Interesting info on antique ordnance, which I have not seen elsewhere

[cannonmn]

It goes on for about 25 pages, cannons, shells, locks, then various kinds of cannon powder...  This describes some experimental Confederate breechloaders I've never heard of before, and as far as I know, some listed no longer exist.  Wonder where they went?

The real value of this document is that it contains a lot of info that as far as I can tell doesn't exist anywhere else.

I bet there's a thing or two in here even the Seacoast boys haven't heard of!

http://books.google.com/books?id=fZwFAAAAQAAJ&dq=abbott%20siege%20richmond&pg=PA663#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[cannonmn]

Another section has mostly foreign ordnance, particularly Krupp, and many drawings.  There's even quite a bit on Swedish ordnance ca. 1876, toward the end of the book.

http://books.google.com/books?id=fZwFAAAAQAAJ&dq=abbott%20siege%20richmond&pg=PA774#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[Forward Observer]

Thanks for posting this.

Of course this appears to be part of the huge amount of various items that were on display for Philadelphia Centennial exhibition in 1876.   Interestingly, most if not all of the items from the exhibition were given to the Smithsonian institution afterwards, and much of it has been kept in pristine condition in storage since then--including the artillery and firearms.   

Sometime during or after the Bi-centennial, the Smithsonian pulled a bunch off this stuff out of storage and put it on exhibit again in the Arts & Industries building on Washington mall.   My first wife and I visited there in 1984.     This building dates from the 1880 and its Victorian style architecture was perfect for this exhibit.   They had red, white, and blue bunting hanging from the Victorian style interior iron frame work and walls--and the building was filled with all these exhibits of the latest inventions and innovations that farm and industry had to offer in 1876.   

The place was absolutely stuffed with century old items that looked brand new----including display case after case of inventions, preserved farm produce, stuffed animals, the latest steam engines, a full size 4-4-0 locomotive, tools, the latest firearms---and best of all setting in the floor at the back of the building was a whole section of artillery ranging from normal sized field pieces to huge coastal guns.   I remember seeing a huge Rodman and several similar coastal type guns.   I even remember a full size model of a camel with a Gatling gun mounted on the front of its saddle.  Mind you these were not battlefield relics, but  brand spanking new items.  It was like walking into a time capsule.    There is  no telling how many of the items from your list made it into  the Smithsonian stock piles, but from what I remember it was a bunch.

They eventually took this exhibit down an all this stuff went back into storage.  The building is currently closed for renovation, but it would be nice it they put this exhibit back out when they re-open the building.

I took a few photos of all this stuff, but unfortunately I had a borrowed 35mm camera at the time that I really did not know how to operate, and the few good pictures I got must have gone with my ex-wife when we split up.


Cheers

[seacoastartillery]

    Thanks for posting those items, John.  We were aware of the 1876 Philadelphia International Exposition, of course, and had done a little looking at the sites which detail the building's construction, but we knew little about the ordinance displayed there, except for the very large exception of the monstrous seacoast gun, the 20" Rodman which threw 1080 lb. cored shot 4.5 miles and weighed an astounding 170,000 pounds, before profile turning.  One of the most fascinating stories, we believe, of peace-time ordinance movement, is the one detailing Army Ordnance Lt. Henry Metcalf's rigging and movement of the aforementioned gun from a leaking lumber hauling ship to it's emplacement on the grounds of the exposition.  This job can only be compared to juggling ten pool balls instead of your normal six on a moments notice!  He later became the inventor of the first box magazine for small arms. 

     We liked the other section too, because we like reading about the artilleryman's equipment and it's operation almost as much as the details of firing.  If anyone ever finds a photo of a Laidley Gun-Lift please let us know; yes, we do know about the Maryland-Silver Co. and their drawings and AOP.

Regards,

Tracy and Mike