Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the S. Morgan Smith Company Records

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1099
Creators:
Allis-Chalmers
S. Morgan Smith Company
Dates:
1890-1914.
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
23 Cubic feet
105 boxes; 4 map folders
Repository:
This collection documents the products and facilities of the S. Morgan Smith Company through photographs and trade literature.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Archival materials, including photographs, advertising art, catalogs and other trade literature, documenting the equipment, facilities, personnel and products of the S. Morgan Smith Company, engineers and contractors. The subjects of the photographs include engines, fire pumps, generators, paper making machinery, turbines, the construction of a dam and hydroelectric station by the Atlanta Water and Electric Power Company, and the Mathis Dam near Atlanta.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series
Series 1: Company Records, 1877-1961
Series 2: Catalog Art, undated
Series 3: Glass Plate Negatives,

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The S. Morgan Smith Company was an engineering company located in York, Pennsylvania. It was founded by S. Morgan Smith, who patented one of the first washing machines, in 1877. The company became notable for its high-powered water turbines and other hydraulic machinery. The S. Morgan Smith Company later became Allis-Chalmers.

Administration

Author
Sally Johnson, Geoff Kelly and Alison Oswald
Immediate Source of Acquisiton
Donated to the National Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History) in 1968 by the Allis-Chalmers Company.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Sally Johnson, intern, and Geoff Kelly, intern; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2023.
Ownership and Custodial History
Transferred from the Division of Work and Industry to the Archives Center in 2007.

Using the Collection

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
S. Morgan Smith 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.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Advertisements Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Atlanta (Ga.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dams Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fire pumps Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Generators and generating stations Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hydraulic engineering Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hydroelectric power plants Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Power plants Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass -- 19th-20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass -- 1890-1920 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade literature Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Turbines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Water-power Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
York (Pa.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Atlanta Water and Electric Power Company 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
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering 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