Catalogue of the Mechanical Engineering Collection in the United States National Museum

Catalogue of the Mechanical Engineering Collection in the United States National Museum

Author: United States National Museum

Publisher:

Published: 1922

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13:

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In 1884, a section on transportation was organized in the United States National Museum to prepare and assemble educational exhibits of a few objects of railroad machinery and to secure other collections relating to the railway industry. From the beginning, the section was theoretically enlarged to include the whole field of engineering, but it has actually enlarged in the fields of mechanical engineering, especially the early developments of the steam engine, locomotive, and internal combustion engine; electrical engineering, particularly the development of the telegraph, telephone, and the electric light; metrology, particularly horology; and naval architecture. The primary objectives of these collections is to broadly visualize the steps by which advances have been made in each field up to the present day, to show the layman the fundamental and general principles which are the basis for the developments, and to familiarize the engineer with other branches of engineering than his own.


Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications

Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications

Author: United States. Superintendent of Documents

Publisher:

Published: 1972

Total Pages: 1194

ISBN-13:

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February issue includes Appendix entitled Directory of United States Government periodicals and subscription publications; September issue includes List of depository libraries; June and December issues include semiannual index.


Legacies

Legacies

Author: Steven Lubar

Publisher: Smithsonian Institution

Published: 2014-06-03

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1935623486

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The Smithsonian Institution has been America's museum since 1846. What do its vast collections -- from the ruby slippers to a piece of Plymouth Rock, first ladies' gowns to patchwork quilts, a Model T Ford to a customized Ford LTD low rider -- tell Americans about themselves? In this lavishly illustrated guide to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Steven Lubar and Kathleen M. Kendrick tell the stories behind more than 250 of the museum's treasures, many of them never before photographed for publication. These stories not only reveal what America as a nation has decided to save and why but also speak to changing visions of national identity. As the authors demonstrate, views of history change over time, methods of historical investigation evolve and improve, and America's understanding of the past matures. Shifts in focus and attitude lie at the hearth of Legacies, which is organized around four concepts of what a national museum of history can be: a treasure house, a shrine to the famous, a palace of progress, and a mirror of the nation. Thus, the museum collects cherished or precious objects, houses celebrity memorabilia, documents technological advances, and reflects visitors' own lives. Taking examples from science and technology, politics, decorative arts, military history, ethnic heritage, popular culture and everyday life, the authors provide historical context for the work of the Smithsonian and shed new light on what is important, and who is included, in American history. Throughout its history, Lubar and Kendrick conclude, the museum has played a vital role in both shaping and reflecting America's sense of itself as a nation.