Search Results

Creator:

Darnell, Victor C.  Search this

Berlin Iron Bridge Company (East Berlin, Conn.).  Search this

Berlin Construction Company (East Berlin, Conn.)  Search this

Former owner:

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:

2 Cubic feet (1 box, 5 oversize folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Blueprints

Photograph albums

Photographs

Date:

1890-1953

Scope and Contents note:

Blueprints and plans for facilities built by the company, including coal-handling bridges, coal unloading towers, dock trestles, and coal-handling plants and two photograph albums from the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, East Berlin, Connecticut. The images in one of the albums are mostly of factory scenes. The other album contains mostly images of bridges throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and elsewhere in New England. The collection also contains blueprints and plans for facilities built by the company, including coal-handling bridges, coal unloading towers, dock trestles, and coal-handling plants.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into one series.

Provenance:

Gifts of Victor C. Darnell, 1981 and 1986.

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.

Topic:

Bridges  Search this

Building  Search this

Coal  Search this

Factories  Search this

Genre/Form:

Blueprints -- 20th century

Photograph albums -- 20th century

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century

Citation:

Berlin Construction Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1032

See more items in:

Berlin Construction Company Records

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep829ca5061-b334-4e90-847d-bf747421ab59

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1032

Extent:

27 Cubic feet (35 boxes, 1 map folder)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Account books

Annual reports

Advertising

Blueprints

Business records

Photographs

Picture postcards

Price lists

Date:

circa 1826-2009

Summary:

Photos and photo negatives, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, and other printed material documenting the interior operations, products, and horological research relating to watch companies and watchmaking in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Scope and Contents:

The initial collection consists of approximately 760 photographs and negatives created by the Hamilton Watch Company and documenting its employees, equipment, materials, and factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many photographs depict the company's research and development efforts. There are also images of the Hamilton Watch Company's work in fuse assembly for bombs during WWII. The photographs are mainly organized by factory department or location. A number of these photographs were created by the advertising department and include identification numbers, location of the image, name of the photographer, and the identification of people in the photograph, as well as release forms for those pictured. If not located with the photographs, these items, as well as additional information, can be found in the corresponding folders. Negatives in poor condition were scanned. There are also five glass plate negatives.

Following addenda consist primarily of advertising material related to material catalogs and newspaper and magazine articles published by watch companies in the 19th and 20th centuries. Included in the addenda are photographs, correspondence, articles, and other material documenting the interior operations, products, and horological research relating to the Hamilton Watch Company, Bowman Technical School, Keystone Watch Case Company, Elgin National Watch Company, United States Watch Company, Waltham Watch Company, and other prominent watch manufacturers primarily in the 20th century.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into seven series.

Series 1: Photographic Prints and Negatives, 1931-1954, undated

Series 2: 2009 Addenda, 1930-1969

Series 3: 2010 Addenda, circa 1826-1985

Series 4: 2016.3007 Addenda, circa 1885-2009

Series 5: 2016.3197 Addenda, circa 1870s-1970s

Series 6: 2014 Addenda, circa 1866-1981

Series 7: 2017 Addenda, circa 1850s-1998

Biographical / Historical:

Hamilton Watch Company, established in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1892, was known for its manufacture of high quality wrist and pocket watches. Broadway Limited, its first series of pocket watches, was nicknamed "the watch of railroad accuracy," and Hamilton soon became associated with the railroad industry. The company also supplied wristwatches to the United States Armed Forces in the 1910s. Hamilton continued its association with the military during World War II when it stopped production of watches for consumers in order to provide the armed forces with one million timepieces. The company was responsible for the Ventura, the world's first electric (battery-powered) watch, and in 1970, the world's first digital watch.

In 1969, Hamilton closed its factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, signaling the end of its American manufacturing operations. All production moved to the facilities of the Buren Watch Company in Switzerland, a company that Hamilton had acquired three years before. The Hamilton brand is currently owned by the Swatch Group and carries two product lines, American Classic and Khaki.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

E. Howard Clock Company Records (NMAH.AC.0776)

Seth Thomas Clock Company Records (NMAH.AC.0627)

James Arthur Clock and Watch Collection (NMAH.AC.0130)

National Company (NATCO) Atomic Clocks Records (NMAH.AC.0547)

Harold Lyons Atomic Clocks Collection (NMAH.AC.0701)

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Series: Watchworks and Clockworks (NMAH.AC.0060)

Josephus Gill Ledger (NMAH.AC.1573)

Andrew Chi Atomic Clocks Collection (NMAH.AC.1264)

Richard Bond Clock Escapement Video Documentation: Videotapes (NMAH.AC.0682)

Illinois Springfield Watch Company Record Book (NMAH.AC.1145)

Harold Lyons Atomic Clocks Collection (NMAH.AC.0701)

Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 14: Calendar, Time and Weather (NMAH.AC.0300.S14)

James Knight Co. Records (NMAH.AC.0847)

Jacob Rabinow Papers (NMAH.AC.0403)

Materials in the Division of Work & Industry

See accessions: 2010.0243.03; 2012.0266; 2014.0023; 2015.0030.011; 2016.0026; 2016.0381; 2017.0337.

Provenance:

The donor, Jon Hanson, purchased the photographs and negatives from Hamilton Watch Company (Series 1) in 1969 when Hamilton closed its Lancaster plant; they were later sold by his estate. Hanson donated these materials to the Archives Center in 2008.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

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:

Assembly-line methods  Search this

Bombs  Search this

Chronometers  Search this

Clocks and watches  Search this

Factories -- Pennsylvania  Search this

Fuses  Search this

Horology  Search this

Manufacturing processes  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Industries  Search this

Genre/Form:

Account books -- 20th century

Annual reports

Advertising

Blueprints

Business records

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950

Picture postcards

Price lists

Citation:

Jon and Jennifer Hanson Watch and Clock Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1122

See more items in:

Jon and Jennifer Hanson Watch and Clock Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8805d25cd-3c95-4c8b-9e57-5d23aad429a2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1122

Creator:

Tyrrell, Henry Grattan, 1867-1948  Search this

Author:

Tyrrell, Mary Maude Knox  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:

2.3 Cubic feet (11 boxes, 1 oversize folder)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Publications

Advertisements

Scrapbooks

Correspondence

Date:

1886-1941

Summary:

Manuscripts, correspondence, business records, newspaper clippings and scrapbooks documenting the career of Henry Grattan Tyrrell, an early-twentieth-century civil engineer and bridge builder who was also a prolific self-published author of hundreds of journal articles and several books. Subjects include aesthetic bridge design, history of bridges, design of movable bridges, and the economical design of factories, shops, and mill buildings.

