Peter J. Bier Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Bier, Peter J.
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry
label: Names
content: United States. Bureau of Reclamation
place: label: Place
content: Denver (Colo.)
topic: label: Topic
content: Hydraulic engineering -- 1920-1960
label: Topic
content: Power stations -- Colorado
label: Topic
content: Dams -- Colorado
label: Topic
content: Engineers
label: Topic
content: Dams -- Mexico
label: Topic
content: Pipelines
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
creator: label: Creator
content: Bier, Peter J.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Peter J. Bier Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Peter J. Bier, born in Hungary, immigrated to the United States in 1904.   Bier worked as an engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation in the Department of the Interior from 1923-1954, and continued to work as a consultant in the field after retirement.   The collection includes materials related to his work with the Bureau of Reclamation, including project materials, drawings, designs, and inspection reports and data, along with materials documenting his time as an engineering consultant.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Peter J. Bier was born on April 22, 1884 in Ujnely, Hungary.  He completed his college education at the State Technical School at Timisoara, Hungary.  In 1904, Bier moved to the United States and in 1906 he started a job at Babcock and Wilcox Boiler Company.   He worked for a series of companies as a draftsman and designer, and in 1923 he began working as an engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation in the Department of the Interior in Denver, Colorado. Bier specialized in steel pipes and penstocks, which are pipes that deliver water to hydraulic turbines, for various dams.  

Over the course of Bier's career, he was involved with project planning for irrigation and power developments, hydraulic structures and equipment, and inspections of equipment. He later supervised the design, specifications, and inspections for penstocks and related equipment.   Bier wrote inspection manuals, monographs, and articles related to penstock and pipe design.   Upon his retirement from the Bureaus of Reclamation in 1954, he remained active in the field and traveled as an engineering consultant.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.3 Cubic feet (7 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1915-1970
label: Date
content: bulk 1934-1959
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Original provenance unknown, collected by the Division of Work and Industry (then called the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering), transferred to the Archives Center in 2007.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0973
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Technical drawings
label: Type
content: Black-and-white photographs
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Monographs
label: Type
content: Blueprints
label: Type
content: Technical manuals
label: Type
content: Memorandums
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1: Biographical, 1918-1965

Series 2: Articles, Manuals, and Research Materials, 1923-1970

Series 3: Bureau of Reclamation, 1915-1970

Subseries 3.1: Projects, 1934-1958

Subseries 3.2: Inspections and Testing, 1915-1954

Subseries 3.3: Technical Drawings and Designs, 1923-1970

Subseries 3.4: Employee Related Documents, 1950-1954

Series 4: Contract Work, 1954-1967
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Sara Wheeler, intern, August 2017; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Technical drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Monographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Blueprints
label: Genre/Form
content: Technical manuals -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Memorandums -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection documents Bier's work with the Bureau of Reclamation on dams and power stations in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest regions of the United States and his contract work in the United States and Mexico. It includes project files, reports, correspondence, notes, blueprints, and technical drawings.