museums of the Peaceful Arts.
Series 7, Photographs: Museums of the Peaceful Arts, Museum of Science and Industry, New York City, undated, is comprised of photographs from the Museums of the Peaceful Arts including such subjects as events, exhibits, displays, models, objects, machines, devices, and people. The majority of the photographs are undated.
Series 8, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1932-1937, includes two photo albums and a scrapbook which deal with the planning of the AAAS annual science exhibitions.
Series 9, Photographs: Other Subjects, 1907-1939, is comprised of photographs covering subjects such as exhibits, displays, objects, and people.
Series 10, Miscellaneous, 1910-circa 1945, includes invitations, programs, brochures, miscellaneous publications and other writings, notes and calculations, and papers from a series of radio broadcasts on science. There is also a 1939 textbook, Experimental Heat, Sound and Light, with accompanying notes and annotations.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into ten series.
Series 1, Biographical/General, 1905-1940
Series 2, Correspondence, 1902-1964 and undated
Series 3, Inventions, 1904-1942
Subseries 1, Notebook, 1904
Subseries 2, Invention Notebooks, 1910-1942
Series 4, U.S. Army Ordnance Department, 1918-1921
Series 7, Photographs: Museums of the Peaceful Arts, Museum of Science and Industry, New York City, undated
Subseries 1, Events, Exhibits and Displays, undated
Subseries 2, Models, Objects, Machines and Devices, undated
Subseries 3, People with Objects, undated
Subseries 4, People, undated
Subseries 5, Photos of Other Materials, undated
Series 8, American Association for the Advancement of Science (A.A.A.S.), 1932-1937
Series 9, Photographs: other subjects, 1907-1939
Subseries 1, Exhibits, Displays and Objects, 1931-1939, undated
Subseries 2, People, 1907-1928, undated
Subseries 3, Miscellaneous, circa 1918-1920, undated
Series 10, Miscellaneous, 1910-circa 1945
Biographical / Historical:
Brown was a physicist and inventor who created and supervised the development of education exhibits, most notably as organizing director of the New York Museum of Science and Industry (part of the Museums of the Peaceful Arts), 1926-1931. He was also curator of physics exhibits at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, 1932-1937. Much of Brown's scientific research focused on the element selenium. He invented the phonopticon, an improvement on the optophone (invented by Fournier d'Albe, 1912).
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History by Dr. Brown's son-in-law, Richard D. Olson, August 1999.
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.
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm
Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Extent:
3.4 Cubic feet (17 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilms
Date:
bulk 1938-1945
Summary:
This collection consists of microfilm copies of documents relating to research and development work conducted by the Ordnance Office of the German Army at the research station at Peenemünde, as well as document listings and indexes of those documents prepared by United States Army's Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center at Fort Eustis, VA.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of an original and use copy of the Accession List (5 volumes each), as well as Author and Subject Indexes to Volumes I through III of the Accession List, and 71 rolls of 35mm microfilm of FE documents from the Fort Eustis library.
Arrangement:
Series 1 consists of printed copies of the listings and indexes compiled by the Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center at Fort Eustis, with use-copy photocopies filed as a group before the original documents, which were printed on fragile wood-pulp paper. Entries in the Accession List are organized by a unique subject classification numbering system which is explained in the Subject Index to Volumes I, II, and III. Each entry in the Accession List provides both the original German and a translated English title for the document, publication information, an abstract, and lists the document (ARCH or FE) number.
Series 2 consists of 71 rolls of microfilmed documents. Unfortunately there is no organizing principle to the FE document microfilm, or any such organization has been lost, although most documents are separated by blank frames on the microfilm.
Not all of the FE-numbered material in the Accession List was microfilmed. The original documents were returned to Germany in the 1950s and divided between the Deutsches Museum in Munich and the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz. For more specific information on the original FE documents, as well as on other archival materials relating to the work at Peenemünde, see Michael J. Neufeld, The Rocket and the Reich: Peeneünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missile Era (New York: Free Press, 1995). For ARCH-numbered material held by the National Air and Space Museum, see Captured German/Japanese Air Technical Documents: Peenemünde Guided Missile (PGM) Microfilm (one series of Accession NASM.XXXX.0431).
Biographical / Historical:
At the end of World War II the Allies captured a large volume of documents relating to research and development work conducted by the Ordnance Office of the German Army, including work done at the research station at Peenemünde. The material was made available to ordnance personnel and contractors to aid US research efforts and a portion was housed in a library at Fort Eustis, VA. Most of the material in the Fort Eustis library was identified by the original Peenemünde Archiv ("ARCH") number; documents not having such numbers were arbitrarily assigned Fort Eustis Library ("FE") numbers. For wider accessibility, portions of the FE material were microfilmed by the Army, while part of the ARCH material was separately microfilmed by the Navy as the Peenemünde Guided Missile (PGM) microfilm. In addition, the Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center at Fort Eustis utilized a number of qualified German Prisoners of War to review and abstract all of the library material. From these abstracts the Ordnance Department prepared a multi-volume Accession List of German Documents Pertaining to Guided Missiles, which included over 3200 documents housed in the Fort Eustis library, including both FE and ARCH documents.
Provenance:
Unknown, from Fort Eustis?, Gift, Unknown, NASM.XXXX.0468
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Patentanmeldung "Unterkalibergeschoss." R 111 030 (26)
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Extent:
[Patent application. "Sub caliber projectile"]
Container:
Roll 3, Item FE 66
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Test report: disintegration test on iron containers.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 21, Item FE 529
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 21, Item FE 609
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Outline of ranging methods and measuring instruments in use at present of Army Ordnance, Inspection Division.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 532
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Contribution to the imitation of differential equations for stability investigations.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 539
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Reduction of the exterior ballistic factors by weighting factors for constant atmospheric layers.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 589
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 579
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 616
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Short-circuited non-quasi-stationary resonant circuits (Cavity circuits energized according to Lecher's principles.)
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 659
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Influences of the short-circuit disk resistance and of additional attenuation upon the resonant resistance of metal pipe lines, adjusted as to their anti-nodes.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Extent:
[note: no blank space before document]
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 658
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
The qualities of tubes of the magnetic field type. Third section: Type RD 2 Mh.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Extent:
[note: no blank space before document]
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 660
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Computation of errors in points of bursts for 8.8cm Flak 41.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 3, Item FE 714
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Comparative considerations of the efficiency of the project "Enzian," "Schmetterling" and "Wasserfall."
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 662/C
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
The common target area for the most elementary program control, "Hit on the first circle" as dependent on dimension. Discussion of physical phenomena influencing the controls. Report #9.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 620
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Investigations on increasing the RPM of aircraft engines (Third report).
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 567
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Influence of the suction pipe- and other losses on the performance of the Opel engine.
Collection Creator:
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 564
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Army. Ordnance Department. Ordnance Research and Development Translation Center Search this
Container:
Roll 22, Item FE 554
Type:
Archival materials
Microform
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captured German Documents (World War II): Fort Eustis Library (FE) Microfilm, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0468, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
