Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the James Nicol Halkett Papers

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1455
Creators:
Halkett, James Nicol, 1895-1953
Dates:
1924-1950
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
2 Cubic feet
6 boxes, 7 map folders
Repository:
The collection documents the life and work of engineer and inventor James Nicol Halkett.

Content Description

Content Description
The collection documents the life and work of engineer and inventor James Nicol Halkett though blueprints, notes about machines and machinery work, lab notes, notebooks with some illustrations, formulas, reports, and trade literature. The bulk of the material documents Fisher Body Company(1923-1929); Crowe Name Plate Manufacturing Company (1929-1932)Globe Machine and Manufacturing Company (1940-1941); and A.S. Campbell Company (1940-1941). Halkett also worked for other companies which are also documented.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series.
Series 1: Personal Materials, 1930-1942
Series 2: Companies, 1924-1950
Series 3: Trade Literature, 1927-1942

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
James Nicol Halkett (1895-1953) was born in Scotland. He served in the British Army (Royal Engineers) during World War I. He later transferred to the Munitions Factory of Messrs. Armstrong Whitworth & Co., Newcastle, England as Toolroom Foreman in their Factory at Alexandria, Scotland, fabricating shell and fuse parts. Halkett trained as an engineer in Scotland and immigrated to the United States in 1923, settling in Cleveland, Ohio. Halkett married Edith Victoria Edler on June 3, 1919 and was naturalized a citizen in 1945. The coupple had one child, James Alexander Elder "Jim" Halkett (1920-2015).

Administration

Author
Alison Oswald
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated to the Archives Center by James Nichol Halkett's grandchildren, Kim Gillet, Muffie Austin, Jan Truitt and Scott Halkett in 2018.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2023.

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
James Nicol Halkett Papers, 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
Blueprints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industrial engineering Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industrial management Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industrial productivity Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Laboratory notebooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Letters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Machinery industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Metallurgical engineers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Motion study Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Test reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade literature Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Crowe Name Plate Manufacturing Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
General Motors Corporation. Fisher Body Division 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