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1927 : summer of eagles / Jack Huttig

Author:
Huttig, Jack  Search this
Physical description:
xiv, 147 p., 40 leaves of plates : ill. 2l x 26 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1979
C1980
Topic:
Transatlantic flights  Search this
Transpacific flights  Search this
Call number:
TL531 .H87X
TL531.H87X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_122360

20c + 50c Transpacific China Clipper over the Pacific Flight cover

Title:
Scott Catalogue USA C21
Scott Catalogue USA C22
Medium:
paper; ink; adhesive
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 3 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. (9.53 x 16.51 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Place of Origin:
San Francisco, California
Place Through:
Hong Kong (British colony)
Place of Destination:
Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland
Date:
1937
Topic:
National Stamp Collection  Search this
Covers & Letters  Search this
Object number:
1984.0173.18781
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8077187e8-5aec-4f15-a1b1-827fd5fb989b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_1984.0173.18781
Online Media:

Amelia Earhart

Artist:
Alexandrina Robertson Harris, born Aberdeen, Scotland 1886-died New York City 1978  Search this
Sitter:
Amelia Earhart  Search this
Medium:
watercolor on ivory
Dimensions:
4 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. (10.8 x 8.9 cm) rectangle
Type:
Painting-Miniature
Date:
ca. 1935
Topic:
Occupation\transportation\pilot  Search this
Portrait female\bust  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Alexandrina Bruce
Object number:
1967.8.1
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk715f1786c-ed3e-4b33-8bf8-dcad365d6f19
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_1967.8.1

Articles - Eastern Airlines

Collection Creator:
Gitt, Michael.  Search this
Container:
Box 8, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1956, 1969
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Captain Michael Gitt Papers, Acc. NASM.2003.0033, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Captain Michael Gitt Papers
Captain Michael Gitt Papers / Series 3: Eastern Airlines / 3.2: General Eastern Materials and Retired Eastern Pilots Association
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg20b5eb355-5cfa-43e1-9313-31218d5fb6d4
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-2003-0033-ref637
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Basil Lee Rowe Collection

Creator:
Rowe, Basil Lee  Search this
Names:
Pan American World Airways, Inc.  Search this
West Indian Aerial Express  Search this
Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974  Search this
Rowe, Basil Lee  Search this
Extent:
5.35 Cubic feet (5 document boxes, 4 flat boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Logs (records)
Scrapbooks
Publications
Date:
1917-1973
bulk 1930-1968
Summary:
Basil Lee Rowe (1896-1973) enjoyed a long and successful career in aviation, initially as a military exhibition pilot, barnstormer, air racer, charter operator, flight instructor, aircraft salesman, and rumrunner, before moving to the West Indies to start an airline, the short-lived West Indian Aerial Express, bought out by Pan American Airways in 1928. Rowe became a pioneering senior pilot for Pan Am, flying with them for 28 years before his retirement in 1956. This collection includes scrapbooks, photo albums, memorabilia, and first day covers, in addition to the draft manuscript for Rowe's 1956 autobiography, Under My Wings.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of Rowe's pilot's log books covering his career from 1927 to 1956, assorted periodicals, cartoons featuring Rowe, scrapbooks and photo albums assembled by Rowe (featuring newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera), several draft manuscripts of Rowe's 1956 autobiography Under My Wings, and first day air mail postal covers collected by Rowe.
Arrangement:
Materials in this collection are grouped into series by format. See individual series Scope and Content notes for details on arrangement within that series. Note that with the exception of the chronologically arranged flight log books, Rowe did not appear to organize his materials in any particular order.
Biographical / Historical:
Basil Lee Rowe, born February 10, 1896, grew up in the small town of Shandaken, New York, in the Catskill Mountains. He began his flying career in 1914 as an apprentice to aviator Turk Adams after seeing Adams fly at a local county fair. Impatient to become a military pilot, Rowe arranged to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, but was sidelined by a ruptured appendix before he could get to Canada. By the time Rowe had recovered, the United States had entered World War I and Rowe was able to join the Aviation Section of the U. S. Army Signal Corps; he was sent to Texas. During the Third Liberty Loan drive, Rowe was assigned to a group of fliers who were to give exhibition flights; after his discharge, he used his savings to buy a used Avro biplane and barnstormed around the East Central United States, using Hadley Field (New Brunswick, New Jersey) as his home field. Rowe soon bought a second aircraft, hired pilot William S. "Bill" Wade, and moved his base of operations to the Aeromarine Base at Keyport, near Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Rowe prospered through the early 1920s, and his troupe the "Rowe Fliers" (including at various times wingwalkers Bill Stacy and Marguerite L. "Peggy" Roome) toured the eastern US giving exhibition flights and passenger rides. In the winter, Rowe moved his operation to Florida, and, with a rebuilt Curtiss Seagull, ferried passengers eager to escape Prohibition from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas--with a bit of rumrunning on the side. Back in New Jersey, Rowe formed the Chamberlin-Rowe Aircraft Corporation with fellow aviator Clarence Chamberlin to buy and resell Army surplus aircraft; the short-lived business went bust in 1924 when the government finished selling off its aircraft. Rowe, a talented racing pilot, kept busy from 1924 through 1926 on the racing circuit, winning numerous prizes.

