Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Pelton Water Wheel Collection

Summary
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1093
Creators:
Pelton Water Wheel Company
Brayton, A.P.
Dates:
1880-1975
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Cubic foot
5 boxes
Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
Papers relating to the Pelton Water Wheel Company of San Francisco, California. Materials include correspondence; business records; photographs, including cyanotypes; negatives, images of turbines; advertisements; journals; blueprints; articles; and trade literature, including catalogs.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into six series.
Series 1: Background Materials, undated
Series 2: Glass Negatives, 1906-1908
Series 3: Correspondence, 1880-1975
Series 4: Trade Literature, 1956
Series 5: Photographs, 1880-1939
Series 6: Miscellaneous, undated
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Lester A. Pelton invented a new type of water wheel, which he patented in 1880. A.P. Brayton bought his business, but the name Pelton became a generic term for this type of wheel. The successor firm was Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton.
Administration
Author
Kendra Ciccone (intern)
Custodial History
Transferred from the Division of Engineering and Industry (now Division of Work and Industry) to the Archives Center in 2007.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection' specific provenance is unknown, but it may have been donated to the Museum's Division of Work and Industry (formerly the Division of Engineering and Industry) by a successor firm of Pelton. The Division transferred the collection to the Archives Center in 2007.
Processing Information
Processed by Kendra Ciccone (intern) April, 2010; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist; revised by Alexandra Henry, intern, 2017.
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.
Preferred Citation
Pelton Water Wheel Collection, 1891-1987, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
More Information
Other Finding Aids
Other Finding Aids
Inventory available; contact the Archives Center for more information.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Cyanotypes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Turbines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pumps Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hydraulic engineering Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Blueprints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertisements Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Glass negatives Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Water-wheels 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
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry 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
archivescenter@si.edu