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains typed manuscripts, correspondence, drawings, and business records written by and relating to Henry Grattan Tyrrell, civil engineer, bridge builder and prolific self-published author on the subjects of bridge engineering, aesthetics and history of bridge design, and the economical design of factories, shops and mill buildings.

The bulk of the collection consists of drafts and submission copies of his numerous published journal articles as well as early manuscripts of several of his books. Also included are two scrapbooks compiled by Tyrrell, containing many of his published articles, pamphlets, and letters to editors of engineering-related publications, as well as advertising material for both his engineering businesses and his books. There are many newspaper clippings related to projects Tyrrell worked on or expressed interest in, documentation of claims he brought against various companies for infringement or failure to pay, lists of his works, compilations of critical praise and personal endorsements, and general material relating to his experiences in publishing.

The collection presents a specific view of the trends and innovations in engineering at the beginning of the twentieth century, particularly focusing on bridges of all types and materials, as well as an early example of self-employment and self-promotion. It may be of interest to researchers in the areas of bridge and factory design in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, historical engineering publications, and the history of bridge building in the United States and Canada.

Arrangement:

This collection is divided into seven (7) series:

Series 1: Personal, 1886; 1920s-1930s; undated

Series 2: Correspondence, 1895-1901; 1907; 1911-1917; 1928-1929; 1931-1941

Series 3: Business Records, 1899-1937

Subseries 3.1: Engineering, 1899; 1902; 1905; 1917-1919; 1923; 1935

Subseries 3.2: Publishing, 1900-1920

Subseries 3.3: Legal/Financial, 1901-1902; 1907-1908; 1914-1915; 1920-1932; 1937

Series 4: Proposals, Drawings and Sketches, 1900-1908; 1920-1921; undated

Series 5: Publications, 1886; 1900-1905; 1909-1916

Subseries 5.1: Books, 1911-1913; 1920-1921

Subseries 5.2 Articles, 1886; 1900-1905; 1909-1916; 1920

Subseries 5.3 Article drafts/submission copies, 1900-1905; 1912-1915; 1920

Series 6: Press Clippings, 1900-1921

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1901-1920

Biographical / Historical:

Henry Grattan Tyrrell (1867-1948) was born in Weston, Ontario, Canada and was educated at the University of Toronto School of Practical Science as a civil engineer specializing in bridge architecture and design. He worked for several architectural companies, including the Boston Bridge Company (Massachusetts), the Brackett Bridge Company (Ohio), as well as his own businesses the American Estimating Company, and Grattan Tyrrell & Co. His brief career as an engineer was superceded by his prolific career as a writer of both journal articles and books on the aesthetics of bridge design and practical designs for factories and mill houses.

The son of an avid outdoorsman and explorer, his early writings are about the Canadian wilderness. By the turn of the century, his writing focused on architectural engineering, specifically the design of bridges. Tyrrell was well-traveled and wrote at length about the beauty of a well-designed bridge, like those he had seen all over the world. He suggested that America's cities (Chicago, Seattle, Milwaukee and Cleveland), build attractive bridges, which, he argued, could also be economical. His books History of Bridge Engineering (1911) and Artistic Bridge Design (1912) spoke to these issues. He expanded his love of aesthetics to buildings as well, advocating for the economical and practical design of factory buildings and floors, as well as mill houses and shops (Mill Buildings, 1911; Engineering of Shops and Factories, 1912). His last (possibly unpublished) book, Movable Bridges (1921), explored the design of drawbridges, vertical lift bridges and suspension bridges. His wife, Mary Maude Knox Tyrrell, co-authored and illustrated many of the books.

Tyrrell was an avid self-promoter, writing reviews of his own books, including contents and endorsements of his achievements, and selling them in pamphlet form. He was a frequent contributor to many engineering journals, such as Canadian Engineer, Builders' Magazine, Engineering News, and The Engineering Magazine. His prolific writings on the subjects of bridge engineering and aesthetics are a lasting legacy of early-twentieth century ingenuity.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Grattan Tyrrell. Exact date of acquisition unknown.

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.

Topic:

Factories  Search this

Mill buildings  Search this

Mills  Search this

Bridges  Search this

Tunnels  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts

Publications

Advertisements

Scrapbooks

Correspondence

Citation:

Henry Grattan Tyrrell and Mary Maude Knox Tyrrell Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0948

See more items in:

Henry Grattan Tyrrell and Mary Maude Knox Tyrrell Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep840b3f726-d28d-42c7-993f-07f68bbaef08

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0948

Collector:

United Shoe Machinery Corporation  Search this

Collection Creator:

United Shoe Machinery Corporation  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (Ink on paper., 3.4" x 5.4")

Type:

Archival materials

Picture postcards

Postcards

Place:

Beverly (Mass.)

Date:

1907

Scope and Contents:

Halftone reproduction of artist's rendering. With hand-written ink message, "Dear Minnie..."

Arrangement:

In Box 198, Folder ?.

Local Numbers:

AC0277-0000010 (AC Scan)

Collection 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.

Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view materials in cold storage and audio visual materials. Using cold room materials requires a three hour waiting period, reference copies do not exist for audio visual materials. Arrangements must be made with the Archives Center staff two weeks prior to a scheduled research visit. Contact the Archives Center at 202-633-3270.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Factories  Search this

Shoe machinery  Search this

Genre/Form:

Picture postcards -- 1890-1910

Postcards

Collection Citation:

United Shoe Machinery Corporation Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

United Shoe Machinery Corporation Records

United Shoe Machinery Corporation Records / Series 17: Photographs / 17.6: Postcards

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8118e207d-c99e-4336-b58b-1ce1d52c5c66

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0277-ref7291

Collector:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this

Donor:

Wright, Helena, 1946-  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (2 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Advertisements

Date:

1890-1979

Summary:

The collection consists of photographs and advertisements related to women working in industry dating from 1890 to 1948.

Scope and Contents:

Series 1 consists of photographs that include images of women in industry along with associated documents. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject. The photographs date from 1890 to 1981, yet the bulk of the materials are from 1930 to 1948. A portion of the materials are undated. There is a notable shortage of material related to women of color. The photographs depict women working in engineering jobs, operating heavy machinery, working with textiles, and handling different types of technology. There are several types of machines and products featured in the collection including pneumatic drills, gas irons, typewriters, rivet guns, compressed air machines, an arbor press, bending roll machines, and light bulbs. Documents that correspond to the photographs discuss an increase in women taking men's jobs in the 1940s while the men were at war. Consequently, photographs from the 1940s in this collection represent the transition of making machinery more applicable to women and enabling them to do "man-sized" jobs. Many of the 1940's photographs depict women enrolling in engineering training programs and physically working with heavy machinery.

Earlier materials from the early 1900s show women sitting in factories next to lighter equipment such as sewing machines and typewriters. There are a variety of companies displayed in the photographs including B. F. Spinney Co., Computing-Bureau Freight Accounts, Curtis Publishing Company, Curtis-Wright Corporation, Deane Works, Draper Corporation, General Electric Co., Glenn L. Martin Co., Goodyear Aircraft Corp., Osborn Manufacturing Company, and Timken Roller Bearing Co. A portion of the commercial photographs were taken by companies including Commercial Photo Co., Eastman Kodak Company, Mercury MFG. Co., Novelty Photo Co., Science Service, and Underwood and Underwood.

Series 2 contains advertisements related to women in industry. These advertisements date from 1927 to 1946. The materials in this series promote products and jobs targeting women operating machinery such as safety bars, grinding tools, bending roles, gauges, double-seaming machines, and portable package staplers. There are a variety of companies featured in this series including Acme Staple Co., Ashcroft Gauge Division, Buffalo Forge Company, E.W. Bliss Co., The Sheffield Corporation, and Willson Safety Products.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Photographs, 1890-1948

Series 2: Advertisements, 1927-1946

Historical:

This artificially created collection traces the transition of women's work in industry during the twentieth century. Most of the collection materials have a different provenance, but thirty-two photographs were assembled by Helena E. Wright during her years working as a curator in the Division of Culture and the Arts at the National Museum of American History. Other photographs showing women in industrial sites were added to the collection by the curator Peter Liebhold in the Division of Work and Industry. The photographs and advertisements in the complete collection were arranged to exhibit the evolution of women in the workforce. Women's occupations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries included work in the clothing industry (i.e. Draper Corporation, B. F. Spinney Co.), factories, and production lines. Despite the low pay, laborious and unsafe working conditions that came with working in these industries, most women felt a sense of empowerment being employed outside the home. Many women welcomed the opportunity to provide an income for their families yet worked long hours in inadequate and dismal settings. During World War I and World War II, men left their industry jobs to serve in the war. In order to serve the war effort, women found more employment opportunities in several types of industries. These included electric companies (i.e. General Electric Co.), aircraft and aerospace engineering businesses (i.e. Glenn L. Martin Co., Goodyear Aircraft Corp.), foundry work (i.e. Osborn Manufacturing Company), steel making (i.e. Timken Roller Bearing Co.), as well as enrollment in engineering training programs (i.e. Curtis-Wright Corporation). These industries provided women with a broader range of employment opportunities, skills, and experiences. Consequently, other companies began creating and marketing products to help improve the lives of women in the workforce. Inventions such as the Willson Saf-t-Bra advertised comfort and protection to women working in various industry occupations.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Women (AC0060)

Rosie the Riveter Health and Safety Records (AC0621)

Jantzen Knitting Mills Collection (AC0233)

Provenance:

Found in collections and assembled by curatorial staff.

Restrictions:

Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled 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:

Science Service  Search this

Women iron and steel workers  Search this

Women laborers  Search this

Factories -- 20th century  Search this

Textile industry  Search this

Machinery industry  Search this

Electric engineering -- 20th century  Search this

Industrial engineering  Search this

Manufacturing -- 1920-1930  Search this

Commercial photography  Search this

Women employees  Search this

Photographs  Search this

Industry -- U.S.  Search this

Women -- Employment  Search this

Women in technology  Search this

Women in advertising  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Genre/Form:

Advertisements -- 20th century

Citation:

Women in Industry Photographs and Advertisements, 1890-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Sponsor:

Digitization of Series 1: Photographs was made possible by Andrew and Anya Shiva.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1446

See more items in:

Women in Industry Photographs and Advertisements

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep875322312-8f6c-4ebd-953a-39fca61ad338

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1446

Photographer:

Beckoff, Ira  Search this

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Slides (photographs) (col., 35 mm.)

Type:

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Place:

Glenwood Green Acres (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

United States of America -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia County -- Philadelphia

Date:

1996 Aug.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Gardens -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Community gardens  Search this

Urban gardens  Search this

Fences -- wooden  Search this

Factories  Search this

Vegetable gardening  Search this

Utility poles  Search this

Garden ornaments and furniture  Search this

Garden structures  Search this

Picket fences  Search this

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item PA353001

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Pennsylvania / PA353: Philadelphia -- Glenwood Green Acres

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6834f16b9-63ab-4c3b-81ce-6046fd3b8fc4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref17105

Photographer:

Beckoff, Ira  Search this

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Slides (photographs) (col., 35 mm.)

Type:

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Place:

Glenwood Green Acres (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

United States of America -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia County -- Philadelphia

Date:

1996 Aug.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Gardens -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Community gardens  Search this

Urban gardens  Search this

Factories  Search this

Vegetable gardening  Search this

Utility poles  Search this

Men  Search this

Cabooses (Railroads)  Search this

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item PA353002

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Pennsylvania / PA353: Philadelphia -- Glenwood Green Acres

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6a1e77dd0-13c1-4593-ac33-ab254c20ec41

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref17106

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Lantern slide (col., 3.25 x 4 in.)

Type:

Archival materials

Lantern slides

Place:

Japan -- Tokyo

Japan -- Tokyo prefecture -- Tokyo

Date:

1935 May.

General:

Ohimiya Filature was a silk factory owned by Katakura & Company.

Historic plate number: "58."

The site was visited by the Garden Club of America tour on May 17, 1935.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Spring  Search this

Factories  Search this

Arbors  Search this

Wisteria  Search this

Women  Search this

Men  Search this

Genre/Form:

Lantern slides

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item JA003001

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 2: International Garden Images / Japan / JA003: Tokyo -- Ohimiya Filature

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb63b582ad5-a979-49ec-a401-fc22b835c6b8

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref4716

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Lantern slide (col., 3.25 x 4 in.)

Type:

Archival materials

Lantern slides

Place:

Japan -- Tokyo

Japan -- Tokyo prefecture -- Tokyo

Date:

1935 May.

General:

The American flag was woven in the Ohimiya Filature, a silk factory owned by Katakura & Company.

Historic plate number: "59."