By the end of 1926, at the age of thirty, Rowe felt that he had reached a turning point in his life. Dismayed by the increase in US government regulation of aviation, Rowe moved his operations to the West Indies, settling in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. With Bill Wade, Rowe rapidly established a business flying charters around the country, with flights to neighboring Haiti and Puerto Rico. In June 1927, with financial backing provided by sugar industry businessmen and the government of the Dominican Republic, Rowe founded West Indian Aerial Express (abbreviated variously as WIAE or WIAX) to provide airline service between Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, hoping to be well positioned to bid on future US foreign air mail routes. With this in mind, Rowe returned to the Unites States and purchased a Fairchild FC-2W floatplane (christened "La Niña") and a larger Keystone K-47 Pathfinder trimotor (the former "American Legion," r/n NX179, rebuilt by the Keystone factory following a crash in April 1927 and rechristened as "Santa Maria"). To his dismay, Rowe was forced to acquired a US transport pilot license in order to be allowed to fly the "Santa Maria" back to Santo Domingo; he hired Canadian pilot Cy Caldwell to ferry "La Niña." On the way south in mid October 1927, Rowe found himself and his two aircraft in Florida just as Pan American Airways (PAA), which had been successful in obtaining a temporary contract to deliver mail from the US to Cuba, found itself without any aircraft able to fly out of their Key West, Florida, field to fulfill the contract before it expired. PAA struck a deal with Rowe to lease "La Niña" (piloted by Caldwell) to fly the first Pan American Airways flight on October 19, 1927.

With its two new aircraft, West Indian Aerial Express started regularly scheduled twice-weekly flights on December 1, 1927, between Cuba, Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Puerto Rico, later extending the routes to St. Thomas and St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. On June 30, 1928, WIAX filed a bid with the US government for air mail service on the route from Key West to Puerto Rico, but was outmanuevered by the more politically-savvy Pan American Airways which won the contract. A final crippling blow was dealt to WIAX in September 1928 when a severe hurricane hit their base in San Juan, Puerto Rico, destroying "La Niña" and two older Waco biplanes. Rowe made his last flight in the "Santa Maria" on September 20, 1928, before turning the aircraft over to Pan American. On October 16, 1928, PAA purchased WIAX, with Rowe becoming PAA's senior pilot.

