Manuals: Conic sections, 1857

Series “I. Company and personal records” dates from 1853 to 1948, with the bulk of materials dating from the 1860s to 1948, and documents the financial records and research interests of the Birkinbine Engineering Company. It also houses a few personal artifacts of the Birkinbine family. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject, and chronologically within each subject. Subjects include: business records, catalogs, certificates, clippings, coursework, indices, manuals, personal records, reference materials, reports, scrapbooks, senate and court proceedings, souvenirs, surveys, and writings.

Business records feature the Birkinbine Engineering Company’s financial records, project documentation, and information explaining the state of the mining, iron, and water works industries. There are a number of checks and check stub books from the Girard Trust Company detailing the Birkinbine Engineering Company’s expenditures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as receipts, tax forms, and summaries of office accounts. Business records also contain plans and specifications for mining and water works projects, in particular the Birkinbine Engineering Company’s involvement with the South Bend Water Supply Company and areas of Mexico, some of which are written in Spanish. Business records also include rolled charts and graphs. These statistics track the production of blast furnaces and pig iron within the United States, the Birkinbine Engineering Company’s shipment records of iron ore, as well as the value and rate of increase of raw materials used in the anthracite coal industry. Also included are water works notices, ordinances, and proposals from the Chicago Water Works. Furthermore, business records feature Carl Birkinbine’s engineering registration card, and several business cards of John Birkinbine.

In addition to business records, this series contains a catalog from the Iszard-Warren Company, Incorporated for survey instruments and drawing materials. It also houses several certificates presented to John Birkinbine and Carl Birkinbine from events and organizations such as The Franklin Institute, The Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition, The Hamilton School, The Iron and Steel Institute, and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This series also features albums of newspaper and journal clippings that highlight the Birkinbine Engineering Company’s executives, projects, and articles written by members of the Birkinbine family.

This series includes selected coursework of H.P. Birkinbine, John Birkinbine, and Carl Birkinbine from the University of Pennsylvania; specifically, hand-drawn maps, mechanical drawings, lettering sheets, topographical surveys, and the measuring implements used to execute those assignments. Furthermore, coursework subjects include a mining and metallurgy course listing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as instructional handbooks regarding coal and mining information from the United States Department of the Interior.

This series also contains two indices of photographs and geological survey coordinates. These materials will prove useful to researchers when used in conjunction with series “II. Photographs,” and series “III. Maps, drawings and plans,” respectively. The series contains many manuals relating to engineering subjects, ranging from general topics such as civil engineering to specific subjects such as blast furnace operation. This series includes a number of reference materials relating to the mining and iron industries; however, most of this data lacks identifying information. The majority of reference materials are minimally-annotated charts and graphs; yet, several folders contain photographs and charts of precipitation patterns in Pennsylvania and New York.

This series includes reports from the late 19th century, most of which are annual reports from the Philadelphia Water Department and the Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania. One such report from the Commissioners of Fairmount Park details the extensive Fairmount Water Works project. Furthermore, this series features writings by H.P. Birkinbine, John Birkinbine, and Carl Birkinbine; however, most Birkinbine-authored materials in this collection are by John Birkinbine. Much of the John Birkinbine materials are addresses he delivered at various organizations and events such as the American Institute of Mining Engineers, the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia, and the Franklin Institute. Other materials authored by John Birkinbine include geological reports on iron ore and geological censuses.

This series contains extensive material regarding geological surveys conducted by the United States Department of the Interior from the 1900s to 1920s. Several of these surveys cover entire states, including Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, and Michigan; yet, most pertain to detailed mineral deposits and geological formations along specific regions. “The geology and ore deposits of the Bisbee Quadrangle, Arizona;” “Preliminary report on the geology and underground water resources of the Central Great Plains;” and “Geology of the Marysville Mining District, Montana” are a few such examples of these surveys’ specificity. John Birkinbine wrote many of these surveys himself, especially concerning topics of iron and manganese ore production. While most of these geological surveys investigate territory United States’ territory, this series contains a few surveys of Canadian regions and one survey of India.

This series contains a unique assortment of souvenirs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are many view books of United States cities such as Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Minnesota. Souvenirs include exhibition brochures, such as “The Forestry Exhibition” by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, and advertisements for machine parts from companies such as Weimer’s Machine Works. Souvenirs also feature brochures, invitations, and cards from dinners, meetings, and receptions from organizations including the American Institute of Mining Engineers, the Charcoal Iron Works, the Iron and Steel Institute, and the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain. There are also tour booklets and souvenir books from areas of Mexico as well as a stamp booklet. Other materials include pocket calendars; excerpts of children’s literature; railroad timetables; brochures commemorating visits to iron works, water works, and mining companies; and buyer’s guides.

As mentioned, this series contains several personal records of the Birkinbine family. These include death announcements and commemorations of John Birkinbine, issues of periodicals Godey’s Lady Book and Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, a genealogical chart of the Gilbert family, and a few assorted volumes on wolf hunting and biographies of graduates from Polytechnic College.