Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Preliminary Guide to Electricity and Modern Physics Photonegatives

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0715
Creators:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Information, Technology and Society
Dates:
1890 - 1930
Languages:
Collection is in
English
. Some materials in
French
and
Slovak
.
Physical Description:
6 Cubic feet
34 boxes
Repository:
Photographic negatives and some glass plate negatives depicting subjects relating to the Division of Electricity and Modern Physics' artifact collections and research interests. Negatives include portrait photographs of engineers (Marconi, Tesla, Bell, and Zworykin), images of radios, telegraphy equipment, and phonographs.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Photographic negatives and some glass plate negatives depicting subjects relating to the Division of Electricity and Modern Physics' artifact collections. Negatives include portrait photographs of engineers (Marconi, Tesla, Bell, and Zworykin), images of radios, telegraphy equipment, radio equipment, inventors, and phonographs. The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) engineers and some equipment are especially well represented. Many of the negatives are unidentified and undated.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series and are arranged by topics. The folder titles in the container list were taken from the image enclosures.

Administration

Author
Erin Molloy and Alison Oswald
Custodial History
Transferred to Archives Center from the Division of the History of Technology (now the Division of Work and Industry) in 2000.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source unknown. Found in collections.
Processing Information
Processed by Yauntilaa Lancaster, intern, Ramona Williamson, volunteer, Erin Molloy, volunteer; supervised by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, 2012. Finding aid written by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2012.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
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.
Conditions Governing Access
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.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs, negatives, and glass plates. The collection is in cold storage. Arrangements must be made with the Archives Center staff two weeks prior to a scheduled research visit.
Preferred Citation
Electricity and Modern Physics Photonegatives, 1898-1953, undated, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Related Materials
Materials held in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
George H. Clark Radioana Collection, circa 1880-1950 (AC0055)
Thomas Alva Edison Photo Prints, 1890s-1933, (AC0299)
Kenneth M. Swezey Papers, 1891-1982 (AC0047)

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Black-and-white negatives Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Radio -- Apparatus and supplies Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Radio -- History Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engineers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Phonograph Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Telegraph, Wireless Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Marconi, Maria, Marchesa Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Radio Corporation of America. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Marconi, Guglielmo, Marchese, 1874-1937 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bell, Alexander Graham, 1847-1922 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tesla, Nikola, 1856-1943 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Farnsworth, Philo Taylor, b. 1906 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu