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Naval History and Heritage Command

UA 56.04 Dahlgren Naval Weapons Lab Collection

Collection of 74 b/w photographs (copies) depicting the facilities and work conducted at the Dahlgren proving ground (and its initial location at Indian Head, MD) from 1890 to the 1950s. The imagery begins with the Naval Proving Ground at Indian Head, MD in 1890 (including various buildings, firing batteries and armaments). The collection of imagery was likely used as part of an exhibit or presentation (descriptive text is affixed to the front of most photographs).
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Title: Dahlgren Naval Weapons Lab Collection
Caption: Collection photo #UA 56.04.01 - in 1918 the Proving Ground was moved to Virginia. With neither roads nor rails into the "Lower Station", the big guns from Indian Head had to be carried down by barge.
Description: Collection of 74 b/w photographs (copies) depicting the facilities and work conducted at the Dahlgren proving ground (and its initial location at Indian Head, MD) from 1890 to the 1950s. The imagery begins with the Naval Proving Ground at Indian Head, MD in 1890 (including various buildings, firing batteries and armaments). The collection of imagery was likely used as part of an exhibit or presentation (descriptive text is affixed to the front of most photographs).
Accession #: UA 56
Catalog #: UA 56.04
Donor: Dahlgren Naval Weapons Lab
Copyright Owner: Naval History & Heritage Command
Related Content

Specific topics include the movement of the big guns from Indian Head, MD to Dahlgren, VA, via barge, firing guns, newly constructed buildings at Dahlgren (administration, work, quarters, etc.), cameras (Mk. II Triangulation Camera and 33mm Universal Movie Camera No. 1884) that were used to test ship’s guns and mounts ( 1912), aerials of the base, armor plate firing (an interesting photo that includes both staff and laborer’s names), testing railroad mounts, flight control and plane testing, and bomb testing.  Interior building photos show the development and usage of new computational devices (computers). Ground-breaking early computers were sent to Dahlgren to help with ballistic work and other directives, including the Aiken Relay Calculator (1946), Aiken-Dahlgren Electronic Calculator (1949), and the Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC) (1955). The 1959 Universal Data Transcriber was developed to transform the data recorded from various media to the media of the calculator. Photographs show the testing of explosives in the Potomac River (1946) prior to the Bikini Tests.

Topic
  • Ordnance and Weapons
  • Places-Shore Facilities--Bases-Stations-Labs-Installations
Document Type
  • Photograph
Wars & Conflicts
Navy Communities
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials
Author Name
Place of Event
Recipient Name