During his first ten years with Pan Am, Rowe flew a record number of hours and surveyed most of the new air routes through the Caribbean to Central and South America, several times flying with Charles Lindbergh. When the US entered World War II, Rowe was assigned to Pan Am's Africa and Orient Division to serve with the US Army Air Forces Air Transport Command on their supply route across the South Atlantic and Africa to India and China (the "Cannonball Run"). His wife, Florence May Sharp, whom Rowe had married in 1930, served as an aircraft spotter during the war. During the Korean Conflict, Rowe was once again pressed into service, and was transferred to Pan Am's Pacific Division to fly transpacific supply routes and medical evacuation flights. May's early death in 1943 left Rowe a widower at his retirement from Pan Am in 1956. At their Coral Gables, Florida, home he wrote his autobiography, Under My Wings (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., New York, 1956) and remained active as a tennis instructor until his death on October 28, 1973.
Related Materials:
See related collection Basil Lee Rowe First Day Air Mail Covers, NASM.XXXX.0487.

Basil Lee Rowe air racing medals in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection:

Medal, 1926 National Air Races [Winner, Relay Race], A19690242000.

Medal, 1926 National Air Races [Winner, Relay Race], A19690243000.

Medal, Aviation [Dayton Air Race], A19690244000.

Medal, Third Annual Dayton Air Race Winner, A19690245000.

Medal, 1926 National Air Races [2nd Place, Free-For-All Race, 510 cu. in. Class], A19690246000.

Medal, 1926 National Air Races [Winner, First Elimination, 500 cu. in. Class], A19690247000.

Basil Lee Rowe air racing trophies in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection:

Trophy, Allen W. Hinkle, Basil L. Rowe, A19690238000 [Allen W. Hinkle Trophy for Two, Three, and Four Place Airplanes, 1924]

Trophy, Glenn H. Curtiss, Basil L. Rowe, A19690239000 [The Glenn H. Curtiss Trophy for Two Seater Low Horsepower Airplane, National Air Races, Mitchel Field L. I., 1925]

Plaque, B.B.T. Corporation, National Air Races 1926, A19690240000 [B.B.T. Corporation of America Relay Race for Commercial Planes won by Basil L. Rowe, Charles S. Jones, A. H. Kreider]

Plaque, 1926 National Air Races, Benjamin Franklin Trophy, A19690241000 [Benjamin Franklin Trophy donated by Joseph A. Steinmetz, Relay Race for Commercial Planes won by Basil L. Rowe, Charles S. Jones, A. H. Kreider]
Provenance:
Basil Lee Rowe, gift, 1969; United States Air Force Museum, transfer, 1973; NASM.XXXX.0019
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Aeronautics -- Competitions  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
World War, 1939-1945  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Periodicals  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Logs (records)
Scrapbooks
Publications
Citation:
Basil Lee Rowe Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0019, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0019
See more items in:
Basil Lee Rowe Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2c0b71733-3bcc-46b0-97a0-8e876ec77ef4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0019
Online Media:

Bibliography

Collection Creator:
Douglas, Deborah G.  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 5
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
United States Women in Aviation 1940-1985 Research Materials, NASM.1995.0062, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
United States Women in Aviation 1940-1985 Research Materials
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg29104e340-0047-45a9-a867-a03f28a07bd6
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-1995-0062-ref553
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Captain William B. Voortmeyer Papers

