Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to The Foundation Company Records

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0974
Creators:
Foundation Company (The).
Dates:
1887-1969
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
9 Cubic feet
19 boxes, 28 map-folders
Repository:

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
These records include sketches, drawings, blueprints, contracts, and reports relating to highway and railroad bridges, tunnels, subways, mine shafts, canals and waterways, dams, concrete buildings, concrete construction, derricks and derrick barges, cranes, caissons and caisson construction, air locks, pumps, jacks, engines, and turbines; also photographs, photograph albums, and newspaper clippings concerning projects for office building and power plant foundations, docks, dry docks, and piers, and work for the Ohio Edison Company, Chase Manhattan Bank, and the Boston Common Underground Garage.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series.
Series 1: Photographs, 1918-1969
Series 2: Drawings, 1887-1956
Series 3: Printed Materials, 1906-1960

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
The Foundation Company was a New York subaqueous concrete construction firm founded in 1902. It was created to pool the knowledge of engineers who specialized in the construction of bridge piers and building foundations. The compnay was a leader in the development of the pneumatic caisson method for the construction of foundations. This method made possible the skyscrapers of New York City. Additonally, the company also worked on power houses/stations, shipyards, and docks.

Administration

Author
Alison Oswald
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the National Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History) in 1966.
Processing Information
This collection processed by Alison Oswald, 2023.
Custodial History
Transferred from Division of Work and Industry to the Archives Center in 2007.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
The Foundation Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
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.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Pumping machinery Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photograph albums -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mine shafts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lifting-jacks Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hydraulic engineering Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Air locks (Chambers) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Blueprints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Subways Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Roads -- Design and construction Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Railroads Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Railroad bridges Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Concrete construction Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Contracts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dams Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Derricks Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bridges -- Design and construction Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Caissons Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Canals Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Concrete Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Turbines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Underwater tunnels Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Waterways Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engineers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tunnels Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ohio Edison Company. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chase Manhattan Bank Corporate 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