Object Details
Summary
The collection consists of a wide range of materials--ephemera, trade literature, correpsondence, photographs, maps, plans, schematics, pamplets, brochures, postcards, calendars--documenting the subject of bridges.
Scope and Contents
This collection was assembled by the Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (now the Division of Work and Industry) curators over the course of several decades. The collection consists of a wide range of materials documenting the subject of bridges broadly in terms of planning, construction, geography, aesthetics, cost, and failures. Well-known bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge and its bridge builders and engineers is also documented.
The materials consist of photographs, negatives, copy prints, illustrations, correspondence, newsclippings, journal articles, HABS/HAER drawings, engineeeing reports, contracts and specifications for building bridges, blueprints, and notebooks. Throughout the files is curatorial correspondence, principally with curator Robert Vogel and historians of the history of technology, bridge enthusiasts, and civil engineers. There is a mixture of primary, secondary and tertiary materials found throughout the collection.
Some of the materials related to the Brooklyn Bridge are photocopies or copy prints from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Roebling Collection and other archives and libraries. These materials were assembled for the exhibit "Building Brooklyn Bridge--The Engineering and Construction, 1867-1883" staged in 1983 at the National Museum of American History. These materials are filed under the title "Building Brooklyn Bridge."
Many of the photographs and other items are from collections at the National Museum of American History: Llewellyn Nathaniel Edwards, Henry Grattan Tyrrell, Samuel E. Reed Collection, and the T.F. Healy Collection.
Publications vary widely, but some titles include American Contract Journal, American Railroad Journal, Harpers Weekly, Scientific American, Engineers and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering News-Record, Engineering Record, and others.
sova.nmah.ac.1577
Creator
Vogel, Robert M.
Shayt, David H.
Worthington, Bill
Names
Historic American Buildings Survey
Former owner
National Museum of American History (U.S.)
Topic
Bridges
Civil engineers
Railroads -- 19th century
Railroads -- 20th century
Creator
Vogel, Robert M.
Shayt, David H.
Worthington, Bill
See more items in
Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Bridges Reference Collection
Extent
45 Cubic feet (114 boxes, 23 map folders)
Date
1755-2000
Custodial History
Collection assembled by the National Museum of American History, Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (now the Division of Work and Industry) as a reference file. The collection was transferred to the Archives Center in June 2022.
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.1577
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Color slides
Contracts
Copy prints
Correspondence
Illustrations
Letterheads
Maps
Negatives (photographic)
Newsclippings
Notebooks
Photographs
Picture postcards
Pocket notebooks
Postage stamps
Press releases
Reports
Specifications
Stereographs
Citation
Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Bridges Reference Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series, then alphabetically.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Kendall McKinley, intern; Clare McElhaney, intern; Isaac Meth, intern; and Alison Oswald, archivist, 2022.
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.
Genre/Form
Articles
Color slides -- 20th century
Contracts -- 20th century
Copy prints
Correspondence -- 19th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Illustrations
Letterheads
Maps -- 20th century
Negatives (photographic)
Newsclippings
Notebooks
Photographs -- 20th century
Picture postcards -- 20th century
Pocket notebooks
Postage stamps
Press releases
Reports -- 19th century
Reports -- 20th century
Specifications
Stereographs
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.
NMAH.AC.1577
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f3912776-c575-41af-a27e-338800e96007
NMAH.AC.1577
ACAH
Record ID
ebl-1663680301088-1663680304366-0