Creator:
Voortmeyer, William B.  Search this
Extent:
0.36 Cubic feet ((1 letter document box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Publications
Periodicals
Date:
bulk 1927-1952
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the following items documenting the career of Captain William B. Voortmeyer: newspaper clippings; photocopies of four photographs; a CD copy of Voortmeyer's unpublished manuscript, "The Rise of Air Power Over the Pacific," 1941; Air Navigation, textbook for the Air Training Center by Voortmeyer; manuscript of "The Modern Air of Pilotage;" manuscript of a Navy Address, by Lt. W. B. Voortmeyer, 1936; manuscript of talk given on Oakland radio station KYA by Voortmeyer to Junior Birdmen, 1935; promotional flyer for "A Practical Course of 12 Lessons in Aerial Navigation and Meteorology" by Captain W. B. Voortmeyer, 1933; a card of the flag signaling system developed by Voortmeyer, signed July 1, 1927; and Oakland City Resolution No. 2337 in honor of Voortmeyer.
Biographical / Historical:
William Bertus Voortmeyer (1891-1952) was a master maritime navigator who developed many early aerial navigation systems, including a numerical signal code by which ships at sea were able to advise pilots of their position by hoisting numerical flags to indicate the distance to a destination. Voortmeyer was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and at age 13 went to sea as a cabin boy on the sailing ship of which his father was captain. Voortmeyer spent the next twenty years at sea, earning a Master Mariners License. During World War I, he was a navigating officer in the transport service. When he left the sea, he held several Civil Aeronautics and Administration (CAA) and California State teaching credentials and was a certified instructor of hulls, an aviation cadet instructor, a pilot, and a Tug Master. He taught classes in marine navigation, writing books on navigation including Guide to Air Pilotage and Meteorology, and Air Navigation. During the late 1920s, he was a navigation adviser on several pioneering flights, including the first successful flight across the Pacific ocean by Ernie Smith, the Dole Flight and the pioneering flight of Charles Kingsford-Smith in 1928. Voortmeyer was also a navigation consultant for Amelia Earhart and for pioneering flights to the Arctic. From 1930 to 1935 he was with the Port of Oakland as a nautical consultant. In 1928, Voortmeyer developed an internationally adopted Numerical Flag Code, a numeral signal code which made it unnecessary for air navigators to master the international semaphore signaling code, by designing pennants with the number from one to ten that ships would hoist when aircraft were flying over head so that the aircraft could confirm their position. During WWII, Captain Voortmeyer was an aviation ground instructor in Navigation at the Pensacola Naval Training Station, Florida. He returned to the sea in command of various transport ships, including the Liberty ship, the Henry Hoyt. In 1946 he was captain of the Benjamin Warner and in 1947 was appointed as a pilot of one of Oakland's fireboats.
Provenance:
Carol Voortmeyer Nickisher, Gift, 2009
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Navigation (Aeronautics)  Search this
Navigation -- History  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Transpacific flights  Search this
Genre/Form:
Manuscripts
Publications
Periodicals
Citation:
Captain William B. Voortmeyer Papers, Accession 2010-0006, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2010.0006
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2c9290e03-7be7-4ef2-9465-2f48df76e51e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2010-0006

Cessna, Clyde V.

Collection Creator:
Morehouse, Harold E., 1894-1973  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Text
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
Harold E. Morehouse Flying Pioneers Biographies Collection, Acc. XXXX-0450, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Harold E. Morehouse Flying Pioneers Biographies collection
Harold E. Morehouse Flying Pioneers Biographies collection / Series 1.1: Biographies of Flying Pioneers 1.1
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg27874c117-b82b-4c96-949c-6e71f8a44124
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0450-ref84
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China Clipper Transpacific Flight cover

Recipient:
James A. Farley, American, 1888 - 1976  Search this
Medium:
paper; ink; adhesive
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 3 11/16 x 6 9/16 in. (9.3 x 16.6 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Date:
December 5, 1935
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.209045.118
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8b2cc64a6-36a2-4658-b902-353d50fe459c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.209045.118
Online Media:

China clipper / by Ronald W. Jackson

Author:
Jackson, Ronald W. 1946-  Search this
Subject:
Pan American World Airways, inc History  Search this
China Clipper (Airplane) History  Search this
Physical description:
xiv, 1 leaf, 224 p., 24 leaves of plates. : ill. ; 22 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1980
C1980
Topic:
Transpacific flights--History  Search this
Call number:
HE9803.P36 J3 1980X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_130684

Cross Section of Aviation Personnel Collection [Boedecker]

