This collection consists of one 10 by 8 inch black and white photograph, taken in 1946, of Paul Warfield Tibbets, Thomas Wilson Ferebee, and Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk, in uniform. The photograph is signed by all three in blue ink.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of one 10 by 8 inch black and white photograph, taken in 1946, of Paul Warfield Tibbets, Thomas Wilson Ferebee, and Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk, in uniform. The photograph is signed by all three in blue ink.
Arrangement:
This collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II, and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons. On August 6, 1945, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan. After the war, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay returned to the United States before being flown to Kwajalein Island in May 1946 for use in the Operation Crossroads Nuclear Tests. Paul Warfield Tibbets served as the pilot for the Hiroshima mission, Thomas Wilson Ferebee was the bombardier, and Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk was the navigator. All three were later involved in Operation Crossroads as part of the 58th Bombardment Wing, 509th Composite Group.
Provenance:
Timothy Wuwert, Gift, 2018
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
Genre/Form:
Signatures (names)
Photographs
Citation:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay Autographed Crew Photograph, NASM.2018.0018, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection consists of the cd and tape copies of this project. Please note that the original recordings are NOT part of this collection; the originals were returned to their original tape series and accession. The collection also contains the background documentation on this project, including grant information, and tape summaries.
Biographical / Historical:
The Langley Theater (now called the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater) at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) has been the venue for numerous lectures, seminars and special events. Opened in 1976, the theater was an arena for speakers who dealt with almost every aspect of aviation and space history and science. Many famed pilots and astronauts, aircraft and spaceship designers, and space scientists presented lectures or were part of symposiums at the Museum's theater. These presentations, preserved on audio cassette tapes, constitute a rich historical legacy in sound. In 1994, curator Von Hardesty, Aeronautics Division, received a 5000 dollar grant from the Aviation and Space Writers Foundation to help with the cataloging and preservation of the theater lecture tapes. As the grant was not large enough to pay for outside conservation work, equipment (one CD recorder and two audio tape cassette recorders) was purchased and an archival preservation system was implemented. Each selected tape had a cassette and CD copy made. Famous lecturers include: David L. "Tex" Hill, Gerhard Neumann, Adolf Galland, Douglas Bader, George Gay, Gregory W. "Pappy" Boyington, Donald Lopez, Johannes Steinhoff, Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabrieski, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager, and Paul Tibbets.
Provenance:
Aeronautics Division, NASM, Transfer, 2012
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