The site was visited by the Garden Club of America tour on May 17, 1935.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Spring  Search this

Factories  Search this

Arbors  Search this

Wisteria  Search this

Flags  Search this

Genre/Form:

Lantern slides

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item JA003002

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 2: International Garden Images / Japan / JA003: Tokyo -- Ohimiya Filature

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb69e5e9b29-1c19-47fb-ae20-deea9ecad504

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref4717

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Photograph (lantern slide, black-and-white, 3.25 in. x 4in.)

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Lantern slides

Place:

Miscellaneous Billboards and Signage (Summit, New Jersey)

United States of America -- New Jersey -- Union -- Summit

Date:

[between 1914 and 1949?]

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Gardens -- New Jersey -- Summit  Search this

Posts  Search this

Streams  Search this

Rocks  Search this

Bridges  Search this

Utility poles  Search this

Factories  Search this

Industrial chimneys  Search this

Roadside improvement  Search this

Genre/Form:

Lantern slides

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item NJ661012

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / New Jersey / NJ661: Summit -- Miscellaneous Billboards and Signage

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6119556e5-c012-4286-8661-119e0963afcc

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref21347

Artist:

Dalmas, Charles  Search this

Provenance:

Hagley Museum and Library  Search this

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Slides (photographs) (col., 35 mm.)

Type:

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Place:

Eleutherian Mills (Wilmington, Delaware)

Brandywine Creek (Pa. and Del.)

United States of America -- Delaware -- New Castle County -- Wilmington

Date:

1806.

General:

Image is from Hagley Museum and Library. No reproduction without permission.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Summer  Search this

Watercolor painting  Search this

Painting  Search this

Factories  Search this

Residential buildings  Search this

Gardens -- Delaware -- Wilmington  Search this

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item DE004020

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Delaware / DE004: Wilmington -- Eleutherian Mills

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6a0f6fbc5-8732-4776-b689-b3d0cf5112f4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref6264

Artist:

Hyde de Neaville  Search this

Provenance:

Hagley Museum and Library  Search this

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Slides (photographs) (black-and-white, 35 mm.)

Type:

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Sketches

Place:

Eleutherian Mills (Wilmington, Delaware)

United States of America -- Delaware -- New Castle County -- Wilmington

Date:

1823.

General:

Image is from Hagley Museum and Library (items 69-45.5 and 70-104.1). No reproduction without permission.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Summer  Search this

Residential buildings  Search this

Factories  Search this

Vegetable gardening  Search this

Gardens -- Delaware -- Wilmington  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketches

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item DE004022

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Delaware / DE004: Wilmington -- Eleutherian Mills

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6e211b0d9-d3b5-4531-a07a-60c1c4c41de0

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref6266

Artist:

Otis, Bass, 1784-1861  Search this

Provenance:

Hagley Museum and Library  Search this

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Slides (photographs) (col., 35 mm.)

Type:

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Place:

Eleutherian Mills (Wilmington, Delaware)

United States of America -- Delaware -- New Castle County -- Wilmington

Date:

1840.

General:

Image is from Hagley Museum and Library (item B11-1). No reproduction without permission.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Summer  Search this

Residential buildings  Search this

Factories  Search this

Mills and mill-work  Search this

Millraces  Search this

Mill wheels  Search this

Gardens -- Delaware -- Wilmington  Search this

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item DE004023

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Delaware / DE004: Wilmington -- Eleutherian Mills

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb624a4fc58-9a5c-44d6-9416-b44f5b426876

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref6267

Provenance:

Hagley Museum and Library  Search this

Collection Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Extent:

1 Slides (photographs) (black-and-white, 35 mm.)

Type:

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Place:

Eleutherian Mills (Wilmington, Delaware)

United States of America -- Delaware -- New Castle County -- Wilmington

Date:

1920.

General:

Image is from Hagley Museum and Library (item 56.5). No reproduction without permission.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Collection Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Summer  Search this

Factories  Search this

Gardens -- Delaware -- Wilmington  Search this

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Sponsor:

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA, Item DE004026

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Delaware / DE004: Wilmington -- Eleutherian Mills

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6e2b42891-c14b-4737-b411-89e97823c818

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref6269

Creator:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this

Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of  Search this

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this

Extent:

2.5 Cubic feet (5 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

1869-1920, undated

Scope and Contents note:

Glass plate negatives (10 in 8 in; 5 in x 4 in; and 8.5 in x 6.5 in.) documenting civil and mechanical engineering activities, equipment, facilities, and projects. Some of the subjects are boilers, engines, turbines, lighthouses, aqueducts, bridges, factories, roads, hydroelectric stations, kilns and mills. Few of the images are identified.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into nine series.

Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Glass Plate Negatives

Series 1: Boilers

Series 2: Bridges

Series 3: Hydraulic Engineering

Series 4: Lighthouses

Series 5: Machinery

Series 6: Rigging, Shop, Work and Office Scenes

Series 7: Steam Engings, Turbines, Equipment

Series 8: Structures and Construction

Series 9: Miscellaneous

Provenance:

Date and source of acquisition unknown.

Restrictions:

Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled 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:

Aqueducts  Search this

Boilers  Search this

Bridges  Search this

Civil engineering  Search this

Engines  Search this

Factories  Search this

Kilns  Search this

Lighthouses  Search this

Mills  Search this

Roads  Search this

Turbines  Search this

Water-power  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass

Citation:

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Glass Plate Negatives, 1915-1980s, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1089

See more items in:

Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Glass Plate Negatives

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a9a9dc86-0d69-4062-bfe5-281164bd1003

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1089

Donor:

Bird, William L.  Search this

Extent:

.2 Cubic feet (1 box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Picture postcards

Date:

1905-1950, undated

Summary:

Collection contains postcards from North America and England depicting factories in the first half of the twentieth century.

Content Description:

Collection consists of postcards collected by William Lawrence (Larry) Bird Jr. The postcards contain color images of factories, stores, and buildings located throughout the United States with a few from England. They are arranged first by country and then in alphabetical order by state.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged in one series.

Biographical / Historical:

William Lawrence "Larry" Bird, Jr. received his Bachelor of Art (B.A.) degree in History from the University of Maryland in 1973 and two years later his Master of Art (M.A.) degree also in history from the University of Arizona. He went on to obtain his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History from Georgetown University in 1985.

Bird spent much of his museum career as a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, in its Division of Political History. He curated numerous exhibitions including Design for Victory: World War II Posters on the American Home Front (with Harry R. Rubenstein, 1998); Paint by Number: The How-to Craze that Swept the Nation (2001); Holidays on Display (2007); America's Doll House: The Miniature World of Faith Bradford (2010); Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes, and Curios from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (2013); and is co-author and co-curator of American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith (2017).

