F. C. Brown Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Brown, F.C. (Fay Cluff)
label: Names
content: American Association for the Advancement of Science
label: Names
content: Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, Ill.).
label: Names
content: Museum of Science and Industry (New York, N.Y.).
label: Names
content: United States. Army. Ordnance Department
label: Names
content: United States. Bureau of Standards.
topic: label: Topic
content: Printing presses
label: Topic
content: Plows
label: Topic
content: Physics
label: Topic
content: Physicists
label: Topic
content: Selenium
label: Topic
content: Inventors
label: Topic
content: Inventions
label: Topic
content: Museums
label: Topic
content: Sewing machines
label: Topic
content: Engines
label: Topic
content: Turbines
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History by Dr. Brown's son-in-law, Richard D. Olson, August 1999.
creator: label: Creator
content: Brown, F.C. (Fay Cluff)
setName: label: See more items in
content: F. C. Brown Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: F.C. Brown was a physicist and inventor who created and supervised the development of education exhibits, most notably as organizing director of the New York Museum of Science and Industry (part of the Museums of the Peaceful Arts), 1926-1931. He was also curator of physics exhibits at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, 1932-1937. Much of Brown's scientific research focused on the element selenium. He invented the phonopticon, an improvement on the optophone (invented by Fournier d'Albe, 1912). Material focuses on Dr. Brown's professional life: correspondence, photographs, photo albums, scrapbooks, and ephemera from the positions he held and research he conducted. Very little personal information is included.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Brown was a physicist and inventor who created and supervised the development of education exhibits, most notably as organizing director of the New York Museum of Science and Industry (part of the Museums of the Peaceful Arts), 1926-1931. He was also curator of physics exhibits at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, 1932-1937. Much of Brown's scientific research focused on the element selenium. He invented the phonopticon, an improvement on the optophone (invented by Fournier d'Albe, 1912).
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 4.5 Cubic feet (17 boxes, 3 map folders)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1902 - 1964
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0693
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is organized into ten series.

Series 1, Biographical/General, 1905-1940

Series 2, Correspondence, 1902-1964 and undated 

Series 3, Inventions, 1904-1942

Subseries 1, Notebook, 1904

Subseries 2, Invention Notebooks, 1910-1942

Series 4, U.S. Army Ordnance Department, 1918-1921 

Series 5, U.S. Bureau of Standards, 1917-1926 

Subseries 1, Papers, 1917-1922

Subseries 2, Photographs, 1920, 1924, 1926, undated 

Series 6, Museum work, 1927-1941

Series 7, Photographs: Museums of the Peaceful Arts, Museum of Science and Industry, New York City, undated

Subseries 1, Events, Exhibits and Displays, undated

Subseries 2, Models, Objects, Machines and Devices, undated

Subseries 3, People with Objects, undated

Subseries 4, People, undated

Subseries 5, Photos of Other Materials, undated

Series 8, American Association for the Advancement of Science (A.A.A.S.), 1932-1937

Series 9, Photographs: other subjects, 1907-1939 

Subseries 1, Exhibits, Displays and Objects, 1931-1939, undated

Subseries 2, People, 1907-1928, undated

Subseries 3, Miscellaneous, circa 1918-1920, undated

Series 10, Miscellaneous, 1910-circa 1945
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Jennifer Hecker (intern), August 2000 supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The material in the F. C. Brown Papers focuses primarily on Dr. Brown's professional life and includes correspondence, photographs, photo albums, scrapbooks and ephemera. Very little personal information is included. The collection is arranged into ten series. 

Series 1, Biographical/General, 1905-1940, contains material which relates to Dr. Brown's personal life and research. Scientific publications, which do not relate directly to the professional positions he held, can be found here. Also included are some personal financial records and two photographic portraits of Dr. Brown. 

Series 2, Correspondence, 1902-1964, undated, is arranged chronologically and pertains directly to Dr. Brown's career. 

Series 3, Inventions, 1904-1942, documents Dr. Brown's inventions and include invention notebooks, loose notes, patent documents, correspondence, and an article announcing the invention of the phonopticon. 

Series 4, U. S. Army Ordnance Department, 1918-1919, contains materials from Dr. Brown's tenure at the U. S. Army Ordnance Department. It includes a panoramic photograph and various official reports. 

Series 5, U. S. Bureau of Standards, 1917-1926, contains assorted papers from the U. S. Bureau of Standards which date from 1917 to 1922, and also a few photographs, including a panoramic portrait of Bureau personnel in 1920. 

Series 6, Museum Work, 1927-1940, consists of materials primarily dealing with Dr. Brown's work in the New York Museum of Science and Industry (part of the Museums of the Peaceful Arts) and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Of note is material relating to the dedication ceremony at which the airplane Bremen was given to the Museums of the Peaceful Arts and two scrapbooks which contain clippings, brochures, and photos showcasing developments and events in science, industry and the Museums of the Peaceful Arts. 

Series 7, Photographs: Museums of the Peaceful Arts, Museum of Science and Industry, New York City, undated, is comprised of photographs from the Museums of the Peaceful Arts including such subjects as events, exhibits, displays, models, objects, machines, devices, and people. The majority of the photographs are undated. 

Series 8, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1932-1937, includes two photo albums and a scrapbook which deal with the planning of the AAAS annual science exhibitions. 

Series 9, Photographs: Other Subjects, 1907-1939, is comprised of photographs covering subjects such as exhibits, displays, objects, and people. 

Series 10, Miscellaneous, 1910-circa 1945, includes invitations, programs, brochures, miscellaneous publications and other writings, notes and calculations, and papers from a series of radio broadcasts on science. There is also a 1939 textbook, Experimental Heat, Sound and Light, with accompanying notes and annotations.