Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Burton-Humphreys Oil Production Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1102
Creators:
Amoco Oil Company.
Dates:
circa 1912-1920
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.5 Cubic feet
3 boxes
Repository:

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
Photographs of refineries, flow charts, lab notebooks, and other materials relating to the Burton-Humphreys oil cracking process.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is arranged into one series.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Amoco Company scientists William Burton and Robert Humphreys patented the Burton-Humphreys process in 1912. This thermal cracking process doubled the yield of gasoline from crude oil while improving the octane rating. It proved to be of great advantage during World War I, and is credited with avoiding a gasoline shortage.

Administration

Author
Vanessa Broussard Simmons
Immediate Source of Acquisiton
Donated by Amoco Oil Company to the National Museum of American History's (then called the National Museum of History and Technology) Department of Arts and Manufactures, Division of Manufactures and Heavy Industries in 1963.
Ownership and Custodial History
Transferred from the Division of Work and Industry to the Archives Center in 2007.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on 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
Burton-Humphreys Oil Production Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
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
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 1910-1920 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Petroleum -- Prospecting Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Petroleum industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oil Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Notebooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Laboratory notebooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Burton, William Personal 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
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu