American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Film Collection
name: label: Creator
content: American Petroleum Institute.
label: Names
content: Bush, George, 1924-
label: Names
content: Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
label: Names
content: O'Neill, Tip
topic: label: Topic
content: Tank trucks
label: Topic
content: Tankers
label: Topic
content: Trade associations
label: Topic
content: Political cartoons
label: Topic
content: Pipelines
label: Topic
content: Railroads
label: Topic
content: Pollution
label: Topic
content: Service stations
label: Topic
content: Synthetic lubricants
label: Topic
content: Stoves
label: Topic
content: Oil well drilling rigs
label: Topic
content: Oil spills
label: Topic
content: Petroleum
label: Topic
content: Oil-shale industry
label: Topic
content: Petroleum refineries
label: Topic
content: Petroleum industry and trade
label: Topic
content: Petroleum -- Prospecting
label: Topic
content: Drilling and boring
label: Topic
content: Electricity
label: Topic
content: Automobiles
label: Topic
content: Disasters
label: Topic
content: Gas-lighting
label: Topic
content: Gasohol
label: Topic
content: Enegy and environment
label: Topic
content: Gas industry
label: Topic
content: Geothermal resources
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Petroleum industry and trade
label: Topic
content: Heating
label: Topic
content: Harbors
label: Topic
content: Asphalt
label: Topic
content: Automobile racing
label: Topic
content: Airplanes
label: Topic
content: Natural areas
label: Topic
content: Natural gas
label: Topic
content: Nuclear energy
label: Topic
content: Aircraft
label: Topic
content: Oil burners
label: Topic
content: Lighting
label: Topic
content: Medicine
label: Topic
content: Mines and mineral resources
label: Topic
content: Oil fields
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History by the American Petroleum Institute through Red Cavaney and G. William Frick on December 16, 1999.
creator: label: Creator
content: American Petroleum Institute.
setName: label: See more items in
content: American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Film Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection includes historic photographs, slides and films on subjects relating to all aspects of the petroleum industry, including exploration, drilling, refineries, tankers, pipelines, automobiles, trucks, aviation, refueling, buildings, coal, gasification, plants, mining, surface mining, fields, land reclamation, coastal zone management, corporate public service, educational programs, crude oil, deepwater ports, and watercraft  It also documents numerous products other than gasoline produced by the petroleum industry, such as propane, lubricants, heating oil, and plastics.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The origins of the American Petroleum Institute (API) date to World War I, when Congress and the domestic oil and natural gas industry worked together to help the war effort.  At the time, the industry included the companies created in 1911 after the court-imposed dissolution of Standard Oil and the independents. These were companies that had been independent of Standard Oil and which had no experience working together. The companies agreed to work with the government to ensure that vital petroleum supplies were rapidly and efficiently deployed to the armed forces. The National Petroleum War Service Committee, which oversaw this effort, was initially formed under the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsequently as a quasi-governmental body. 

After the war, momentum began to build to form a national association that could represent the whole oil and natural gas industry in the postwar years. The industry's efforts to supply fuel during World War I not only highlighted the importance of the industry to the country, but also the industry's obligation to the public. 

The American Petroleum Institute was established on March 20, 1919, to afford a means of cooperation with the government in all matters of national concern; to foster foreign and domestic trade in American petroleum products; to promote in general the interests of the petroleum industry in all its branches; and to promote the mutual improvement of its members and the study of the arts and sciences connected with the oil and natural gas industry.

API offices were established in New York City, and the organization focused its efforts in several specific areas.  In late 1969, API moved its offices to Washington, D.C. 0F

*History note courtesy The Story of the American Petroleum Institute  , by Leonard M. Fanning, published in 1959, and  The American Petroleum Institute: An Informal History, 1919-1987  by Stephen P. Potter, published by API in 1990.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 45 Cubic feet (122 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1860s-1980s
label: Date
content: bulk 1955-1990
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0711
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Scripts (documents)
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Arranged into eight series.

Series 1, Historical Photographs, 1850s-1950s

Series 2, Modern Photographs, 1960s-1980s

Series 3, Miscellaneous Photographs, 1900s-1970s

Series 4, Slides, 1970s-1980s

Series 5, Photograph Albums, 1903-1968 (not inclusive)

Series 6, Scripts for Films, 1955-1978

Series 7, Publications, 1959-1990

Series 8, Films, 1960s
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Bob Ageton (volunteer) and Kelly Gaberlavage (intern), August 2004 and May 2006; supervised by Alison L. Oswald, archivist.

