NASA’s 1963 patent of "manned space capsule configuration for orbital flight and atmospheric reentry" showed the diagram of what we now easily identify as a space capsule. A terrific piece for space enthusiasts, it is printed on canvas with archival ink and is finished with a distressed, vintage effect.

The patent act of 1790 established the rules for submitting a patent application. Each application had to be submitted with specifications, a patent drawing, and, if possible, a model of the invention. Eventually, models were no longer required.

The National Archives holds nearly three million patent case files from 1836-1956.