Guide to the General Machinery Corporation Collection , 1920-1961
(bulk 1920-1949)
Steamship Historical Society of America, Archives
Steamship Historical Society of America
2500 Post Road
Warwick, RI 02886
Tel: 401-463-3570
E-mail: info@sshsa.org
Published in 2023
Collection Overview
| Title: | General Machinery Corporation Collection |
| Date range: | 1920-1961, (bulk 1920-1949) |
| Creator: | General Machinery Company (Cincinnati, Ohio) |
| Extent: | 1.15 cubic feet |
| Abstract: | Publications, ledgers, manuals, and photo albums from Baldwin-Hamilton records related to General Machinery Corporation and Hooven-Owens-Rentschler. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | Steamship Historical Society of America, Archives |
| Collection number: | 1976.01 |
Scope & content
This collection comprises records from Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co., which later became part of General Machinery Corporation and then the Baldwin-Hamilton Company. Notable items in the collection include a series of ledgers featuring calibrations and aspects of steam and diesel engine manufacturing, as well as several photo albums of General Machinery Corp's Hamilton, Ohio plant. These photo albums include many photos of women factory workers during WWII.Access Points
Subject Organizations- Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co.
- General Machinery Company (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation
- Marine engineering
- Marine engineering--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Steam-engines
- Steam-engines--Design and construction
- Steam-engines--Pictorial works
- Corliss steam-engine
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in three series.
- Series 1: General Machinery Corporation Ledgers
- Series 2: Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Photo Albums
- Series 3: Manuals, Instructions, and Parts Lists
Biographical note
Hooven, Owens, Rentschler, and Company was an engine manufacturing firm based in Hamilton, Ohio that produced a large quantity of stationary Corliss steam engines in the late 19th-early 20th century. Its focus shifted to marine engines following the United States' entry to World War One in 1917, which saw the company receiving multiple government contracts. These contracts were initially for smaller, 850- and 1400-horsepower engines, but eventually included 2800-horsepower engines. The height of its efforts saw the company producing up to four 2800-horsepower engines a week. In addition to producing steam engines, Hooven, Owens, Rentschler, and Company also manufactured diesel engines. The Hamilton, Ohio plant built a large quantity of triple-expansion steam reciprocating engines for Liberty Ships in WWII as General Machinery Corporation, the company’s official name as of 1928. After several mergers, General Machinery Corporation became part of the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation, which was in operation until 1972.Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | This collection is available to the public by appointment at the Steamship Historical Society. Objects that are fragile, significant, or require additional tools to access may require archivist assistance. |
| Use of the materials: | Use, reproduction, and/or publication of archival material is prohibited without prior approval of the Steamship Historical Society. Fees and/or restrictions may apply. Please contact the SSHSA archivist, Astrid Drew, at adrew@sshsa.org for more information. |
| Preferred citation: | General Machinery Corporation Collection, 1976.01, Steamship Historical Society of America Archives, www.sshsa.org. |
| Contact information: | Steamship Historical Society of America, Archives Steamship Historical Society of America 2500 Post Road Warwick, RI 02886 Tel: 401-463-3570 E-mail: info@sshsa.org |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | Henry Rentschler, President of the Baldwin-Hamilton Company (formerly General Machinery Corporation), donated this collection to the SSHSA in 1976. The SSHSA retains the original Deed of Gift, appraisal, and inventory of the collection. The General Machinery Corporation Collection was retroactively accessioned by Archivist Astrid Drew in 2015 and later processed and cataloged by Assistant Archivist Tessa Mediano in June 2023. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Tessa Mediano. |
| Encoding: | Finding aid encoded by Tessa Mediano 2023 July 14 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
Additional Information
| Related material: | The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission has a list of institutions holding material from Baldwin Locomotive Works and Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton: https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/Research-Online/Pages/Other-Baldwin-Locomotive-Works.aspx#.Ve7lxBFVhBd |