In the opening years of the 19th century, a handful of Connecticut inventors and entrepreneurs transformed the way clocks were made in the United States. Recognizing a vast potential market for ...

A truly "grass roots" sport, organized "go-karting" arose in the late 1950s. In the 1930s and late 1940s, various types of smaller open-wheeled race cars had been developed for certain classes of ...

Made in a San Diego sign shop, this metal menu board formed one side of a speaker box at a Jack in the Box drive thru restaurant. Drivers approached the menu, made their selections, and proceeded to ...

This pink Maiden Form brassiere from the early 1930s reflects a shift from flat-chested to more ‘natural’ styles in women’s fashion. New York dressmakers Enid Bissett and Ida Rosenthal began selling ...

This upright piano was made by John Isaac Hawkins in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1801. Hawkins patented an ingenious small upright piano with a folding keyboard, of which the Smithsonian’s is an ...

Western Electric manufactured the pink “Princess” telephone beginning in 1959. The original Princess phone was model 701 that needed an external ringer; this phone is model 702B that was manufactured ...

In January 1917, discouraged by President Wilson’s continued opposition to the suffrage amendment, Alice Paul, the leader of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) posted pickets at the White House ...

Before the invention of indoor rinks, ice skaters turned to the Volito when they needed to practice and didn't have access to ice. This in-line skate consisted of a wooden sole, a single row of five ...

On February 16, 1862, General Buckner surrendered Fort Donelson. The unconditional surrender created jubilation throughout the North and shock in Dixie. It was the North’s first major victory of the ...

Charles Elmer Doolin, founder of the Frito Company, was an inventor with a restless mind. In 1932 he bought the recipe for Fritos (“little fried things”) for $100 from Gustavo Olguin, the owner of a ...

Lawn darts (also known as jarts) were a popular backyard lawn game during the 1980s. This lawn dart set sold by DP Superdarts is composed of three yellow darts and three red darts, with two plastic ...

Electric two-slice toaster, green and pinkish-white lusterware "porcelain" (The porcelain used was not “true” porcelain, but Onyxide China, which would withstand the heat). Square-shaped body with ...