Patent Drawing for a Flying Machine, 04/15/1913
Series: Patent Case Files, 1/1/1836 - 12/31/1976. Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, 1836 - 1978
On April 15, 1913, The Patent Office granted David Hamilton Coles a patent for an improvement in airships. In his application, Coles meticulously described his new designs for various parts of the airship, such as, the valves, propellers, and engine.
[note: image rotated 90° for the full airship effect]
(via todaysdocument)
Source: research.archives.gov
Patent Drawing for J.P. Holland’s Submarine Boat, 9/09/1902
Series: Patent Case Files, 1836 - 1993. Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, 1836 - 1978
Inventor John P. Holland developed the U.S. Navy’s first modern commisioned submarine, the USS Holland (SS-1) which entered active service on October 12, 1900.
Source: catalog.archives.gov
Father’s Day Gift Suggestions from the Patent Files
Need a last-minute gift idea for Dear Old Dad?
Whatever Dad’s hobby or interest, patent files are full of quirky gems. The largest selection is in the series Utility Patent Drawings, 1837 – 1911 NAID 305888 among the Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, Record Group 241, but there are patent drawings in other series, including court records.
Search the National Archives catalog to find a personal favorite (click the “Download Full Size Image” button to download and print a free digital copy), or choose from the selection here: Father’s Day Gift Suggestions from the Patent Files | The Unwritten Record
Not the DIY type? The @archivesfoundation has prints available in the online store.
Happy Father’s Day!
It’s #BikeToWorkDay!
“Smartly dressed couple seated on an 1886-model bicycle for two.”
Series: Photographs Related to Ordnance and Engineering, ca. 1901 - ca. 1912. Record Group 77: Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, 1789 - 1999.
(South Portico of the @whitehouse visible in the background.)
🚲 Find more bicycle-related records in the National Archives Catalog »
Source: catalog.archives.gov
Celebrate Jules Verne’s Birthday with a Steampunk Coloring Book!
Jules Verne, early science fiction author and godfather of the steampunk genre was born on February 8, 1828. Celebrate his birthday with these vintage patents of submarines, velocipedes, clockwork haberdashery, and more, all from the The National Archives Coloring Book of Patents 2016, assembled for last week’s #ColorOurCollections campaign.
Or, browse our online catalog for more fascinating patents to color! Share your coloring creations with us and with @usnatarchives on Twitter using the hashtag #ColorOurCollections.
Source: aotus.blogs.archives.gov
#ColorOurCollections
In celebration of the New York Academy of Medicine’s #ColorOurCollections campaign this week, many museums, libraries, and archives hopped on the adult coloring bandwagon and created coloring books to share on Twitter. We’ve been participating by posting various images throughout the week for people to color, from Rosie the Riveter to the Faulkner murals.
Now we have a coloring book as well! We’ve chosen some of our favorite patents from our holdings for you to color: The National Archives Coloring Book of Patents 2016
Or, browse our online catalog for more fascinating patents to color! Share your coloring creations with us on using the hashtag #ColorOurCollections.
Read the full post on the AOTUS blog.
As #ColorOurCollections week wraps up, here’s a great takeaway from @usnatarchives - a printable PDF Coloring Book of Vintage Patents!
Be sure to share your creations with @usnatarchives on Twitter or submit them to us here on Tumblr!
Hart & Tileston’s Clockwork Duck
Drawing of Aquatic Toy 12/06/1870.
Series: Utility Patent Drawings, 1837 - 1911. Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, 1836 - 1978
The latest in aquatic drone technology, circa 1870.
Source: catalog.archives.gov
Thomas L. Shaw’s Improvement in Aerostation, 2/10/1863
Series: Utility Patent Drawings, 1837 - 1911
Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, 1836 - 1978
On November 21, 1783, French balloonists Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes made the first manned untethered flight in history when they soared over Paris, France in a hot air balloon made by the Montgolfier brothers.
November is also National Aviation History Month! Find more Aviation-themed posts or search the National Archives Catalog for more Aviation-related records
Today, November 21 is also the last day to enter @gifitup2015!
Submit a GIF to GIF IT UP 2015 using source material from the @usnatarchives and you could win a $50 GIFt Card to the myArchives Online Store, courtesy of our colleagues at @archivesfoundation!
Source: catalog.archives.gov
It’s #NationalAviationDay!
Thomas L. Shaw’s Improvement in Aerostation, 2/10/1863
Series: Utility Patent Drawings, 1837 - 1911
Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, 1836 - 1978
National Aviation Day was proclaimed by President Franklin Roosevelt in honor of pioneering aviator Orville Wright’s birthday (August 19, 1871).
Find more Aviation-themed posts or search the National Archives Catalog for more Aviation-related records and more records related to the Wright Brothers!
Source: catalog.archives.gov
Patent Drawing for T. Newman’s Poison Warning Bottle, 6/2/1908
From the series: Utility Patent Drawings, 1837 - 1911
We suspect anyone trying to open this bottle would get the “point.”
Source: catalog.archives.gov
April Showers Bring…an Umbrella Cane!
Patent Drawing for H. A. Whiting and W. J. Winghart’s Umbrella and Cane Combined, 08/22/1882
Source: catalog.archives.gov
Tickle-Me-Elmo, circa 1871?
While Black Friday is fairly recent phenomenon, one can’t help but wonder if this “Creeping Baby Doll” held the same allure for 1870s holiday shoppers. Was this the must-have gift of 1871? Or maybe it was too creepy.
Source: research.archives.gov