Bird's many publications include "American Television from the Fair to the Family, 1939-1989;" "Vote: The Machinery of Democracy;" "Paint by Number: Accounting for Taste in the 1950s;" "Holidays on Display;" "America's Doll House: The Miniature World of Faith Bradford;" and "Souvenir Nation: Relics, Keepsakes and Curios from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History." He is currently Curator Emeritus and continues to write.

Related Materials:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Postcards, NMAH.AC.0060

Loretta Thomsen Smith Picture Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0147

Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0200

Archives Center Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0483

Darrell L. Bertness Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.1190

William L. Bird Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.1465

Provenance:

The collection was assembled and donated by William L. Bird. Jr., curator.

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:

Factories  Search this

Genre/Form:

Picture postcards -- 20th century

Citation:

William L. Bird Factory Postcards Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1572

See more items in:

William L. Bird Factory Postcards Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8c70c214c-b5bd-4fb6-a649-eb80994de19a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1572

Photographer:

Rittase, William M., 1894-1968  Search this

Sponsor:

International Salt Company  Search this

Collection Creator:

International Salt Company  Search this

Costain, Harold Haliday  Search this

Rittase, William M., 1894-1968  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (Silver gelatin on paper., approx. 7" x 5-1/4".)

Type:

Archival materials

Packaging

Photographs

Date:

undated :

Local Numbers:

AC1158-0000014.tif (AC Scan No.)

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Women employees  Search this

Manufacturing  Search this

Factories -- 20th century  Search this

Salt  Search this

Genre/Form:

Packaging

Photographs -- 1930-1940 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Collection Citation:

International Salt Company Records, 1881-1993, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

International Salt Company Records

International Salt Company Records / Series 3: Photographs / 3.2: William Ritasse / #366, Casing the "International" 24 ounce packages

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8eb2e2b16-7cb9-48b5-a521-8c72a6c3f1aa

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1158-ref644

Manufacturer:

Custom Auto and Equipment Sales  Search this

Allis-Chalmers -- 20th century  Search this

Case -- 20th century  Search this

International Harvestor. Case-IH -- 20th century  Search this

John Deere and Company. John Deere Plow Company -- 20th century  Search this

Sperry New Holland -- 20th century  Search this

Todd Equipment Company -- 20th century  Search this

Creator:

Parlett, John K., 1937-2005  Search this

Extent:

20 Cubic feet (60 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1859-2011, undated

Summary:

The John K. Parlett Collection of Agricultural Ephemera, 1859-2011, undated, is a collection of operator's instruction manuals, parts illustrations manuals, dealership materials, farming, farm life, and agriculture-related ephemera. The material is from national companies as well as local manufacturers and businesses.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of farming and rural life ephemera, dating from about 1859-2011, and undated. The materials are national in scope and include agricultural ephemera from all regions of the United States. Since Parlett's collecting interest spanned the entire spectrum of agricultural work, the collection is not livestock or crop specific. It covers many types of farming from dairying, beekeeping, poultry, cattle, sheep, and hogs to raising tobacco, small grains, hay and forage. It includes almanacs, operator's manuals, catalogues, promotional materials, pocket ledgers and notebooks, mail order catalogs, state fair advertising and catalogues, livestock care and feeding manuals, correspondence, receipts, guarantees, chemical and fertilizer handbooks, account books, "Ladies'" notebooks and calendars, directories, price lists, corporate "yearbooks," clothing advertisements and catalogues, farming practices handbooks, agent's sales order books, seed guides, National Grange material, farming co-op by-laws and ephemera, agriculture related convention materials, poultry magazines and journals, beekeeping magazines, barn and housing design material, gardening manuals, sales contracts for machinery, appliance manuals, commodity marketing guides, auction catalogues, home canning and meat processing manuals and guides, price lists, pamphlets, sale brochures, and dealer service manuals.

The range and national scope of items in the collection illustrate the progression of invention within agriculture. The machinery manuals not only describe machinery in detail, but break it down to the machinery components, how it is put together and how it is repaired. The invention aspect tracks the development of farm mechanization from hand work with intensive labor requirements to machinery developed to decrease labor costs and numbers while at the same time increasing production. The changes in agricultural technology in the later years of the Industrial Revolution, on the cusp of mechanization and the availability of mail order products for the home and farm, are documented in the collection by advertisements and mail order catalogues, for products purchased in nearby towns and equipment used in farm tasks.

The sizeable mail order component of the collection provides research opportunities into economics and marketing both to an agricultural community and an urban community. The demographic changes resulting from increased urbanization and employment opportunities in manufacturing -- and how small farms coped with them -- are documented in the collection by detailed descriptions of who was expected to do what tasks and how those tasks were accomplished. With the beginning of mail order by Aaron Montgomery Ward in 1872, mail order became an integral part of life in rural America. Mail order catalogs allowed rural residents to buy new equipment and follow the latest trends in fashion or household appliances without ever leaving the farm. Mail order also allowed rural American to reap the benefits of growing mass production. Homemade clothing gave way to ready-to-wear clothes sold through retail outlets and through mail order catalogues. Likewise tools and machinery that had been locally built and maintained gave way to parts and machinery that could be purchased through mail order as well as local equipment company dealers. Mail-order buying was made even more accessible in 1896 with the first rural free delivery (RFD) service.

Gender and ethnic aspects of farm life are documented in the collection. For example, sausage, lard, pudding making and similar tasks were traditionally done by women; labor was often divided along racial or ethnic lines and used different machinery and tools for various types of farms in different locations. The collection has a sizeable component of community materials related to farm life such as county and state fair catalogues, National Grange materials, and instructional booklets given away by feed and machinery manufacturers. "How to" booklets and pamphlets covering virtually every aspect of the farm and farm work targeted members of the farm family and its labor force.

The collection complements the Smithsonian's invention holdings as innovation was taking place on the farm as well as in the factory throughout the Industrial Revolution. The machinery manuals with their operation and repair guidelines, the schematic drawings and details on "new and improved" machinery provide a cohesive span of primary material to inform the evolution of farm work from hand and physical labor involving many people to the more mechanized farming capable of being done by one farmer alone or with minimal family or hired help.

The collection includes the business records (1971-1981, undated) for Custom Auto and Equipment Sales of Manassas, Virginia, a John Deere dealership. These records include equipment inventories, a John Deere Consumer Products Dealer Parts Administration Manual, JD Dart operators manual, and a Sperry New Holland dealer sales aid manual, sales accounts, all of which help document the transition from manual based accounting systems to product specific (in this case JD Dart for John Deere) computer based systems. This portion of the collection is illustrative of suburbanization. With the farm crisis of the early 1980s, Custom Auto and Equipment ceased selling farm machinery and concentrated on the urban aspect of the John Deere brand: lawnmowers, tillers and those pieces of machinery used in housing developments being built in and around Manassas. The market for farming equipment nearly ceased to exist and in an effort to salvage their business they adapted to the environment around them.