Creator:
Boedecker, Kenneth J.  Search this
Extent:
8.96 Cubic feet (15 flat boxes, 25 shoeboxes, 1 slim document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Black-and-white negatives
Photographic prints
Date:
1936-1962
Summary:
Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker (1892--1981) was an aircraft engine expert and avid amateur photographer who created a series of photo albums containing images of a wide variety of personnel employed in the aviation field. This collection consists of those albums, the negatives for the photographs in the albums, and one box of enlarged prints of some of the photographs.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of sixteen volumes of photo albums containing photographs of a wide variety of personnel employed in the aviation field, including aircraft and engine manufacturing, the military, and airline and airport employees. The photographs are mostly taken by Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker, although some photos that show Boedecker himself were taken by others with his camera. Some are taken at the subject's workplace and others are taken at events such as air races or organization meetings, and it appears to have been Boedecker's practice to try to take photographs of the entire flight crew when he traveled by air. Most of the photographs are autographed by the subject and all are captioned with the subject's name, company, date, and location where the photo was taken. In the case of the photographs of flight crews, the airline route is also noted. Boedecker documented both large and small companies, and a large portion of the employees shown in the albums are women. The photographs appear in the albums in the order they were taken, and some include indexes of the people shown in the album. The collection also includes the negatives for the photographs in the albums, which are arranged alphabetically by last name of the subject, and one box of enlarged prints of some of the photographs.
Arrangement:
Collection has three series defined by type of material. The first series consists of volumes of photo albums that are arranged by date. The second series consists of negatives arranged alphabetically by last name of subject. The third series contains copy prints.
Biographical / Historical:
Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker (1892--1981) was an aircraft engine expert and avid amateur photographer. Boedecker began his technical training at the Mechanics Institute in New York in 1910 and studied there until 1914, later studying at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn from 1914 to 1918. Boedecker also served in the US Naval Reserve (USNR) and was on active duty during World War I as a chief machinist's mate with the Northern Bombing Group in France and England. Boedecker worked as a machinist, draftsman, tool designer, and inspector for various companies before joining Lawrence Aero Engine Corporation as Chief Inspector in 1919, later becoming the Assistant Works Manager. When Lawrence merged with Wright Aeronautical, Boedecker became a Service Engineer for Wright before rising to Service Manager in 1927, General Service Manager in 1929, and Sales and Service Engineer in 1931. At the time of Boedecker's retirement in 1958, he was assistant to the vice president for sales at Curtiss-Wright. Boedecker learned to fly making test flights of Wright aircraft and made his first solo flight in 1930, going on to earn his pilot's license. During his time with Wright Aeronautical, Boedecker was assigned to test and inspect the Wright engines that powered numerous record-setting aircraft including Charles Lindbergh's Ryan NYP Spirit of St Louis that made the first solo transatlantic flight, the Fokker C-2 Bird of Paradise in which Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger made the first transpacific flight from the US mainland to Hawaii, and the Fokker F.VIIB-3m Southern Cross which Charles Kingsford-Smith and his crew flew to make the first transpacific flight from California to Australia. Boedecker also checked the engines of various aircraft that flew in the 1927 Dole Air Race. Boedecker was a member of numerous professional and aviation organizations including the Society of Automotive Engineers, Ancient and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, Wings Club, and Conquistadores del Cielo.

In the 1930s, Boedecker purchased a new camera and began to take portrait photographs of colleagues and other members of the aviation community as a way to familiarize himself with the equipment. Encouraged by the editor of Wright Aeronautical's internal employee newsletter who reproduced some of the photographs in that publication, the project grew to include sixteen volumes of photographs taken during the course of Boedecker's work as well as during his extensive travels to aviation-related events. Boedecker would print two copies of each photograph and send them to the subject, asking that person to sign one and return it to him for inclusion in his album. At least one volume of the album was reproduced and published in the late 1930s by Aero Digest Publishing Company. The first fifteen albums were officially presented to the Smithsonian at a ceremony in the Regents Room on May 16, 1962. The sixteenth volume was sent later as it was still being completed at the time of the presentation. In that volume there is a photograph taken at the presentation ceremony by a Smithsonian photographer which, according to Boedecker, is the only photograph in the collection not taken with his camera.
Provenance:
Kenneth J. Boedecker, Gift, 1962, NASM.XXXX.0323.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Aircraft industry  Search this
Women in aeronautics  Search this
Airlines  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Black-and-white negatives
Photographic prints
Citation:
Cross Section of Aviation Personnel Collection [Boedecker], NASM.XXXX.0323, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0323
See more items in:
Cross Section of Aviation Personnel Collection [Boedecker]
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2d2ad4ab8-4b66-4c41-a7a4-6b500315c57a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0323
Online Media:

