The material contained in this accession is on the 475th Fighter Group 'Satan's Angels,' a World War II fighter unit of the Fifth Air Force, Pacific Theater of Operations. George W. Wood Jr. was a radio technician assigned to the group's 433rd Fighter Squadron. Wood documents his war experiences in two personal diaries and a photograph album.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
William R. Wood, Gift, 1987, 1987-0118, NASM
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
Nathan Blumberg (1897--1982) served with the US Army Air Service, 27th Aero Squadron, during World War I. This collection consists of a scrapbook compiled by Blumberg which mainly documents the activities of his unit during the war.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a scrapbook compiled by Nathan Blumberg which mainly documents the activities of the 27th Aero Squadron during World War I. Photographs in the scrapbook include images of members of the squadron; graves of some of the pilots killed in action; aircraft including the SPAD XIII (S.13), Dorand Type A.R.2 A2, Nieuport 28 C18, and the de Havilland (Airco) D.H.4; and views of various locations in France. The images are captioned by Blumberg. The scrapbook also includes some military records, poems, news clippings, and photographs and memorabilia from the squadron's reunions in 1966 and 1973. A number of news clippings in the scrapbook relate to Frank Luke, Jr., a pilot from the 27th Aero Squadron who was killed in action during World War I and was awarded the Medal of Honor. The scrapbook also contains some clippings about Edward Vernon "Eddie" Rickenbacker and some of Blumberg's enlistment records from World War II.
Arrangement:
The scrapbook in this collection is in original order. The collection also contains some loose items which are housed separately.
Biographical / Historical:
Nathan Blumberg (1897--1982) enlisted in the US Army Air Service at Fort Slocum, New York on November 27, 1917 and was initially attached to the 233rd Aero Squadron before being transferred to the 659th Aero Squadron in December 1917. In February 1918, Blumberg was attached to the 27th Aero Squadron and remained with that unit, serving in France from February 1918 until March 1919 when he was honorably discharged at the rank of corporal. Blumberg re-enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in October 1942 and served during World War II as a warrant officer.
Provenance:
Leonore B. Sheldon, Gift, 1991, NASM.1991.0028
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
This collection includes the following material gathered by James Smith: photo album containing Smith's handwritten diary, photographs, postcards, currency, and maps; a printed copy of Smith's diary; a song, "Ballad of Thirty First;" and the booklet "The Story of the Thirty First Photo Reconnaissance Squadron."
Biographical / Historical:
The Thirty First Photo Reconnaissance Squadron was activated in August of 1943 and deactivated in November 1945. The Squadron's campaigns included the following: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; and Central Europe. The Squadron won a Distinguished Unit Citation in 1944. James Smith was an enlisted man for this unit.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Earl F. Miller, gift, 1999, 1999-0018, NASM
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
This scrapbook chronicles the experiences of Nelson Coon and depicts mostly unit personnel, with little coverage of aircraft.
Biographical / Historical:
The 58th Aero Squadron was organized at Kelly Field in August 1918; sent to Camp Morrison, VA in October; Brest, France in January 1918; and finally Lopcomb Corner Air Field in February 1918. The group was renamed the 470th Aero Construction Squadron, and departed Europe as soon as the war ended. One of the squadron's members was Nelson Coon.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Nelson Coon, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0275, NASM
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
8th Aviation Instruction Center (Foggia, Italy) Photo Album
Names:
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces Search this
Extent:
0.21 Cubic feet ((1 box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Place:
Italy
Date:
bulk 1917-1918
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a 10 by 12 inch black photo album containing snapshots of the 8th Aviation Instruction Center in Foggia, Italy during 1917-1918. The snapshots track an unknown cadet's journey from New York City to Italy, and contains images of cadets in training, base life, and the training aircraft including Caudron bombers. The album contains a small newspaper articles of George Beach, one of the first American casualities in Italy. There are captions below some of the images, but they are very hard to read as they are in pencil. At the end of the scrapbook are photos that appear to be taken when the cadet toured Italy, especially Naples, after the war and images of the family of Jay White, who was then the United States Consul at Foggier.
Biographical / Historical:
The 8th Aviation Instruction Center, located in Foggia, Italy, provided flight training to American cadets during 1917-1918. Most of the Center's graduates transferred to the Western Front to fly with the American Expeditionary Force. However about 75 remained in Italy under the command of Captain Forego LaGuardia, and were attached to Italian bomber squadrons, marking the first combat bomber operations by members of the US Army Air Service.
