The Winterthur Library
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry
Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum
5105
Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware 19735
302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Creator: United States Military Academy. Dept. of Military Art and Engineering.
Title: Student
drawings
Dates: 1824-1827
Call No.: Fol. 160
Acc. No.: 80x267
Quantity: 117
leaves (some blank)
Location: 5
G 5-8
BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
The United States Military Academy was authorized by legislation in 1802. Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, superintendent from 1817-1833, promoted a curriculum which emphasized civil engineering, preparing graduates to build not only forts but also bridges, canals, harbors, and roads.
David Bates Douglass was a civil and military engineer and a professor at the U.S. Military Academy from 1815-1831. After resigning that position, he was a consulting engineer on a number of projects, a president of Kenyon University, and was a professor at Hobart College at the time of his death in 1849.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
Consists of drawings executed by the first class, beginning with "the year ending July 4th 1825, at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. and approved by D.B. Douglass, Professor." Some of the drawings are signed and dated from 1824 to 1827. The volume opens with a section called "Mathematical Theory of Shades, Shadows, and Perspectives," which consists of exercises in descriptive geometry, including two and three point perspective renderings of geometric solids with their shades and shadows along with renderings of groined arches. The larger portion of the volume contains drawings of architectural and engineering details, including particulars for roofing and flooring; decorative architectural moldings in the Greek and Roman Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Tuscan orders; imposts; archivolts; spiral staircases; roads; culverts; cast iron arched, wrought iron, suspension, wood truss, and balance bridges, along with centerings and centers for determining curves of arches; foundations; canals; locks; tunnels; ports; military field work installations; harbors; and forts and fortifications.
LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
RELATED MATERIAL
See also Washington Hood drawings, Col. 101, at this repository. Hood attended the United States Military Academy at the same time as some of the men represented in this collection.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Charles B. Wood.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Douglass, David Bates, 1790-1849.
Topics:
Architectural drawing - Detailing.
Architecture - Details.
Bridges - Design and construction.
Canals - Design and construction.
Engineering drawings.
Fortification - Drawings.
Geometry - Problems, exercises, etc.
Military engineering - Study and teaching.
Military architecture.
Drawings.
Architectural drawings.
Military engineers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 5 G 5-8
Box 1:
.1 title page: "Mathematical Theory of Shades, Shadows, and Perspectives, (as executed by the first class, of the year ending July 4th 1825)”
.2 shadows of a chimney (1st case), by Benj. Huger
.3 shadows of a chimney (2nd case), by R. C. Smead, 1824
.4 shadow of a half-cylinder, by T. S. Brown, 1824
.5 shades and shadows of a cone, by R. Anderson, 1824
.6 shades and shadows of a sphere, by W. A. Thornton, 1824
.7 shadows of a niche, by H.[?] Smith
.8 shades and shadows of a surface of revolution, by P. McMartin
.9 shades and shadows of a screw (triangular fillet), by W.A. Thornton
.10 shades and shadows of a screw (square fillet), by T.S. Brown
.11 shades and shadows of a screw (rectangular fillet), by A. D. Bache
.12 perspective of a cube and its shadow, not signed
.13 perspective of a cone with its shadow & shade, by R. C. Smead
.14 perspective of a cylinder with its shade and shadow, by J. W. Harris
.15 perspective of the niche with its shadow, by Alex. H. Bowman
.16 perspective of the sphere with its shade & shadow, by H.[?] Smith
.17 perspective of the groined arch with its shadows, by W. A. Thornton
.18 Masonry no. 9: stair case, by Worthington
.19 Carpentry no. 2: trusses, by L. Bibb
.20 Carpentry no. 3: details in flooring and truss work, by L. Bibb
.21 Carpentry no. 4: roofs, by L. Gale, 1826
.22 Carpentry no. 5: roof, by J. Van Horne
.23 Carpentry no. 6: bevel roof, by Worthington
.24 Decorative architecture no. 1: mouldings, by E. Schenck
.25 Decorative architecture no. 2: Grecian Doric, by D. Perkins, 1826
.26 Decorative architecture no. 3: Tuscan, by E. Schenck
.27 Decorative architecture no. 4: by Bradford
.28 Ionic order: Architecture: Decorative Part no. 5, by Furman
.29 Decorative architecture no. 6: Corinthian, by Child
.30 Decorative architecture no. 7: Pedestels [sic], by Whipple[?]
