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- Charles F. Brush, Sr. Papers
Charles F. Brush, Sr. Papers
Show moreMost of the letters here were written between Charles F. Brush, Sr., and his family members, most notably his son, Charles F. Brush, Jr., and his son’s wife, Dorothy Brush (Walmsley). Unfortunately, not much correspondence exists before 1910. In the letters (dated between 1911 and 1929) between Brush, Sr., his son, and daughter-in-law, they discuss their lives in Cleveland and elsewhere, their travels, scientific experiments, school, and grandchildren. The correspondence also documents how Dorothy and Brush, Sr., coped with the death of Charles F. Brush, Jr., in 1927. The correspondence files also highlight Brush’s efforts to prove his theory of gravitation. This theory suggested that the behavior of gravity could be explained by the action of ether. Ether was thought to be a gas which many believed occupied space in which light traveled. Thus, Brush attempted to prove the existence of ether. After many years of conducting his own experiments in his Euclid Avenue home’s basement laboratory to prove the existence of ether, Brush contracted scientists at the U.S. Bureau of Standards and General Electric to further his work. As the correspondence showed, the experiments done at the U.S. Bureau of Standards and General Electric could not prove, to their satisfaction, the existence of ether.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreThe laboratory notes deal with his storage battery experiments, as well as his later quest to prove his theory of gravitation. Records of note include a 240 page journal which Brush attempts to recount the details of his early experiments in developing the original arc lighting technology in the 1870s.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreWithin this series are two volumes, which contain 68 printed patent specifications of Brush inventions involving the arc light, dynamo, and storage battery systems. Related to Brush’s inventions are a small amount of financial records, ca. 1880s, from the Brush Electric Company.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreThis series contains litigation materials related to Carl Linde and the Linde Air Products Company. Included here are printed patent dispute documents, blue prints and handwritten descriptions of the Linde air liquidification process, and legal documents regarding patent disputes that involved Linde patents. These records were probably held by Brush. The series also consists of correspondence, contracts, and legal documents relating to various legal proceedings involving the Brush Electric Company, Accumulator Company, and the Brush-Swan Company. Points of dispute include violation of contracts for manufacture of Brush products. These records were filed in the offices of William B. Bolton, who was the General Counsel of the Brush Electric Company. Printed material related to litigation involving Brush patents, including the arc lamp, storage battery, and dynamo.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show morePersonal checks, check stubs, and invoices for services and goods provided to Charles F. Brush. The bulk of the material is related to the building of Brush’s Euclid Avenue home. Many items have been damaged by fire. Contained here are some early financial records of the Brush Electric Company. These include ledger sheets for recording royalties on Brush inventions. Information included here are: date of shipment; customer who ordered merchandise; customer that the merchandise was shipped to, merchandise shipped (machines, lamps, storage batteries, or carbons); gross price of merchandise, amount of royalty. Also in this series are ledger sheets for recording shipment of merchandise. Information included here are: date of shipment; customer who ordered merchandise; customer that the merchandise was shipped to; merchandise shipped (machines, lamps, storage batteries, carbons); gross price of merchandise, amount of royalty. Other records include Charles Brush’s accounts with the Brush Electric Company and statements of merchandise returned for credit or repair.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreIncluded in this record series are news clippings from daily newspapers around the country as well as scientific journals and popular publications such as Harper’s Weekly. Topics discussed are: Brush’s work on the arc light, dynamo, and storage battery; Euclid Avenue home and windmill; Brush Foundation and its activities; Brush’s death in 1929; patent litigation; Brush’s theory of gravitation.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreArranged chronologically, this series contains reprints, as well as some typed and handwritten manuscripts, of scientific articles written (and published) by Brush over a 50 year time span. Most articles deal with Brush’s experiments to support his theory of gravitation, though, there are a few articles that discuss his groundbreaking work with the arc light. Many items were damaged by fire.