Provenance:
Unknown, Gift?, Transferred to Archives from the Aeronautics Department in 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
A. Francis Arcier, (1890-1969) was an aviator, scientist, designer and engineer whose pioneering work in aviation design spanned six decades and earned him many honors.
Scope and Contents:
The A. Francis Arcier Collection contains approximately 3 cubic feet of material relating to his extraordinary career in aviation. This collection has biographical and professional documents, technical information on aircraft designs, patents, correspondence, newspaper clippings, publications, certificates, photographs, negatives and three scrapbooks.
Note: The digital images shown for this collection were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product which did not reproduce all materials found in this collection; some items have not been scanned.
Arrangement:
Every effort was made to provide dates when possible and each series is arranged in chronological order.
The collection is arranged as follows:
Series 1: Biographical and professional material
Series 2: Technical material
Series 3: Publications
Series 4: Photographs
Series 5: Scrapbooks
Biographical/Historical note:
A. Francis Arcier, (1890-1969) was an aviator, scientist, designer and engineer whose pioneering work in aviation design spanned six decades and earned him many honors. Born in London, he studied aeronautics in Passey, France under Sir Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower. He served as draftsman for such notable aircraft designers as Gabriel Voisin, Henri Coanda, Frank Barnivell and Gordon England. At the age of 21, he learned to fly and received his international aviator's certificate. He served as a flight instructor at the Hall School of Flying in Hendon, England and during World War I, with Handley Page, Ltd. He designed the first twin engine and the first four engine bombers used by the United States and its Allies. Arcier emigrated to the United States in 1919 and was employed as Chief Engineer at the Witteman Aircraft Corporation, makers of the Barling Bomber designed by Arcier. It was the largest heavier-than-air aircraft of its time. During his years with Witteman, Arcier won the Army Air Service Engineering Divisions' design competition for a bomber aircraft design. That same year, Arcier became Chief Engineer for the Fokker Aircraft Corporation, where among other notable accomplishments, he designed the Fokker Trimotor Transport which was used by Amelia Earhart and by Richard Byrd in his flight over the North Pole and also across the North Atlantic. After Arcier attained his United States citizenship in 1929, he became Vice President of Operations and Director of the General Airplanes Corporation in Buffalo, New York. In 1930 under his leadership, the "Mailplane", one of the first all-metal airplanes, was built. Later in 1930, Arcier became Chief Engineer of the Weaver Aircraft Company, WACO. He worked for WACO for 17 years in various capacities. Arcier and the Waco Aircraft Company made many contributions to the National Defense Program during World War II such as the Model UPF-7. The Waco Company was entrusted with the entire combat and cargo glider Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces. This was initiated in an Army Design Competition which the Company won and resulted in a program involving the design, prototype construction and, in some cases, production construction of some twelve models ranging from Model CG-3A to the CG-15A. These gliders were built by the thousands under Arcier's technical direction by sixteen prime contractors and many hundreds of sub-contractors throughout the nation. In 1948, Arcier became Chief Scientist for U.S. Air Force Intelligence at Wright- Patterson AFB until he retired in 1963. After his retirement, he served as consultant to the Commander, Foreign Technology Division and Special Advisor to the Division's Advisory Group on scientific and technical intelligence matters. Among his honors were the USAF Meritorious Civilian Service Award (1953), and the USAF Distinguished Civilian Service Award (1961.) A. Francis Arcier died on November 21, 1969.
Provenance:
Elizabeth Arcier, gift, 1972, additional material received from Francis Arnoult, 2019, NASM.XXXX.0072.
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.
Admiral Albert C. Read, USN (Curtiss NC-4) Collection
Creator:
Read, A. C. (Albert Cushing), 1887-1967 Search this
Names:
Read, A. C. (Albert Cushing), 1887-1967 Search this
Extent:
1.74 Cubic feet (1 legal document box, three oversized boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Biographies
Clippings
Reports
Scrapbooks
Logs (records)
Correspondence
Photographs
Date:
1919-1946
bulk May 1919 to June 1919
Summary:
Rear Admiral Albert C. Read (1887-1967) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1907 and became Naval Aviator #24 in July 1915. In 1919, Read was the commander of the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic. The NC-4 covered 2150 nautical miles, from Nova Scotia to the Azores. The NC-4 was joined in the flight by the Curtiss NC-1 and Curtiss NC-3, but both the NC-1 and NC-3 were forced to land in the open sea.
