Waldemar A. Ayres Collection
name: label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Naval History
label: Creator
content: Ayres, Waldemar A., 1909- (inventor)
topic: label: Topic
content: Underwater exploration
label: Topic
content: Underwater breathing equipment
label: Topic
content: Periodicals
label: Topic
content: Naval history
label: Topic
content: Inventors -- 1940-1990
label: Topic
content: Gill-type underwater breathing equipment
creator: label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Naval History
label: Creator
content: Ayres, Waldemar A., 1909- (inventor)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Waldemar A. Ayres Collection
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: Ayres was an inventor who worked independently and for a number of companies. Among his varied research interests were radar, stereo photography, and aircraft navigation systems. In the 1950s-1960s he developed gill-type underwater breathing equipment.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.3 Cubic feet (10 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1954-1974
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Collection transferred from the Division of Naval History (now Division of Political and Military History), 11/23/83.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0077
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Research (document genres)
label: Type
content: Patents
label: Type
content: Personal papers
label: Type
content: Correspondence
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Divided into eight series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1956-1971

Series 2: Personal Papers

Series 3: Research Notes On Artificial Gills 

Series 4: Documentation of Success of Gill

Series 5: Patents and Patent Litigation

Series 6: Publicity For Gill

Series 7:Ayres's Other Projects

Series 8: Related Journals, Magazines, Articles, Brochures, and Catalogs
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by David A. Stevens, 1986
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Research (document genres)
label: Genre/Form
content: Patents
label: Genre/Form
content: Personal papers
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1930-1950
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: Collection deals primarily with Ayres' artificial gill underwater breathing equipment project. Includes correspondence (1956-1971), personal papers, three boxes of research notes, documentation of the success of the invention, and subsequent patents and patent litigation; also publicity for the artificial gill, items from Ayres' other projects, and related periodicals, brochures, articles, etc.