This collection also includes sales materials for Todd Equipment Company located in Chesapeake, Virginia with a branch office in Hagerstown, Maryland. Todd serves farm equipment dealers in the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. They carry an extensive line of machinery catering to all types of agricultural cultivation, care, and harvesting. As of 2015 they are still in business.

The collection is arranged in eight series with items arranged chronologically and in some series alphabetically.

Series 1, Allis-Chalmers, AGCO Allis, and Deutz Allis, 1957-1980, undated, is arranged chronologically. This series contains operator's manuals, sales ephemera, brochures, service manuals, setting up directions, a lease plan, and a sales book. This series includes brand names AGCO Allis, Allis-Chalmers, Athens Plow Company, Baldwin, and Jeoffroy Manufacturing Incorporated, L&M

Series 2, Case, Case-IH, International Harvester, 1903-1986, undated. This series is arranged chronologically. This series includes brand names McCormick-Deering, Farmall, International-Farmall, and McCormick. It includes sales brochures, price lists, operator and maintenance manuals, product guides, advertisements, pamphlets and brochures, catalogues, and a program from McCormick Day, 1931 in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Series 3, John Deere and Company, John Deere Plow Company, 1910-2008, undated, is arranged chronologically. This series contains publications, operator's and maintenance manuals, sales brochures and pamphlets, sales manuals, catalogues, product magazines, and safety manuals.

Series 4, Sperry-New Holland, 1975-1984, undated, is arranged chronologically. This series contains operator's and maintenance manuals, sales brochures and pamphlets.

Series 6, Custom Auto and Equipment Sales of Manassas, Virginia Business Records, 1971-1981, undated. These records include equipment inventories, John Deere Consumer Products Dealer Parts Administration Manual, JD Dart operator,s manual, and a Sperry New Holland dealer sales aid manual, and sales accounts.

Series 6, Todd Farm Equipment, Incorporated, 1973-1980, undated, is arranged chronologically. This series contains the contents of Todd's sales manual detailing various companies and their products. The series includes sales brochures, equipment specifications and capabilities as outlined in corporate sales material, and a Todd catalogue.

Series 7, Assorted Companies, Catalogues, Periodicals, and Publications, 1859-2011, undated. This series is arranged chronologically and then alphabetically for the undated material. This series contains material from a variety of companies and purveyors of farm-related equipment, products, and disciplines as well as farm culture-related materials. This series includes mail order catalogues, sales and instructional pamphlets, almanacs, advertisements, government publications, magazines, catalogues, convention and souvenir brochures, National Grange materials, manuals, cook books, record books, price lists, county and state fair ephemera, beekeeping-related materials, dairying related publications and equipment brochures, operator's manuals, and the auction catalogue from the Parlett Farm-Life Museum auction.

Series 8, Poultry, 1912-1949, undated, is arranged alphabetically. This series contains material related to the production of poultry. It includes magazines, advertisements for poultry products, and educational materials related to poultry.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in eight series.

Series 1, Allis-Chalmers, AGCO Allis, and Deutz Allis, 1957-1980, undated.

Series 2, Case, Case-IH, International Harvester, 1903-1986, undated.

Series 3, John Deere and Company, John Deere Plow Company, 1910-2008, undated.

Series 4, Sperry-New Holland, 1975-1984, undated.

Series 6, Custom Auto and Equipment Sales of Manassas, Virginia Business Records, 1971-1981, undated.

Series 6, Todd Farm Equipment, Incorporated, 1973-1980, undated.

Series 7, Assorted Companies, Catalogues, Periodicals, and Publications, 1859-2011, undated.

Series 8, Poultry, 1912-1949, undated.

Biographical / Historical:

John K. Parlett (1937-2005) was born in St. Mary's County, Maryland, and was a life-long resident of the county and state. He was a farmer and businessman and served as a St. Mary's County Commissioner from 1974-1978 and as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1981-1986.

Parlett began collecting farm equipment and agriculture-related ephemera in the 1960s. His son, John K. Parlett, Jr., stated, "The more he collected the more his passion grew." Even though Parlett lived in Maryland, his collecting was national in scope and included materials he and his wife bought on collecting trips around the country. Parlett expanded his collection of equipment and agricultural ephemera after retiring in 1986. John K. Parlett, Jr., stated, "he [Parlett Sr.] caught 'the antique bug' . . . [they] went out almost every weekend collecting more things." Parlett did not merely collect old machinery, he sought and acquired catalogues, equipment operation manuals, posters, ephemera, county and state fair ephemera, and even records from an agricultural equipment dealer, Custom Auto and Equipment Sales, in Manassas, Virginia.

Between 1988 and 1993 the collection grew so large that Parlett built a 60,000 square foot building on his farm to hold the machinery component. He converted many farm sheds, turkey and chicken houses into display areas and a library. Parlett eventually founded the John K. Parlett Farm Life Museum of Southern Maryland located on his farm, known as Green Manor. Beginning in 1996, the museum was opened annually for the Farm Life Festival, benefitting the St. Mary's County Christmas in April program, founded by Parlett. The collection was open by appointment for study; the local Amish community consulted some of the materials in the collection for help in repairing their outdated equipment. Parlett was highly respected in collecting circles. He was a tenacious and indefatigable collector who made an effort to collect all types of agricultural machinery as well as archival materials relating to farm life. Rare or obsolete items are included in this collection, as are ephemeral items relating to farm and ranch life. "If it was used on the farm or in rural America in the last 100 years, chances are it'll be at the Southern Maryland Farm Life Festival," enthused Agrifarm.com in 2008 when describing the Parlett holdings.

The last year for the Farm Life Festival was 2009. The Parlett Collection, consisting of 1007 lots of machinery, tools, tractors, household, and general store items, was auctioned by Aumann Auctions in the fall of 2011. At the auction, some materials and machinery were purchased by The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan and other museums throughout the United States.