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreIncluded in this series are biographical sketches of Charles F. Brush and his son, Charles F. Brush, Jr., as well as various Brush family trees. These include two published genealogies that focused on the parents of Charles F. Brush, Isaac and Delia Brush. Collected Publications are arranged chronologically, Brush’s small collection of reprints of articles which appeared in scientific journals. Authors of the articles include his contemporary, Elihu Thomson. Legal documents relating mostly to business and property interests of Charles F. Brush. Items include contracts between Brush and the Brush Electric Company, Brush’s 1879 contract with the city of Cleveland to light Monumental Park, and the 1928 establishment of the Brush Foundation. Miscellaneous items related mostly to Brush, including awards and citations received by Brush, business cards, a ledger belonging to his brother Henry, and the 1927 dedication program of Charles F. Brush High School in Lyndhurst, Ohio.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreThe Brush Laboratories Company was founded in 1921 by Charles F. Brush, Sr., Charles F. Brush, Jr., and Charles Baldwin Sawyer, to engage in scientific research, testing and engineering, as well as the making of and dealing in inventions, patents and processes. Charles F. Brush, Jr., was the first president. After Charles F. Brush, Jr.’s, unexpected death in 1927, Sawyer assumed the leadership in the company. The records here include employment contracts and resignations, stock agreements with Charles F. Brush, Sr., license agreements, and patent transfers. The Brush Electric Company includes product catalogs or descriptions of early Brush electrical products such as electric light systems and dynamos.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreCharles Baldwin Sawyer was a close friend of Charles F. Brush, Jr., Charles F. Brush, Sr.’s son. Sawyer, closely attached to Brush's family for many years, wanted to make known the unique contribution of Charles F. Brush, Sr., to American electrical technology. After the latter's death in 1929, Sawyer gave much effort to gathering data, verifying historical events, and collecting documents and artifacts relevant to Brush's career. In this series, are Sawyer’s files related to Charles F. Brush, Sr. Most importantly is the correspondence between Sawyer, Dorothy Brush Walmsley, Margaret Richardson, E. S. Lincoln, and the Case Institute of Technology regarding the writing of a biography of Charles F. Brush, Sr. Other files document Sawyer’s efforts to publicize Brush’s accomplishments through anniversary celebrations, plaque unveilings, and even the naming of a World War II battleship after Brush.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreContracted by Charles F. Brush, Jr.’s, widow, Dorothy Brush Walmsley, Margaret Richardson attempted to write a proper biography of Charles F. Brush, Sr. Due to health reasons, Richardson was unable to finish the biography and sold her notes, chapter drafts, copies of Brush materials, and other files, all contained here, to Charles Baldwin Sawyer in 1954. One subseries is organized by chapter, these files document Margaret Richardson’s efforts to write a biography of Charles F. Brush, Sr. Within each folder are contained a wide variety of materials, including chapter drafts, notes, copies of materials in the Brush papers, news clippings, and background information. Miscellaneous files are organized in two folders of correspondence, arranged by author. Especially important is the correspondence between Richardson and Dorothy Brush , widow of Charles F. Brush, Jr., regarding Richardson’s efforts to write a Charles F. Brush, Sr., biography. Research files include Richardson research files related to her Brush biography. Filed alphabetically, these records contain newspaper clippings, hand and typed written copies of materials in the Brush papers, and background information. Also included here are Richardson’s handwritten notecards, divided by bibliography, chronology, and topical subject.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreFiles here include Eisenman’s 1967 dissertation on Charles F. Brush and his research files. The research files contain background and contextual information, copies of scientific articles, and price lists for scientific equipment.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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Show moreThis series includes portraits of Brush, Brush with his scientific contemporaries, his home including basement laboratory, the “Walnut Hills” homestead where he grew up, equipment and machines, and backyard windmill, as well as photographs and glass plate negatives dated ca. 1909 used for his experiments on his theory of gravitation. 4x5 negatives are filed with the image that it is a copy of, while glass plate negatives are filed separately and may have photographic prints filed elsewhere in this series.
Charles F. Brush, Sr., Papers
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