Ernest Smith and Emory Bronte Scrapbook

Creator:
Smith, Ernest  Search this
Bronte, Emory  Search this
Names:
Bronte, Emory  Search this
Smith, Ernest  Search this
Extent:
0.83 Cubic feet ((1 flatbox))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Clippings
Scrapbooks
Date:
1927
Scope and Contents:
The scrapbook is a reference of their flight with newspaper clippings, a few photographs of the downed plane and a piece of the aircraft fabric.
Biographical / Historical:
In July 1927, Ernest L. Smith (pilot) and Emory B. Bronte (navigator) attempted to fly from California to Hawaii. They crash-landed on the island of Molokai and lost radio communication. Neither man was injured. National attention was given for their efforts. Their Travelair was named 'The City of Oakland'. Mr. Bronte, born in 1902, was a pilot, a US Naval Reserve Air Service officer and a member of the National Aeronautic Association.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Emory Bronte, Gift, 1965, XXXX-0020
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Travel Air aircraft family  Search this
Transpacific flights  Search this
Aeronautics -- Records  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Clippings
Scrapbooks
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0020
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2fae78f6b-8d4d-4c04-8ab5-8348bb0ed49a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0020

Ernest Smith/Emory Bronte Flight Scrapbook

Creator:
Smith, Ernest  Search this
Bronte, Emory  Search this
Names:
Bronte, Emory  Search this
Smith, Ernest  Search this
Extent:
1.11 Cubic feet (1 flatbox, 1 folder, and 1 oversized folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Photographs
Correspondence
Scrapbooks
Date:
1917-1975
bulk 1927
Summary:
On July 14-15, 1927, Ernest Smith and Emory Bronte made the first civilian transpacific flight from California to Hawaii. This collection includes a scrapbook that chronicles their flight, a map of the Hawaiian islands, and a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Emory Bronte.
Scope and Contents:
This scrapbook, covered with Tahitian tapa cloth, chronicles the Smith-Bronte historic flight and consists of the following: including 30 letters; 23 telegrams; 197 photographs; 357 news articles; and 20 miscellaneous items. The collection also includes a map of the Hawaiian islands, dated August 1917, that was used by Smith and Bronte on their flight; and a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt presenting Emory B. Bronte with the honor of the "Distinguished Flying Cross," dated 6 September 1934.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
On July 14-15, 1927, Ernest Smith and Emory Bronte made the first civilian transpacific flight from California to Hawaii in their Travelair City of Oakland. Although they planned to land in Honolulu, problems with the gasoline pump and radio receiving apparatus forced them to crash-land in Molakai.
Provenance:
Unknown, Gift?, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0389.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Travel Air aircraft family  Search this
Aeronautics -- Records  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Transpacific flights  Search this
Genre/Form:
Clippings
Photographs
Correspondence
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Ernest Smith/Emory Bronte Flight Scrapbook, NASM.XXXX.0389, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0389
See more items in:
Ernest Smith/Emory Bronte Flight Scrapbook
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg27570d2d3-7823-4880-bc69-dcf8e5a25e76
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0389
Online Media:

