Research and Development Records
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Johnson, Victor S., Sr., 1882-1943
label: Collection Creator
content: Johnson, Victor, Jr., 1906-
label: Collection Creator
content: Aladdin Industries, Inc. (Nashville, Tenn.).
setName: label: See more items in
content: Aladdin Industries, Inc. Records
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1910-1976
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0844, Series 5
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Research and Development Records are divided into four subseries: notebooks, meeting minutes, drawings for thermoses, and new product suggestions. The notebooks, 1927-1937, contain detailed notes, drawings, diagrams, tests, formulas, and calculations for a variety of research projects.  The notebook from 1930-1931, deals with research on insulating substances; the Crossley notebook, 1935-1937, documents auto receivers and antennas.  The notebooks appear to have been used in a laboratory setting and are dated.  The meeting minutes, 1966-1969, are interoffice memos notifying members of the Research and Development Department of meetings and agenda items. 
The drawings of thermoses, 1939-1951, are approximately 11" x 17" or smaller and depict the small and wide mouth plastic insulated bottle.  There is a drawing for a plastic insulated flask, and one for an electrical adapter for a kerosene lamp. Some drawings are in color and are annotated.  The new product suggestion files, 1950-1959, consist of correspondence from individuals offering new inventions or improvements for Aladdin products.  Some of the correspondence contains drawings and full disclosure statements for the invention. Suggestions for vacuum bottles (#150001-#850045) include photographs.  Responses from Aladdin are attached and stamped with a number from #01001 to #910010.  The correspondence was given to the Sales and Production group to evaluate for manufacture and distribution worthiness.