This collection consists of the following: black scrapbook containing photographs with US Navy numbers; newspaper front pages; reports; cable grams; signals and dispatches; the NC-4 log; biography of Read; and correspondence.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the following: black scrapbook containing photographs with US Navy numbers; newspaper front pages; reports; cable grams; signals and dispatches; the NC-4 log; biography of Read; and correspondence in both Portuguese (with English translations) and English.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Biographical/Historical note:
Rear Admiral Albert C. Read (1887-1967) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1907 and became Naval Aviator #24 in July 1915. In 1919, Read was the commander of the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic. The NC-4 covered 2150 nautical miles, from Nova Scotia to the Azores. The NC-4 was joined in the flight by the Curtiss NC-1 and Curtiss NC-3, but both the NC-1 and NC-3 were forced to land in the open sea.
Provenance:
Rear Admiral Albert C. Read, gift, 1962, XXXX.0391, NASM
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.
This collection consists of a scrapbook containing 44 black and white photographs of various sizes as well as four typewritten pages describing the photographs and the flight tests they depict. Photographs are divided into five "exhibits." Exhibit I is noted to be the solid propellant jet unit. Exhibit II depicts flight tests conducted from April 7 to 24, 1942 at the US Army Air Forces Bombing & Gunnery Range, Muroc Dry Lake, California using a Douglas A-20A, of experimental liquid propellant jet units developed by the Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project at the California Institute of Technology. Liquid propellant jet units shown in this section are the experimental form of units later produced by Aerojet Engineering Corporation for the Army Air Forces. Exhibit III depicts flight tests conducted from January 7 to 8, 1943 at the US Army Air Forces Bombing & Gunnery Range, Muroc Dry Lake, California using a Douglas A-20B of liquid propellant jet units, Model AL-1000, designed by the Aerojet Engineering Corporation. Exhibit IV contains photographs of jet propulsion units that were in production at the Aerojet Engineering Corporation at the time the scrapbook was produced. Exhibit V contains photographs of selected Aerojet Engineering Corporation plant facilities.
Biographical / Historical:
In April 1942, the US Army Air Force was conducting flight testing of experimental liquid propellant units developed by the Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project at the California Institute of Technology to determine their effects on reduction of takeoff run, stability and control, high speed performance, blast effects, and reliability. The units were found to reduce takeoff distance by approximately one-third and increase maximum speed by approximately 40 miles per hour. However, improvements were recommended in terms of jet installation. In January 1943, flight tests were conducted by the US Army Air Force on Model AL-1000 liquid propellant jet units developed by Aerojet Engineering Corporation based on the April 1942 testing. The Aerojet units successfully reduced takeoff distance and increased flight velocity, as well as allowing for quick and easy servicing and or unit replacement. Aerojet Engineering Corporation began producing these different models of these units for the US Army Air Force subsequent to this testing.
Provenance:
Unknown, found in collection, Year received 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
This collection consists of the following ephemeral items documenting Pullman's travels: photographs and postcards, including three images of Wolfgang von Gronau's Dornier Wal; certificates - one "Jupiter Rex," for crossing the equator and one "Clipper Club," for flying around the world; and a red 10x13" scrapbook containing baggage labels, postcards, menus, guest lists, hotel and travel literature, decals, and tickets and napkins which were souvenirs from events and places he visited during his travels. A technical manual for Air-Ground Communication, December 2, 1941, was also donated as was a souvenir edition of "Plane News: Air Service Paper of the A.E.F.", January 25, 1919; a roster and photograph of the Ordnance Detachment, A.F. in G., Metternich, Germany, distributed on the occasion of a Thanksgiving Dinner, November 25, 1925; five July, 1938 images relating to Pan Am Philippine Clipper trip number 222; four World War I era images and one portrait of a young pilot in parachute harness.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the following ephemeral items documenting Pullman's travels: photographs and postcards, including three images of Wolfgang von Gronau's Dornier Wal; certificates - one "Jupiter Rex," for crossing the equator and one "Clipper Club," for flying around the world; and a red 10x13" scrapbook containing baggage labels, postcards, menus, guest lists, hotel and travel literature, decals, and tickets and napkins which were souvenirs from events and places he visited during his travels. A technical manual for Air-Ground Communication, December 2, 1941, was also donated as was a souvenir edition of "Plane News: Air Service Paper of the A.E.F.", January 25, 1919; a roster and photograph of the Ordnance Detachment, A.F. in G., Metternich, Germany, distributed on the occasion of a Thanksgiving Dinner, November 25, 1925; five July, 1938 images relating to Pan Am Philippine Clipper trip number 222; four World War I era images and one portrait of a young pilot in parachute harness.