Fokker F.VIIB-3m "Southern Cross" (Kingsford-Smith) Route Map

Creator:
Voortmeyer, William B.  Search this
Names:
Kingsford-Smith, Charles  Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Maps
Date:
1928
Summary:
In 1928, Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and his crew completed the first transpacific flight in the Fokker F.VIIB-3m "Southern Cross." William B. Voortmeyer was a master maritime navigator who had developed many early aerial navigation systems, including a numerical signal code by which ships at sea were able to advise pilots of their position by hoisting numerical flags to indicate the distance to a destination. This collection consists of the 50.25 by 34 inch route map used by the crew of the Fokker F.VIIB-3m "Southern Cross" in 1928 with the route marked by William B. Voortmeyer.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the 50.25 by 34 inch route map used by the crew of the Fokker F.VIIB-3m "Southern Cross" in 1928. The map is from the US Department of the Navy, Hydrographic Office, "North Pacific Ocean, Eastern Part," 121st ed., with the route marked by William B. Voortmeyer, and shows his instructions on magnetic declination and expected winds, as well as positions of commercial shipping. The map is signed by Captain W. B. Voortmeyer, May 31, 1928 and there is the following handwritten annotation on the lower right of the map, "Original Flight Map carried on the 'Southern Cross' prepared by me and donated to the Smithsonian Institute on May 31, 1948, c/o Paul E. Garber, Curator."
Arrangement:
Collection is a single item.
Biographical / Historical:
In 1928, Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and his crew completed the first transpacific flight in the Fokker F.VIIB-3m "Southern Cross." William B. Voortmeyer was a master maritime navigator who had developed many early aerial navigation systems, including a numerical signal code by which ships at sea were able to advise pilots of their position by hoisting numerical flags to indicate the distance to a destination. For the "Southern Cross" flight, Voortmeyer prepared maps along major shipping lanes. The freighters and tankers provided hope of rescue should the Fokker be forced down and also provided important navigational updates.
Provenance:
W. B. Voortmeyer, Gift, 1948, NASM.XXXX.0908
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
American Red Cross  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Transpacific flights  Search this
Genre/Form:
Maps
Citation:
Fokker F.VIIB-3m "Southern Cross" (Kingsford-Smith) Route Map, Accession XXXX-0908, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0908
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg253808c16-d3d2-4765-bf44-0543108df70e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0908
Online Media:

Fred Wiseman Scrapbook

Creator:
Wiseman, Frederick J., 1875-1961  Search this
Names:
Early Birds of Aviation (Organization).  Search this
Wiseman-Peters (Fred Wiseman and J. W. Peters) (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Extent:
0.59 Cubic feet (1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Tickets
Correspondence
Clippings
Date:
1909-1968
bulk [ca. 1910s, 1950s]
Summary:
Fred Wiseman, along with J. W. Peters and D.C. Prentiss, built a biplane named the Wiseman-Peters. During July 1910, both Peters and Wiseman flew the Wiseman-Peters and the following year Wiseman entered the 1911 Aviation Meet at Selfridge Field, Michigan. On February 17, 1911, Wiseman made the first airplane-carried mail flight officially sanctioned by any local U.S. post office and made available to the public when he carried mail, a bundle of newspapers and a sack of groceries from Petaluma, CA, to Santa Rosa, CA. After the 1911 season, Wiseman gave up flying.

This collection consists of a large scrapbook. Inside the scrapbook are newspaper clippings, correspondence, 1st Day Covers, race tickets, and photographs chronicling both Wiseman's automobile and aviation careers.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a large scrapbook. Inside the scrapbook are newspaper clippings, correspondence, 1st Day Covers, race tickets, and photographs chronicling both Wiseman's automobile and aviation careers.

Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
Materials are in the order the donor attached them to the scrapbook. Correspondence is often located within the envelope that is attached to the scrapbook. Some materials are loose and have been left in the arrangement in which they were found, unless a portion of a newspaper article could be matched to its other parts.
Biographical / Historical:
Fred Wiseman (1875-1961) was born in Santa Rosa, California, and after attending local schools he engaged in both the bicycle and automotive businesses. Wiseman won considerable fame racing Stoddard-Dayton cars on the West Coast as well as in the Chicago area. He became interested in aviation after attending the Wright brothers' homecoming celebration in 1909 and the first Los Angeles aviation meet at Dominguez Field in 1910.

