Hagley’s Patent Model Collection Becomes First U.S. History Exhibition to be displayed at the National Museum of China

Beijing, China – May 29, 2018 – Sixty U.S. patent models from Hagley Museum and Library’s collection will be on view at the National Museum of China, the largest and most-visited museum in the world, beginning May 30 and running through July 29. This is the first time a U.S. history museum has exhibited at China’s national museum.  

“The Power of Innovation: Patent Models from the United States of America” is an exhibition of patent models showcasing remarkable stories of invention and chronicles the development of the U.S. patent and intellectual property system in the 1800s. The patent models in the National Museum of China exhibition date from 1836 to 1890. The models have been in China since March and were previously on display at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing.

“This one-of-a-kind exhibition and partnership with the National Museum of China speaks to the United States’ and China’s shared interest in pursuing prosperity through innovation,” said David Cole, executive director of Hagley Museum and Library. “The exhibition is designed to inspire visitors by exploring the innovative thinking behind some of American’s greatest inventions and highlighting the importance of a robust intellectual property system.”

Throughout the late nineteenth century, inventors submitted patent applications—and scale models of their inventions—to the United States Patent Office for review. These fascinating creations embody the genius that fueled a golden age of American innovation in the 1800s. Today, the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware is home to the largest private collection of these patent models in the world. The models represent a broad spectrum of industries, consumer interests, and inventors.

With more than eight million visitors traveling to the National Museum of China annually, “The Power of Innovation” is expected to engage a projected audience of more than two million visitors during its two-month run at the museum. When the exhibition closes on July 29, the patent models will travel to the Yangtze River Civilization Museum in Wuhan and remain on display there through September.

Hagley Museum and Library gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors of “The Power of Innovation” for their leadership and support of this historic exhibition: Presenting Sponsor - IDG Capital; Platinum Sponsor - The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation; Gold Sponsors - CSC; InterDigital; Silver Sponsors - The Anne Carter and Walter R. Robins, Jr. Foundation; The Elmon B. Duff Charitable Lead Annuity Trust; and The Peachtree House Foundation.

About the National Museum of China

The National Museum of China (NMC) is located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The museum’s mission is to provide education about the arts, history, and culture of China. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China. With a floor area of nearly 200,000 square meters, NMC is the largest single-building museum in the world. As the home to two permanent exhibitions and dozens of thematic exhibitions, NMC also organizes more than 50 high-level international exchange exhibitions and temporary exhibitions throughout the year.

About Hagley Museum and Library

Hagley Museum and Library interprets the unfolding history of American business, technology, and innovation, and its impact on the world, from our home at the historic DuPont powder yards on the banks of the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware.

For more information, visit www.hagley.org.

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