Series 1: Historical Photographs, Series 2: Modern Photographs, and Series 3: Miscellaneous Photographs digitzed by Noah Stewart, digital imaging technician, 2020-2021.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Scripts (documents)
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures (visual works) -- 1960-1980
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection contains, color and black-and-white photographs, contact sheets, slides, color transparencies, negatives, transcripts, audio tape cassettes, and films documenting the American Petroleum Institute (API) and all its activities. The material in the collection was assembled by API public relations staff from oil industry sources over several years and was used in public relations and educational materials.  

The photographs and slides are both original and copy prints are organized according to the organizational structure that API used. The photographs and slides document all aspects of the production of oil, from exploration to drilling, from cracking to refineries, from pipelines to tankers, and from storage tanks to service stations. They also document the numerous products other than gasoline produced by the petroleum industry including: kerosene, liquid propane gas, lubricants, heating oil, and plastics.   Additionally, they document the industry's efforts at self-promotion, its stand on environmental issues and energy conservation, its efforts to promote safety in its plants, and its perceived competition from other energy sources, such as gasohol, geothermal energy, solar energy, and nuclear energy.  Overall, these images portray the petroleum industry as it saw itself.

The collection also includes general images of petroleum workers, landscape and wildlife scenes, urban settings, vernacular architecture (service stations), railroads, road development, and the industry's crucial role during World War II.  

Series 1, Historical Photographs, 1860s-1950s

This series is divided into forty subseries and contains primarily black-and-white photographs, but there are some negatives.  Many of the photographs contain captions.  The content includes: advertising, lighting and heating, kerosene lamps, lubricants, medicine, aircraft, artwork, equipment, political cartoons, automobiles, terminals, disasters, charts, drilling, portable rigs, rotary rigs, exploration land rush, lighting and stoves, memorials, mining, natural gas, oil company offices, oil fields, pipelines, products, railroads, tank cars, refineries, safety, service stations, teamsters, war, watercraft, and wells.  

Series 2, Modern Photographs, 1960s-1980s

The series contains black-and-white and color photographs, negatives and transparencies.  The photographs are arranged into topical areas such as diagrams and maps, environment, electricity, exploration, natural gas, pipelines, storage, and wells. The following subjects are represented: artwork, automobiles, trucks, aviation, refueling, buildings, coal, gasification, plants, and mining, surface mining, fields, land reclamation, coastal zone management, corporate public service, educational programs, crude oil, and deepwater ports. 

Series 3, Miscellaneous Photographs, 1900s-1970s

The photographs consist of black-and-white copy prints, color transparencies, negatives, and slides for a variety of subjects: pipelines, platforms, service stations, and wells. The names of major oil and petroleum companies, such as Shell, Standard Oil, Sun Oil, and Savory Oil, are represented.  

Series 4, Slides, 1970s-1980s

The slides are divided into two subseries: slides presentations and slides by subject/topic. The slides presentations were assembled and presented by API staff. In some instances there are slides, transcripts, and audio tape cassettes for the presentations.  The presentations have been arranged alphabetically by title.  The subject slides are arranged alphabetically by topic/subject and are identified. Only some of the subject-related slides are dated. The miscellaneous slides contain such images as the Space Shuttle Columbia, sunsets, and industrial scenes. 

Series 5, Photograph Albums, 1903-1968 (not inclusive)

This series includes two photograph albums: one that focuses on aviation, bulk plants, chemistry, and disasters and the other on an advertising series from 1953.  The first album consists of black-and-white copy prints that are subdivided according to subject.  Some of the photographs have captions.  The album containing the advertising series is comprised of black-and-white copy prints with the corresponding print ad that was used.  The print ads vary in size and amount of text.  The advertising series addresses a variety of topics. 

Series 6, Scripts for Films, 1955-1978

The scripts consist of final transcripts and drafts for various films commissioned by API.  In some instances there are accompanying photographs.

Series 7, Publications, 1959-1990

This series includes publications from various petroleum companies such as the  Shell News  and  Petroleum Facts and Figures  and accompanying slides from the API library that were featured in articles. 

Series 8, Films, 1960s

The films consist of 34 reels of motion picture film. The films are production elements (negatives, track negatives, and A and B rolls). It is not possible to make film elements available for research use.