NMAH Curators Pete Daniel and Larry M. Jones surveyed the collection while Parlett was still alive. Jones was credited with advising Parlett while he was building the collection. Jones commented on the collection in 2005, "I was blown away by what he had put together; here was a man who turned an interest into one of the best rural farm life collections I've ever seen. And John has such an eye for good and appropriate stuff. It's just a sensational collection." He reportedly wrote a memo suggesting the Museum "investigate the possibility" of acquiring portions of the collection if and when Parlett was willing to donate items. There was no further discussion of acquiring any of the collection until 2010, when Craig Orr, archivist-curator, talked with John K. Parlett Jr., who expressed a willingness to donate the archival materials as the entire collection was being prepared for auction. Orr and Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archives specialist, surveyed the collection in early 2011 and selected the materials included in the collection.

Related Materials:

Materias in the Archives Center

Maid of Cotton, Cotton Council Collection

Southern Agriculture Oral History

Robinson and Via Family Papers

Louisan Mamer Papers

Harness-Maker's Account Books

Memphis Cotton Carnival Records

New England Merchant and Farmer Account Book

Hagan Brothers Account Books

Product Cookbook Collection

Maryland Farm Diary (1879-1894)

Bermis B. Brown Collection

Cincinnati Boss Collection

William E. Kost Farm Records, 1939-1989

Kent Family Records, 1879-1933

Division of Home and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life)

Collection items related to farming and agriculture including farm clothing, home arts materials such as needlework, quilts, sewing, kitchen appliances, farming implements and machinery, and 4-H objects. The Lemelson Center has assisted in acquiring objects and archival collections in the field of invention and innovation in various divisions of the National Museum of American History.

Provenance:

This collection was donated by Catherine Parlett, widow of John K. Parlett, in 2012.

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.

Topic:

Tobacco -- 20th century  Search this

Tobacco  Search this

Poultry industry  Search this

Farmers  Search this

Farm ownership  Search this

Farm management  Search this

Tobacco farmers  Search this

Farm produce -- 1820-1850  Search this

Farm buildings  Search this

Family farms  Search this

Farm life -- 20th century  Search this

Farm equipment  Search this

Farmers' markets  Search this

Farmers -- Virginia  Search this

Dairy farms  Search this

Cotton farming  Search this

Hay  Search this

Community organization  Search this

Family  Search this

Factories  Search this

Machinery -- 1940-1990  Search this

Machinery industry  Search this

Harvesting machinery  Search this

Machinery -- 1960-1990  Search this

Agricultural machinery  Search this

Machinery  Search this

Farmers -- 1930-1950  Search this

Farmers -- 1940-1990  Search this

Farmers -- 19th century  Search this

Farmers -- 1860-1870  Search this

Citation:

John K. Parlett Collection of Agricultural Ephemera, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1225

See more items in:

John K. Parlett Collection of Agricultural Ephemera

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8aa2a6e93-b3ab-4cbd-9791-7fed4bd65558

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1225

Creator:

Liebhold, Peter  Search this

Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.  Search this

Names:

Gerber Company.  Search this

Gerber, H. Joseph, 1924-1996  Search this

Extent:

2.5 Cubic feet (9 boxes )

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Videotapes

Date:

1995-1996

Summary:

The Gerber Fabric Cutter S-70 is part of a systematic approach to layout and cutting that has revolutionized the needle trades. This video history contains original, master, and reference videos, Dictaphone microcassettes, and tape digests and notes documenting the development, operation and use of the Gerber Fabric Cutter S-70 in three locations: H.I.S., Inc., in Bruceton, Tennessee (Chic blue jeans use of cuter); General Motors in Grand Rapids, Michigan (automotive use of the cutter); and Gerber Scientific Instrument Company in Hartford, Connecticut (Gerber corporate office and invention factory). The video footage documents H. Joseph Gerber, engineers, assembly workers, operators, and other technicians who worked with the cutter at the three locations. The footage from the Tennessee and Michigan sites provides insight into the complexity of introducing a new technology into the workplace and documents operators and managers discussing the effect of the cutter on workflow, quality, personnel, and attitudes towards the job. The footage from the Connecticut site documents the engineers who developed the cutter and provides valuable insight into the invention process. This collection includes oral history audio tapes, original, master, and reference videos, and notes documenting visits to Bruceton, Tennessee, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Hartford, Connecticut.

Scope and Contents:

The Gerber Fabric Cutter S-70 is part of a systematic approach to layout and cutting that has revolutionized the needle trades. It applies numerical control to the sizing of patterns and cutting of fabric. The use of this type of equipment made possible a radical change in the make-up of the cutting room workforce. This video history contains original, master, and reference videos, Dictaphone microcassettes, and tape digests and notes documenting the development, operation and use of the Gerber Fabric Cutter S-70 in three locations: H.I.S., Inc., in Bruceton, Tennessee (Chic blue jeans use of cuter); General Motors in Grand Rapids, Michigan (automotive use of the cutter); and Gerber Scientific Instrument Company in Hartford, Connecticut (Gerber corporate office and invention factory). The video footage documents H. Joseph Gerber, engineers, assembly workers, operators, and other technicians who worked with the cutter at the three locations. The footage from the Tennessee and Michigan sites provides insight into the complexity of introducing a new technology into the workplace and documents operators and managers discussing the effect of the cutter on workflow, quality, personnel, and attitudes towards the job. The footage from the Connecticut site documents the engineers who developed the cutter and provides valuable insight into the invention process.

The collection is arranged into five series: Series 1, Notes, 1995-1996; Series 2, Audio tapes (microcassettes), 1996; Series 3, Original videos (BetaCam SP), 1996; Series 4, Master videos (BetaCam SP), 1996; and Series 5, Reference videos 1⁄2" VHS), 1996.

Series 1, Notes, 1995-1996, includes documentation created by Peter Liebhold in preparation for his site visits to Bruceton, Tennessee, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Hartford, Connecticut. The documentation includes lists of potential interviewees, questions to ask of the employees, and general notes detailing observations at each site. The H. Joseph Gerber interview file consists of a brief tape digest keyed to each of the seven microcassettes, notes from the interview, and the questions asked of Mr. Gerber. The Gerber Scientific Instrument Company file contains a video digest for only three interviews: Ed Roth, Fred Rosen, and Larry Wolfson.

Series 2, Audio tapes (microcassettes), 1995 June, consists of seven Dictaphone microcassettes of oral history interviews with H. Joseph Gerber conducted by Peter Liebhold, Curator, American History Museum and Stanley Leven, Director and Secretary of Gerber Scientific Instrument Company.

Series 3, Original Videos (BetaCam SP), 1996, consists of thirty-eight BetaCam SP video tapes totaling approximately nineteen hours of footage.

Series 4, Master Videos (BetaCam SP), 1996, consists of twenty-six BetaCam SP tapes totaling nineteen hours of footage.

