Manufacturing and Power are the two sections of this exhibit that explores the legacy of American innovators from the 18th to 20th century who made America a manufacturing superpower! Hundreds of artifacts, including operating steam engines, help tell their stories.
 | Gothic Steam Engine
Installed at the Tatham Brothers Lead Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 30-foot-tall, 50-ton engine drove machinery used to make lead products such as pipe and sheet flashing. It operated from 1857 until 1930, when it was donated to the museum by John T. Lewis & Co. Despite the ornate design, it was never intended for public view.
Novelty Works of New York, New York
Date: ca. 1855
ID: 30.489.1 |
 | Highland Park Engine
This massive gas and steam engine is one of the nine that originally supplied the power for Henry Ford's Highland Park automobile factory. Built in 1916, the engine developed 6,000 horsepower.
Date: 1916
ID: 30.1200.1
|
 | McCoy Lubricator
Elijah McCoy was one of the most prominent African-American inventors of his day, obtaining more than 50 patents between 1872 and 1929. He used the skills he learned as an engineer and locomotive fireman to invent this device that automatically oiled moving parts on steam engines. His demand for such good quality workmanship led to the phrase "the real McCoy."
Date: ca. 1882
ID: 31.2039.2
|