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Start Over Repository The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Year 1861

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Ivy Mills financial records, 1783-1866 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Ivy Mills, located in what is now the community of Glen Mills in Concord Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was established in 1729 by Thomas Willcox and his partner Thomas Brown. One of the earliest paper mills in operation in the American colonies, Ivy Mills rose to prominence, supplying paper to Benjamin Franklin for his print shop and to the American colonies and the Continental Congress for their currency. After the establishment of the United States, Ivy Mills continued to be the leading supplier of bank note paper for the federal government and also supplied banks across the western hemisphere with paper. The mill's ownership passed down through the Willcox family until 1866 when it ceased operations. Ivy Mills financial records, 1783-1866, consist of the mill's financial records, a glass plate negative of the mill, and paper samples.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

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The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute subject files, 1792-1943 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute subject files, 1792-1943, consist of files arranged alphabetically by subject containing a variety of primary and secondary-source documents related to each topic. The subject headings in the collection include Assorted Industry, Assorted Machines/Technology, Aviation, Cars, Deeds, Electricity, Maps, People, Newspaper Clippings, Patents, The Franklin Institute, Trains, Printing/Typing, and other topics.

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Frederick Graff maps, technical drawings, and plans on Philadelphia (Pa.) water engineering projects, circa 1683-1875

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Frederick Graff (1775-1847) was a hydraulic engineer best known for designing Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's landmark Fairmount Water Works in the 1810s. He subsequently served as consulting engineer for water works in New York, Boston, and many other cities. After Graff's death in 1847, his son, Frederick Graff, Jr. (1817-1890), took over the role of chief engineer for the Philadelphia Water Department. Frederick Graff maps, technical drawings, and plans on Philadelphia (Pa.) water engineering projects, circa 1683-1875, consist of maps, drawings, and plans related to both the elder and younger Graff's work as water engineers. Most of the materials relate to the Fairmount Water Works, but some pertain to other water engineering projects in Philadelphia.

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The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006, consists of prints, drawings, photographs, and a variety of ephemera and secondary-source materials relating to Benjamin Franklin and his activities. There is a small amount of 18th century materials signed or printed by Franklin.

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The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute photograph and negatives collection, circa 1860-1990s

Extent:
6.06 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute photograph and negatives collection, circa 1860-1990s, includes small collections of photographs and photograph albums as well as other photographic materials collected by The Franklin Institute over time. The materials consist of images related to science, industry and technology, engineering, transportation, and other related topics. There are also portrait, landscape, and aerial images. The collection includes prints, negatives, slides, and some early forms of photographs, including talbotypes/calotypes and albumen prints. Some photographs are oversized.

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The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute collection of oversized papers, 1790-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:
6.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute collection of oversized papers, 1790-1984, consists of oversized materials such as technical drawings of machinery (some used for patents), posters, illustrations, prints, drawings, engravings, maps, photographs, certificates, blueprints, and newspaper pages.

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A. A. Fesquet drawings and notebooks, 1841-1865 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.55 linear feet
Abstract:
Adolphe Amdée Fesquet was a French chemist and engineer, active during the second half of the 19th century. He attended the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in France and later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he worked as a chemical engineer and became involved in translating various French technical books into English. The A. A. Fesquet drawings and notebooks, 1841-1865, consist of pencil and ink drawings annotated in French, notebooks and unbound notes, and two unlabeled portraits.

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Oliver Wolcott Gibbs papers, 1847-1910 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.2 linear feet
Abstract:
Oliver Wolcott Gibbs (February 21, 1822-December 9, 1908) was an American chemist who is best known for his work in inorganic and analytical chemistry, specifically with the cobalt-amines, platinum metals, and complex acids. He is also known for performing the first electrogravimetric analyses and serving as president of various national science organizations. The Oliver Wolcott Gibbs papers, 1847-1910, consist largely of correspondence and other papers relating to scientific matters and Gibbs' roles in various organizations, especially the National Academy of Sciences. A significant amount of printed matter, such as pamphlets, reprints of articles written by Gibbs, Gibbs' speeches/addresses, and obituaries of him; a few photographs and objects; and a small amount of other materials are also present in the collection.

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Sellers family papers on machinery, 1845-1893 (inclusive)

Extent:
30.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Sellers family was active in engineering and manufacturing in Philadelphia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Brothers Charles (1806-1898), George Escol (1808-1899), and Coleman II (1827-1907) Sellers and their cousin William Sellers (1824-1905) were prominent Philadelphia industrialists, inventors, and mechanical engineers in the nineteenth century, responsible for important innovations in engineering and manufacturing while also running major industrial companies and taking an active role in civic affairs. Sellers family papers on machinery, 1845-1893, consist of hand drawn technical drawings for metal parts and machinery, patents and awards from exhibitions relating to machinery, certificates, and photographs of machinery, such as lathes, railroad cars, steam engines, and other mechanical engineering examples.

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Philadelphia Water Department records and collection on Fairmount Water Works, 1801-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
6.33 linear feet
Abstract:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first city in the United States to provide water as a public utility and was known for its advances in water distribution technology, such as using a centralized distribution system and employing the use of hydropower for pumps. The Philadelphia Water Department (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) traces its roots to 1799 when the Joint Committee on Supplying the City with Water (known as the Watering Committee) was established by the city council in response to pressure from the city's residents to provide them with clean water for drinking, fire fighting, and cleansing the streets following a series of yellow fever epidemics. The Fairmount Water Works (FWW), Philadelphia's second water works, began operating in 1815 and remained in use until 1909. Regarded as a significant achievement in civil engineering, FWW was also an important Philadelphia landmark and tourist attraction. In the early twenty-first century, Philadelphia operates three water...(see more)

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

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