.31 Decorative architecture no. 9: imposts & archivolts, by E. Schenck
Box 2:
.32 Roads, no. 1, by Worthington
.33 Roads, no. 2, by Bradford
.34 Roads, no. 3, by A. J. Center
.35 Roads, no. 4; excavation & embankment, by Worthington
.36 Roads, no. 5: culverts, by E. Schenck
.37 Bridges, no. 1, by Child
.38 Bridges, no. 2, by E. Schenck
.39 Bridges, no. 3: foundations, by Jas. A. J. Bradford
.40 Bridges, no. 4: foundations, by E. Sibley, 1826
.41 Bridges, no. 5: centering, by Buford
.42 Bridges, no. 6: cast iron arches, by Child
.43 Bridges, no. 7: wrought iron suspension, by E. Schenck
.44 Bridges, no. 8: wooden truss frames, by Worthington
.45 Bridges, no. 9: wooden bearings of large span, by E. Schenck
.46 Canals, no. 1, by Bradford
.47 Canals, no. 2: lock, by Buford
.48 Canals, no. 3: waste weir, by Child
.49 Canals, no. 4: draught gate, by Child
.50 Canals, no. 5: ballance [sic] bridges, by Buford
.51 Canals, no. 6: tunnels, by E. Schenck
.52 Artificial sea port harbor, by Child
.53-.54 profiles for field works, by A. J. Center
.55 Field works: continuous lines, not signed by student, only by Douglass
.56 Field works: continuous lines, by Worthington
.57 Field works: lines with intervals, by Bradford, 1827
.58 Field works: lines of detached works, by Buford
.59 Field works: bastion system, not signed by student, only by
Douglass
.60 Field works: constructions, not signed by student, only by Douglass
.61 openings [most of title is worn away and this is the only word legible], by Worthington
.62 Field works: redoubt, by E. Schenck
.63 Field works: tenailled square fort, not signed by student, only by Douglass
.64 Field works: battery, by Child
Box 3:
.65 not labeled, but similar to .34 (Roads, no. 3), not signed
.66 not labeled, but similar to .32 (Roads, no. 1), not signed
.67 not labeled, not similar to another of the roads drawings, but probably part of that series, not signed
.68 blank sheet
.69 curves for bridges, not signed, not labeled
.70 stone arch, possibly a bridge, not signed, not labeled
.71 blank sheet
.72 part of a fortress or field work, not signed, not labeled
.73 field works, not signed, not labeled
.74 part of a fortress or field work, not signed, not labeled
.75 stone arches and parts of forts, by T. B. Brown, not labeled
.76 stone arches and parts of forts, not signed, not labeled
.77 wood and masonry walls, similar to Bridges no. 4 (.40), not signed, not labeled
.78 wooden truss bridge, not signed, not labeled
.79 wooden bridge, not signed, not labeled
.80 wooden truss bridge, not signed, not labeled
.81-.82 two blank pages
.83 Civil Engineering: Bridges, no. [blank], by Theo B. Brown
.84 bridge, by Theo B. Brown, not labeled
.85 outline of hills, with drawings of angles, related to Canals no. 1 (.46), not signed, not labeled
.86 canal, related to Canals, no. 2 (.47), not signed, not labeled
.87 tunnel, related to Canals, no. 6 (.51), not signed, not labeled
.88 harbor, related to .52, not signed, not labeled
.89-.90 arches and projection lines, not signed, not labeled
Box 4:
.91-.95 arches and projection lines, not signed, not labeled
.96 profiles of molding, not signed, not labeled
.97 profiles of pedestals, with proportions and one with decoration, not signed, not labeled
.98-.102 proportions of columns and entablatures, different orders, not signed, not labeled
.103-.104 blank papers
.105-.106 outline of hills, with drawings of angles, possibly related to Canals no. 1 (.46), not signed, not labeled
.107-.112 drawings of parts of fortifications and field works, not signed, not labeled
.113 drawing of fortification or field work, by T. B. Brown, not labeled
.114-.115 drawings of parts of fortifications and field works, not signed, not labeled
.116 drawing of field work, by T. B. Brown, not labeled
.117 drawing of parts of fortifications and field works, not signed, not labeled
Index of
students represented in Fol. 160 (acc. 80x267.1-.117)
Names
as signed, followed by full name, year of graduation, and rank in class;
identifications taken from The
Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United State
Military Academy.
Anderson,
R. .5
(Robert Anderson, 1825, no. 15)
Bache,
A. D. .11
(Alexander D. Bache, 1825, no. 1)
Bibb,
L. .19, .20
(Lucien Bibb, 1827, no. 5)
Bowman,
Alex. H. .15
(Alexander H. Bowman, 1825, no. 3)
Bradford .27, .33, .46, .57
(James A. J. Bradford, 1827, no. 4)
Bradford,
Jas. A. J. .39
(James A. J. Bradford, 1827, no. 4)
Brown,
T. B. .75, .113, .116
(Theophilus
B. Brown, 1826, no. 18)
Brown,
Theo. B. .83-.84
(Theophilus
B. Brown, 1826, no. 18)
Brown,
T. S. .4, .10
(Thompson S. Brown, 1825, no. 4)
Buford .41, .47, .50, .58
(Napoleon B. Buford, 1827, no. 6)
Center,
A. J. .34, .53-.54
(Alexander J. Center, 1827, no. 22)
Child .29, .37, .42, .48-.49, .52, .64
(John Childe, 1827, no. 2)
Furman .28
(John G. Furman, 1827, no. 14)
Gale,
L. .21
(Levin Gale, 1827, no. 28)
Harris,
J. W. .14
(Joseph W. Harris, 1825, no. 13)
Huger,
Benj. .2
(Benjamin Huger, 1825, no. 8)
McMartin, P. .8
(Peter McMartin,
1825, no. 2)
Perkins,
D. .25
(David Perkins, 1827, no. 20)
Schenck, E. .24, .26, .31, .36, .38, .43, .45, .51, .62
(Edwin Schenck,
1827, no. 7)
Sibley,
E. .40
(Ebenezer Sibley, 1827, no. 1)
Smead, R.C. .3, .13
(Raphael C. Smead,
1825, no. 7)
Smith,
H.(?) .7, .16
(difficult to make out first
initial, but if it is an H, then this would be Horace Smith, 1825, no. 18)
Thornton,
W.A. .6, .9, .17
(William A. Thornton, 1825, no. 12)
Van
Horne, J. .22
(Jefferson Van Horne, 1827, no. 30)
Whipple .30
(no one with this name listed as
graduate between 1824-1828; the name is difficult to read and might not be
Whipple, but a search of the biographical register did not suggest any other
name)
Worthington .18, .23, .32, .35. .44, .56, .61
(Thomas Worthington, 1827, no. 12)
unsigned,
except for professor’s name .12, .55,
.59-.60, .63
unsigned .65-.74, .76-.82, .85-.112, .114-.115, .117
(some pages blank)