The Woodin Laboratory · A historical archive

A lifetime
of curiosity.

The story of Bill Woodin and the extraordinary collection he built in Tucson, Arizona.

WILLIAM H. WOODIN III / 1925–2018

Portrait of Bill Woodin — A collector, a researcher, and a life well lived.

A collection built for discovery

More than a collection.
A lifetime’s work.

For decades, the Woodin Laboratory brought together cartridges, engineering drawings, research literature, and display boards. The collection served collectors, researchers, and military and police personnel.

This site preserves the story of Bill Woodin and the historical record of his laboratory.

Explore the collection’s history ↗

Rows of wooden specimen cabinets extending through the Woodin Laboratory. — Rows of specimen cabinets, with display boards and reference material surrounding them.Photo: Pepper · IAA Resource Center

The place behind the collection

Inside the laboratory.

Rows of specimen drawers, walls of display boards, and shelves of reference books tell the story of a collection built for study.

See the laboratory photographs ↗

207,784Items in the recorded collection

4,886Ammunition engineering drawings

1,034Drawers across 44 cabinets

A lifetimeof curiosity.

More than a collection.A lifetime’s work.

Inside the laboratory.

A lifetime
of curiosity.

More than a collection.
A lifetime’s work.