This collection consists primarily of photographs depicting air compressor machinery produced by Schramm, Inc. It offers insight into Schramm's early operations and industrial development along the Eastern Seaboard. The images range from 1895 to 2015, with the majority of materials dating from 1908 to 1982. Researchers interested in energy transmission and its development by air compressors would find this collection useful.

The collection is arranged into five series: Machinery prints, Personnel prints, Vintage prints, Promotional materials, and Negatives.

The Machinery prints series is comprised of images of Schramm air compressors and their use in construction. The series is arranged into seven subseries: Construction activities, Construction pneumatic tools, Military contracts, Portable air compressors, Rotary drills, Self-propelled compressors, and Stationary air compressors. Schramm air compressors are described by product name. The images date from 1908 to 1999, with the majority from the 1930s through the 1980s.

The Construction activities subseries consists of photographic prints, slides, and negatives that depict Schramm air compressors used in construction and related activities. These include asphalt and concrete breaking, backfilling and tamping, dam construction, demolition work, exploratory drilling, power line transmission, road construction, transmission line installation, and underground pneumatic boring. The images show the construction of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, demolition work on the executive offices of the White House, and trail construction at Grand Canyon National Park.

The Construction pneumatic tools subseries consists of photographic prints of air tools produced by Schramm. These include diggers and tampers, paving breakers, rock drills, and the “Magic Mole” pneumatic underground boring tool.

The Military contracts subseries consists of photographic prints of Schramm air compressors used by the U.S. Department of Defense. These include Pneumadiesels, Pneumatractors, Pneumapowers, Powairs, Rotadrills, and skidded air compressors.

The Portable air compressors subseries consists of photographic prints and color negatives of mobile air compressors. These include the first Schramm air compressor, Pneumadiesels, Pneumapowers, Powairs, truck-mounted outfits, and air compressors by model number.

The Rotary drills subseries consists of photographic prints and negatives of Schramm Rotadrills, organized by model number. There are also some demonstration and promotional materials.

The Self-propelled compressors subseries consists of photographic prints and negatives of Schramm Pneumatractors, organized by model number.

The Stationary air compressors subseries consists of photographic prints and negatives of Schramm air compressors, organized by model number.

The Personnel prints series focuses on Schramm employees and the physical workplace. The series is arranged into four subseries: Employee newsletters, Employees, Events and activities, and Facilities.

The Employee newsletters subseries includes photographic prints and some issues of Shramm Ink, the company's employee newsletter. The images are of employees that were published in the newsletter. Not every set of images includes a corresponding newsletter. The presence of a newsletter is indicated in the physical description and scope and contents notes at the file level. The issues of Shramm Ink date from January 1944 to October 1948, 1952, 1975, and then from 1976 to 1982. The run is incomplete; Volume I (1943) is lacking. There are a few issues from a second employee newsletter, Shramm Inkling (1956, 1970 to 1981). The subseries is arranged in chronological order.

The Employees subseries begins with images of the Schramm family, followed alphabetically by individual portraits and snapshots of employees, and finally by group photographs. The images date from 1921 to 2006, with the majority of the images dating from 1940 to 1982.

The Events and activities subseries depicts company occasions and milestones, including awards presentations, bowling, family picnics, sales conferences, open houses, seminars, sales and services meetings, trade shows and exhibits, and various visitors to Schramm facilities. The subseries is arranged in alphabetical order and dates from 1938 to 1982.

The Facilities subseries is comprised mainly of images of Schramm headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania. These include a wide range of views of the site: aerials, exteriors, interiors, and construction progress during various renovations. The subseries dates from 1895 to 1982. There are many buildings on the site. The subseries is arranged first by headquarter building number, followed alphabetically by branches and affiliates, and finally dealers, rentals, and tires. The branches and affiliate offices include images of the PEECO office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Vintage prints series is arranged into three subseries according to photograph number prefix; there does not appear to be a thematic distinction between the different numbering systems. The three different subseries cover the same time frame between 1908 and 1944; there is one print dating from 1975 of the first portable compressor model no. 1 restored. The company provided the title of the series, "Vintage," so it has been retained. The images throughout all three subseries are primarily of compressors on job sites, often including workers. The photograph numbers are provided in the file-level scope notes.

The Promotional materials series consists of sales materials for Schramm products, such as advertisements, brochures, fliers, pamphlets, manuals, newsletters, and correspondence. The materials are organized in alphabetical order by product and date from 1920 to 2015. Products include air compressors, compressed air, drills, drill rigs, Pneumatractors, Rotadrills, and tools.

The Negatives series consists of images that primarily detail Schramm equipment models and machinery parts, construction projects utilizing Schramm products, and Schramm product advertising. There are also images of Schramm employees, product dealers, visitors, and various company personnel, as well as documentation of Schramm headquarters and Schramm-affiliated storefronts. There is a photograph/negative numbers index on index cards and in a three-volume ledger set. The negatives are primarily 4x5 in., but also include 35mm, and 120 film negatives not found in the print series, ranging in date from 1944 to 1990. The series also includes negative 35mm film roll canisters and positive 35mm film roll canisters, ranging in date from 1936 to 1960. NOTE: This series is not processed; access to these materials is at the discretion of the reference archivist.