The Hagley Vault

Selections from Hagley Museum and Library's archives and published collections on the history of American business, technology, and innovation.

January 19, 2022
Black and white image of workers hammering and tightening construction elements along the wall of an underground railroad tunnel.

Today's #WorkerWednesday heads underground for a ca. 1909 photograph of railroad workers placing grommets under washers and tightening bolts as part of the construction of the Hudson River tunnel. The Pennsylvania Railroad began construction on this tunnel in 1904 so as to allow its trains to reach Manhattan. Train service began through the tunnel in late 1910.

Read more...

Archive

For posts prior to October 2020, visit the Hagley Vault on Tumblr.

Black and white image of workers hammering and tightening construction elements along the wall of an underground railroad tunnel.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Today's #WorkerWednesday heads underground for a ca. 1909 photograph ...
Today's #WorkerWednesday heads underground for a ca. 1909 photograph of railroad workers placing grommets under washers and tightening bolts as part of the construction of the Hudson River tunnel. The Pennsylvania Railroad began construction on this tunnel in 1904 so as to allow its trains to reach Manhattan. Train service began through the tunnel...
Scenic color illustration of a Western landscape with the text "go WEST by Train" and PRR branding.
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
We're turning our attentions westward today for this ca. 1955 poster from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company ...
We're turning our attentions westward today for this ca. 1955 poster from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. This item is part of Hagley Library's collection of Pennsylvania Railroad Posters, ca. 1950-1969 (Accession 1995.246), a small collection of travel posters featuring some of the many destinations reachable by the Pennsylvania Railroad....
Monday, January 17, 2022
Let's start the week off with this fabulous photograph of aviation pioneer Lawrence Burst Sperry...
Let's start the week off with this fabulous photograph of aviation pioneer and inventor Lawrence Burst Sperry (1892-1923), seen here around 1918 with a tri-plane. Lawrence was the child of Elmer Ambrose Sperry, Sr. (1860-1930), co-inventor of the gyrocompass and founder of the Sperry Gyroscope Company. Which is how this item came to find itself...
Friday, January 14, 2022
Need a pop of color this #FashionFriday?
Need a pop of color this #FashionFriday? If so, this August 29, 1969 photograph certainly delivers. A press release statement accompanying this image reads: "Louis Feraud, favorite designer of the young moderns, fashions a trim coat shape with free-hanging pockets from Nattier's caramel-colored ottoman of 'Qiana' nylon" This photograph is part of...
Thursday, January 13, 2022
For when, like, your usual horse just isn't doing it for you anymore...
For when, like, your usual horse just isn't doing it for you anymore and you need a horse glow-up ... it's the American Horse Exchange. This undated (ca. 1900?) photograph of the American Horse Exchange, once located at 7th Avenue and 50th Street, New York, N.Y. is from Hagley Library's collection of Warren-Ehret Company photograph albums (2002....
Black and white photograph showing a demonstration of dental x-ray equipment.
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
On this date in 1896 ...
On this date, January 12, in 1896 Dr. Henry Louis Smith (1859-1951) engaged in what may have been the first experiment using x-ray photography in the United States. Smith, a professor of physics and astronomy at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina had read about experimentation with x-ray technology being conducted in Germany by Wilhelm...
Illustrated trade card depicting a baby seated in a chair holding a card inscribed "Prof. Horsford's acid phosphate"
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
If a delicious drink for mental and physical exhaustion would hit the spot right now, then get that water and sugar ready ...
If a delicious drink for mental and physical exhaustion would hit the spot right now, then get that water and sugar ready – this #TradeCardTuesday is just for you. This ca. 1885 trade card was created for the Rumford Chemical Works of Providence, Rhode Island. The company was founded in 1854 by George F. Wilson and Eben N. Horsford, for whom Prof...
Color drawing of a futuristic car with three wheels, two seats, and gull wing doors.
Monday, January 10, 2022
#MotorMonday brings you the cars of tomorrow today with this advertisement ...