Series 5, Reference videos (1/2" VHS), 1996, consists of twenty-six 1⁄2" VHS tapes for a total of thirteen hours of footage.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into five series.

Series 1: Notes, 1995-1996

Series 2: Audio tapes (microcassettes), 1995 June

Series 3: Original videos (BetaCam SP), 1996

Series 4: Master videos (BetaCam SP), 1996

Series 5: Reference videos (1/2" VHS), 1996

Biographical / Historical:

Heinz Joseph "Joe" Gerber was born in Vienna, Austria, on April 17, 1924. In 1940, Gerber escaped the Nazis and immigrated to New York City and then to Hartford, Connecticut, with his mother Bertha Gerber, a dressmaker. Gerber's father, Jacob, is presumed to have died in a concentration camp. Gerber attended Weaver High School and graduated in two years (1943). He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, on a scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering in 1947. As a junior at RPI, Gerber developed the Gerber Variable Scale, his first invention. The earliest version of the variable scale was fashioned from an elastic band removed from a pair of pajamas. Gerber created a rubber rule and scale that could flow with a curve, expand, contract, and turn a corner. The scale allows for direct reading of curves, graphs, and graphical representations, giving direct numerical readings of proportions, spacing and interpolation. The Variable Scale became the building block of what would become Gerber Scientific Instrument, Inc.

With financial assistance from Abraham Koppleman, a newspaper and magazine distributor in Hartford, Gerber and Koppleman formed a partnership and incorporated Gerber Scientific Instrument Company in 1948. Gerber served as president, Koppleman as treasurer, and Stanley Levin as secretary. The manufacture of Variable Scale was jobbed out and the distribution was conducted from Hartford. Gerber also worked as a design analytical engineer for Hamilton Standard Propellers of United Aircraft and for Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Shares of Gerber Scientific Instrument Company were eventually sold to the public in 1961, and in 1978, the company changed its name to Gerber Scientific, Inc. In the 1960s and 1970s, Gerber developed the first series of precision, computer-driven cutting systems for the apparel industry called the Gerber Cutter. The cutters introduced automation to the garment industry. In 1967, Gerber realized that the U.S. garment industry, due to a lack of automation, was faced with increasing overseas competition. Gerber's solution was to engineer the Gerber Fabric Cutter S-70, a machine that cuts apparel quickly and effectively while using less cloth.

Gerber holds more than 600 United States and foreign patents. Many of his patents relate to the United States apparel industry. In 1994, Gerber was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Clinton for helping to revolutionize the optical, garment, automotive, and other industries. His pioneering achievements include:

-a generation of data readers (electromechanical devices that converted graphical

-data directly into computer readable format);

-projection systems that interactively converted information from aerial;

-photographs for use in computers;

-devices that plotted digital output data from computer cards or tape;

-digital numerically-controlled drafting machines which verify the accuracy of the cutting path of numerical machine tools;

-a photoplotter (drafting machine configured with a unique light source to directly draw high accuracy layouts of printed circuit board masters on photographic film or glass with light beams);

-and systems with laser technology to draw at high speeds. (1)

Subsequent subsidiaries of Gerber Scientific, Inc., are: Gerber Garment Technology, Inc., (GGT); Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. (GSP); Gerber Systems Corp. (GSC), and Gerber Optical, Inc., (GO). GGT makes computer-controlled cutting and design equipment for apparel, automotive, aerospace and other industries. GSP produces systems for sign-making and graphic arts industries. GSC makes production systems for printing, industrial machinery and other industries. GO makes equipment for the optical-lens manufacturing industry. (2)

In 1954, Gerber married Sonia Kanciper. They had a daughter, Melisa Tina Gerber, and a son, David Jacques Gerber. H. Joseph Gerber died on August 9, 1996, at the age of 72.

Sources

(1) National Medal of Technology, 1994.

(2) W. Joseph Campbell, "High Tech and Low Key as Gerber Scientific Mounts a Recovery Philosophy Reflects Innovative Founder," Hartford Courant, May 16, 1994.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

The Gerber Scientific Instrument Company Records, 1911-1998 (AC0929)

Materials in the Division of Work and Industry, National Museum of American History

Early model Gerber variable scale. See accession 1994.3104.01.

Gerber Cutter, Model 70. See accessioon 1995.0229.01.

Provenance:

This collection was created by the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation with American History Cuartor Peter Liebhold, Division of Work and Industry.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but the original videos are 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 intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Series 3, Original Videos, 1996, is located off-site; please inquire.

Topic:

Inventors -- 1940-1990  Search this

Machinery -- 1940-1990  Search this

Work -- 1940-1990  Search this

Factories -- 1940-1990  Search this

Fabric cutters -- 1940-1990  Search this

Inventions -- 1920-2000 -- United States  Search this

Industrial factories -- 1940-1990  Search this

Automation -- 1940-1990  Search this

Cutting machines -- 1940-1990 -- North Carolina -- Connecticut -- Michigan  Search this

Computerized instruments -- 1940-1990  Search this

Genre/Form:

Videotapes -- 1990-2000

Citation:

Gerber Fabric Cutter Video Documentation, February 1995-1996, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Gerber Fabric Cutter Video Documentation, 1995-1996, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0609

See more items in:

Gerber Fabric Cutter Video Documentation

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8d51bbe64-d340-4a74-aa00-e1916cfcb7a8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0609

Photographer:

d'Arazien, Arthur  Search this

Advertiser:

Jones & Laughlin  Search this

Collection Creator:

d'Arazien, Arthur  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (8" x 10".)

Container:

Box 8, Folder 6

Type:

Archival materials

Advertising

Chromogenic processes

Photographs

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents:

Set includes three female shoppers and cashier at counter, with two children observing. Customer at cash register wears red shorts. "360-C" in white ink on film.

Local Numbers:

AC0314-0000006.tif (AC Scan No.)

General:

From Box 8, folder 6.

Restrictions:

Photographs must be handled with cotton gloves unless protected by sleeves.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Shopping  Search this

Factories -- 20th century  Search this

Shorts (Clothing)  Search this

Steel industry and trade -- 1940-1980  Search this

Supermarkets  Search this

Grocery trade  Search this

Genre/Form:

Advertising

Chromogenic processes

Photographs -- 1900-2000 -- Chromogenic

Collection Citation:

Arthur d'Arazien Industrial Photographs, ca. 1930-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Arthur d'Arazien Industrial Photographs

Arthur d'Arazien Industrial Photographs / Series 2: Photographs / 2.1: Color Phototransparencies

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep802ab4010-cb8b-4baf-800e-60e0a5f07710

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0314-ref274