After these two events, Wiseman was convinced he wanted to learn to fly and so he returned to his home in Santa Rosa and persuaded Ben Noonan to put up $10,000 to build a plane. Wiseman, along with J. W. Peters and D.C. Prentiss, built a biplane named the Wiseman-Peters. During July 1910, both Peters and Wiseman flew the Wiseman-Peters and the following year Wiseman entered the 1911 Aviation Meet at Selfridge Field, Michigan.

On February 17, 1911, Wiseman made the first airplane-carried mail flight officially sanctioned by any local U.S. post office and made available to the public when he carried mail, a bundle of newspapers and a sack of groceries from Petaluma, CA, to Santa Rosa, CA. (The first air mail flight sanctioned by the U.S. Post Office in Washington, D.C., took place on September 23, 1911, when Earle Ovington carried mail from Garden City, Long Island, to Mineola; and the first continuously scheduled U.S. air mail service began on May 15, 1918, with routes between Washington, Philadelphia, and New York.)

During 1911, Wiseman had an active season of exhibition work, including flying for one week at the California State Fair. However, after this season Wiseman gave up flying because he thought there was no future in it. He sold his plane and returned to the automobile business. He later worked for Standard Oil Company of California. Wiseman was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation, an organization of pilots who flew solo in an aircraft prior to December 17, 1916.

Weldon Cooke, another pioneer aviator from California, bought and modified the Wiseman-Peters aircraft, renaming it the Wiseman-Cooke. Cooke flew the Wiseman-Cooke for exhibition and air mail flights. The Wiseman-Cooke aircraft is currently part of the Smithsonian Institution's collections.
Provenance:
No donor information, Gift?, unknown, XXXX-0618, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Automobile racing  Search this
Air mail service  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Airplane racing  Search this
Aeronautics -- Competitions  Search this
Aeronautics -- 1903-1916  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Wiseman-Peters #2 Biplane (1910)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Tickets
Correspondence
Clippings
Citation:
Fred Wiseman Scrapbook, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0618, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0618
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2b1a6ef9c-06ed-414f-adc3-98f31de066e0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0618
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Online Media:

Glory gamblers : the story of the Dole Race / by Lesley Forden

Author:
Forden, Lesley  Search this
Physical description:
vi, 194 p. : ill. ; 28 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1986
C1986
Topic:
Transpacific flights--History  Search this
Call number:
TL531.F64 1986X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_331163

Hong Kong Clipper Transpacific Flight cover

Recipient:
James A. Farley, American, 1888 - 1976  Search this
Medium:
paper; ink; pencil; adhesive
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 5 x 11 1/2 in. (12.7 x 29.21 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Date:
April 20, 1937
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.209045.124.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm886a96e0e-df2c-413d-8b07-60f9f7895a1a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.209045.124.1
Online Media:

Hong Kong Clipper Transpacific Flight cover

Recipient:
James A. Farley, American, 1888 - 1976  Search this
Medium:
paper; ink; pencil; adhesive
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 4 3/16 x 9 7/16 in. (10.6 x 24 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Date:
April 21, 1937
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.209045.122
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8ce3cace0-1695-40b5-bfbe-1de0993cc945
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.209045.122

Hong Kong Clipper transpacific flight cover

Recipient:
James A. Farley, American, 1888 - 1976  Search this
Medium:
paper; ink
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 4 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. (10.8 x 24.13 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Date:
April 29, 1937
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.209045.115
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm85e57e54d-9316-4a81-87fc-3abe9029ea76
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.209045.115
Online Media:

Intercontinental airmails / by Edward B. Proud

Author:
Proud, Edward Wilfrid Baxby  Search this
Physical description:
v. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 26 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
Atlantic Ocean Region
Pacific Area
Date:
2008
C2008-
Topic:
Air mail service--History  Search this
Transatlantic flights  Search this
Transpacific flights  Search this
Call number:
HE6238 .P96 2008
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_948476

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