#MotorMonday brings you the cars of tomorrow today with this advertisement featuring a concept for a futuristic "commuter car model". This is one of six photomechanical prints from the company’s “Cars of Tomorrow” series in Hagley Library’s collection of Strother MacMinn “Cars of Tommorrow” prints (Accession 1997.268). Strother MacMinn (1918-1998...
Black and white image of a group of people shoveling a large amount of snow.
Friday, January 7, 2022
If you're also starting out your morning with the shovel and salt, here's a little snow inspo to get you going ...
If you're also starting out your morning with the shovel and salt, here's a little snow inspo to get you going.  This photograph of Wawa employees shoveling snow is undated, but probably was created between 1910 and 1930. A note attached to the image reads: "Transportation 'problems' at Wawa". Today, Wawa is best known as a chain of convenience...
Thursday, January 6, 2022
On this date, January 6, in 1954, the first commercially successful TV dinner ...
On this date, January 6, in 1954, the first commercially successful TV dinner made its public debut in a New York Times article. The article informed its readers that C.A. Swanson & Sons of Omaha would soon be distributing a frozen turkey dinner to grocery store shelves for a purchase price of about $1, marketed under the “TV Dinner” Swanson...
Black and white photograph of a man with a bow and arrow, posed next to a large bullseye target
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
We pulled some strings today to bring you all this fletching #WorkerWednesday photograph ...
We pulled some strings today to bring you all this fletching #WorkerWednesday photograph. This image, created on February 7, 1916, shows a member of the Pennsylvania Railroad's South Altoona foundry's athletic association. It is part of Hagley Library's Pennsylvania Railroad negative collection (Accession 1993.300). Incorporated in 1846, the...
Black and white image of a locomotive in a train yard.
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
#TrainTuesday brings us this glass negative ...
#TrainTuesday brings us this glass negative from February 1914, showing a locomotive manufactured by the Vulcan Iron Works for the Giant Portland Cement Company of Egypt, Pennsylvania. The Vulcan Iron Works was founded in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1849 to produce specialty iron products for the local coal industry. It would later establish...
Cover of Philco News featuring a black and white photograph of a Mummer.
Monday, January 3, 2022
It's our first post of 2022! And it struts!
It's our first post of 2022! And it struts! This January 1949 cover of Philco News features Philco employee Frank Henninger, strutting his stuff as drillmaster for the Greater Kensington String Band in Philadelphia's Mummer's Parade, held annually in the city every New Year's Day since 1901. For those not familiar, it's kind of a whole thing. Just...
Cover of Newport News with a photo of a baby wearing a "1953" sash and the message "Happy New Year"
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Happy New Year! Hagley Library will be closed tomorrow ...
Happy New Year! Hagley Library will be closed tomorrow, December 31st, for New Year's Eve. We'll be returning on January 3rd, ready (more or less) for 2022. This January 1953 cover of Newport News features Patricia Brown, daughter of Bob Brown, a former employee of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Newport Plant in Newport, Delaware,...
Black and white image of two seated women in a domestic setting. One has a cat in her lap.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Here's a cozy little domestic scene for a wintry #WhiskersWednesday ...
Here's a cozy little domestic scene for a wintry #WhiskersWednesday. This ca. 1888 glass plate negative is from Hagley Library’s collection of William Ferris, II glass plate negatives (Accession 1974.359). William Ferris, II (1822-1909) was, along with Philip Garrett (1814-1896), a senior partner in the firm of the Ferris & Garrett company, a...
Color illustration of a lavishly decorated interior with a Christmas tree, victrola & performer.
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
We're back (for now - we'll be closed again on Friday for the New Year's holiday) ...
We're back (for now - we'll be closed again on Friday for the New Year's holiday)! And while I don't often get too personal on here, I just thought I'd share this photo from my Christmas break (I'm very fancy and glamorous, and absolutely did not spend the weekend in cookie crumb-dusted pajamas). It is also possible that this is a ca. 1915...

Pages