A river ran through it
This lantern slide of the Shoshone Dam is among the records of the Federal Bureau of Reclamation which built the dam.
Bird's-eye view of San Francisco
This aerial photograph shows a section of San Francisco, California, and its waterfront along the bay. By the time the picture was taken on January 30, 1951, the...
Diving armor
In 1830, Sewall Short and Noah Bradford submitted a patent application for the submarine explorer. In their application, they claimed that they had created a...
Diving dress
In 1810, Chauncey Hall submitted this drawing in support of his patent application for a diving dress. He received a patent on December 24, 1810.
Enjoying the water
A fisherman’s family enjoys the waters of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. Photographer John Messina took this photo in July 1972 as part of the Documerica...
Fire ladder
James Johnson’s invention for a fire ladder was patented on April 18, 1831. He states in his application that the ladder on wheels allows for easy access to a...
Galveston coastal view
This aerial photograph, taken on March 27, 1952, shows the coastline of Galveston, Texas. The city's location on the Gulf of Mexico exposes it to tropical storms, the...