George S. Morison Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Morison, George S., 1842-1903
label: Names
content: Baring Brothers Company
label: Names
content: Isthmian Canal Commission.
place: label: Place
content: Peterborough (NH)
label: Place
content: Panama
topic: label: Topic
content: Bridges -- Design and construction
label: Topic
content: Railroad bridges
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated by Robert S. Morison, Elting Morison, and John H. Morison on June 17, 1985.
creator: label: Creator
content: Morison, George S., 1842-1903
setName: label: See more items in
content: George S. Morison Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection documents the career of George S. Morison, a prominent civil engineer, specializing in railroad bridge design. The materials consist primarily of drawings and maps (linen tracings, blueprints, sketches); final bridge reports; photographs; glass plate negatives; daily diaries; correspondence; and published material documenting George S. Morison's participation on the Isthmian Canal Commission, 1898-1903.
accruals: label: Accruals
content: Additional materials documenting George S. Morison were donated by Christina M. Leonard, Elting E. Morison, and John H. Morison on June 22, 1993.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Morison (1842-1903) of Peterborough, New Hampshire, was a prominent civil engineer specializing in railroad bridge design. He built ten bridges over the Missouri River, five over the Mississippi River and one over the Ohio River. Morison designed bridges in New York, and worked on the New York waterfront. He also helped to locate a deep water harbor in southern California and designed and built several viaducts. 

Morison served on numerous engineering boards and acted as a consulting expert for Baring Brothers Company. Morison was a member of several important engineering committees, the most important of which was the Isthmus Canal (Panama Canal) Commission, 1899-1903. He was instrumental in changing its recommended location from Nicaragua to Panama.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 30 Cubic feet (63 boxes and 152 map-folders)
phystech: label: Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
content: Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1846-1903
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work and Industry in 2006.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0978
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Blueprints
label: Type
content: Tracings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into seven series.

Series 1: Diaries, 1863-1903

Subseries 1.1: Biographical Materials, 1863-1903

Subseries 1.2: Diaries, 1863-1903

Subseries 1.3: Newspaper Clippings, 1880-1898

Series 2: Correspondence, 1870-1903

Series 3: Reports/Printed Materials, 1846-1903

Series 4: Photographs, 1888, 1892-1893

Series 5: Glass Plate Negatives, 1886-1889

Subseries 5.1: Bellefontaine Bridge, undated

Subseries 5.2: Blair Crossing, 1893

Subseries 5.3: Cairo Bridge, 1888-1889

Subseries 5.4: Kansas City Bridge, 1886

Subseries 5.5: Memphis Bridge, circa 1893 

Subseries 5.6: Memphis Bridge, 1891-1893 

Subseries 5.7: Nebraska City Bridge, 1887-1888

Subseries 5.8: Omaha Bridge, undated

Subseries 5.9: Panama Canal, undated

Subseries 5.10: Rulo Bridge, 1886-1889

Subseries 5.11: Sioux City, circa 1881

Series 6: Lantern Slides, 1878-1894

Subseries 6.1: Isthmian Canal, undated

Subseries 6.2: General, 1878-1894

Series 7: Drawings, circa 1881-1900
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2014.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Blueprints
label: Genre/Form
content: Tracings
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History


George W. Sims Papers, 1896-1981. (AC0127)

Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, 1895-1921 (AC0143)

Silas H. Woodard Papers, ca. 1899-1932 (AC1038)

Make the Dirt Fly!

Materials in Other Organizations

Minnesota Historical Society

Engineering Dept. records. Northern Pacific Railway Company records, 1867-1970.

Subject files (1867-1970); accounting records (1879-1921); standard plans for buildings, bridges, and other structures ([188-]-[196-]); track profile maps (1890-1927); and bridge records (1892-1960) created or compiled by the Northern Pacific administrative unit responsible for locating, surveying, constructing, and maintaining roadways and structures. Contains letter press books for George S. Morison.


Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey

Includes photographs and drawings for some of Morison's bridges.
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: Artifacts related to this collection are in the Division of Work & Industry (See accessions #1984.1093 and #1993.0113) and includes camera equipment, drafting curves, and an omnimeter transit with tripod.