Models were sent along with a patent drawing(s) and specifications, which included the inventor's claims why the idea was new. Patent Office examiners used the models, along with the drawings and claims, to help them understand how the invention might work.  Patent requirements different in that era; back then, an invention primariy had to be new or novel rather then useful. Thus some models represent patented inventions that we might view as charming flights of fancy, while others truly changed the world in which we live. 

When a model arrived at the Patent Office, a receiving tag was made and attached to the model; many still exist and remain with the models. After the review process was completed, if an invention was granted a U.S. Patent, a hand-made patent tag was created. It displayed the patent number, patent date, inventor's name and the name of the invention. This original patent tag was affixed to the model with a piece of thin, red tape. This tape was used by many government offices back then to bundle papers and the like and it is this same "red tape" that gave rise to the expression "government red tape." Over time, many of these tags were lost or destroyed, but since the patent papers remain on file at the Patent Office, they can often be identified.

       Patent Models are often confused with salesman samples, because at first glance they may appear to be alike because both are miniatures.  However, salesmen's samples are small examples of production items, made in multiples and used by salesman to  help sell goods. They typically represent large items such as furniture, appliances, etc., which were too large for a salesman to carry about from customer to customer.  They may or may not represent a patented article.

    A Patent Model, on the other hand, is the only such model in existence. It is the actual, one-of-a-kind original model sent to the nation's first Patent Office to represent an invention that was subsequently granted a patent. The original patent drawing(s) and patent specifications remain on file with the Patent Office to this date. Each model is a 3-dimensional example of some of our nation's first examples of American Ingenuity!

    These fascinating models cover every aspect of life in America when it was a fledgling nation. From agricultural implements, to the domestic arts, to marvels of industry, each model illuminates life in early America and shows how our country's first doers and dreamers launched an industrial revolution that was the envy of the world.

     The models were proudly displayed in our nation's grand, newly-built Patent Office Building located on "F" Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. There, amidst miles of glorious architectural wings, these curious, 3-dimensional examples of "Yankee Know-How" were exhibited in row upon row of shiny glass cabinets.

     People the world over came to view these miniature examples of patented invention, each one an icon of American progress. They represented what was once state-of-the art in innovation and they dazzled the world! Today, this beautiful building houses the Smithsonian Institution's American Portrait Gallery. 

          During these halcyon years of American inventiveness, the number of models swiftly mounted. Eventually, they began to putgrow alloted space and began to overtake every nook and cranny in the patent office. Finally, what was once the Patent Office's pride became an albatross. Costs and space to maintain the immense collections were becoming a burden to our govenrment, so in the late 1800s the laws requiring a model with a patent application were rescinded, ending a most unique era in American history. From that time forward, the Patent Office has relied upon the drawings and specifications in granting patents. 

      The models were placed in storage where they remained until the early 1900s when a short-sighted Congress ordered them sold at auction as government surplus rather than continue to pay for storage charges. Since then, much of the collection has remained largely unseen by the public.

    This vast, original collection pased through the hands of several private owners, with many sold along the way at such unlikely venues as Neiman Marcus and Hammacher Schlemmer. The last private owner conveyed them to our Foundation in the early 1990's. It had been the Foundation's hope to provide the collection to a major institution; however, it soon discovered that the size and scope of the models are such that it is too large for one entity to properly care for and exhibit the entire collection.

     Therefore, to support our school education programs and defray the tremendous costs of housing and caring for this large collection of models for more than a decade, we are offering a limited selection to collectors through our eBay auctions. Many others are destined for museums and local historical societies where it is hoped they will once again be enjoyed by the public.  Many models, acquired shortly before the govenrment auction of the models, were acquired and are currently seen in museums such as the Smithsonian, the Hagley, Henry Ford and other prestigious institutions.

     Here is a rare chance to own a museum quality artifact of American history - and an investment collectible - that can never be duplicated - while helping to support the Foundation's programs to help encourage today's young inventors. 

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