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:
The Airline Ephemera Collection [Pullman]-- is arranged by content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Henry W. Pullman's job as the export manager for a major oil tool company required him to travel extensively from the late 1920s to the 1950s. Pullman used the following airlines in his travels: Trans World Airlines (TWA); Pan American Airways; Royal Dutch Air Lines (KLM); Royal Netherlands Indies Airways; and American Airlines.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Henry Pullman, gift, 1993, NASM.1993.0018
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
The Lockheed Model 5C Vega Special (A/C No. NC965Y) was one of Amelia Earhart's aircraft in which she set numerous records. This collection consists of one scrapbook documenting the aircraft and Earhart's flights in it.
This collection is in English.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of one scrapbook compiled by Charles H. Babb and Paul Mantz as the "Story of NC-965-Y." The scrapbook is contained in a 14 x 18 inch spiral notebook and includes a map of some of Amelia Earhart's flights in the Lockheed Model 5C Vega Special (A/C No. NC965Y); photographs of Earhart and the aircraft; newspaper clippings regarding some of her flights in the aircraft; and a history of the aircraft itself. The newspaper clippings set up to look like a collage are actually superimposed upon other clippings and printed on a single sheet and the photographs and map are printed as well rather than being originals adhered to the pages. The scrapbook appears to be professionally produced, possibly commissioned by Pratt & Whitney for advertising purposes.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Model 5C Vega Special (A/C No. NC965Y) was completed by Lockheed in 1931. It had been ordered by John Henry Mears, who did not take delivery, and then sold to Elinor Smith before being purchased by Earhart. Earhart removed the Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine from her Lockheed Model 5B Vega (NR7952) in which she had made her record-setting solo transatlantic flight and installed it in the Lockheed Model 5C Vega Special. The aircraft was also fitted with special fuel tanks, radio, high speed landing gear, and a NACA engine cowling. Earhart set several records flying in the Lockheed Model 5C Vega Special including a women's transcontinental speed record flying from Los Angeles, California to Newark, New Jersey in July 1932; a women's international airline distance record flying from Los Angeles to Newark in August 1932 (a record she would break herself in 1933 flying the same aircraft); first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to the US mainland (Oakland, California) in January 1935; and the first person to fly solo from Mexico City, Mexico to Newark in May 1935. Also in 1935, Earhart made a record flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City, and she placed fifth in the 1935 Bendix Race. Earhart sold the Lockheed Model 5C Vega Special (A/C No. NC965Y) in 1936. It appeared in two Paramount Pictures movies, Wings in the Dark and Border Flight
, and was sold two more times before being destroyed in a hangar fire in 1943.
Provenance:
Unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0049.
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.
This collection documents Haley's involvement with astronautics and space law. The material consists primarily of documents covering Haley's activities in the IAF and ARS, including information on the various conferences and institutes he helped organize. The collection also contains material relating to the founding and early operations of Aerojet-General
Biographical / Historical:
Andrew Gallagher Haley (1904-1966) was a lawyer and administrator who had a major influence on the development of space law. Haley graduated from Georgetown University Law School (LLB, 1928) and worked for a time as a congressional aide, where he assisted in the drafting of communication laws. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University in 1934. He then worked as counsel to the Federal Radio Commission and its successor the Federal Communications Commission (1933-39) before entering private practice (1939-42). With the United State's entry in to World War II he was called to service as a Major in the Judge Advocate General's Office, Headquarters, Army Air Force (1942). He was released from service In August 1942, however, to assume the presidency of Aerojet Engineering Corporation (later Aerojet General), serving as President and Managing Director (1942-45). After the war he became very active in promoting space exploration and astronautics in the International Astronautical Federation (IAF; Vice President, 1951-53; President, 1957-58; General Counsel, 1959-66) and the American Rocket Society (ARS; Vice President 1953; President 1954; Counsel, 1955-63). In 1960 he helped found the International Academy of Astronautics and International Institute of Space Law under the auspices of the IAF. He authored a number of papers and articles and helped organize a number of international conferences on space and communications law.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Andrew G. Haley and Delphine Haley, gift, 1979, XXXX-0200, 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
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Search this
Extent:
0.58 Cubic feet (One letter document case and one flat box.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Press releases
Scrapbooks
Date:
1960s, 1992, 2009
Summary:
This collection consists of three binders containing science news releases and a scrapbook containing photographs of Anne Thompson Bray and other the staff at the the Space News Roundup .
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of three binders containing science news releases: "The Fledging Science Writer Vol 1" October 1965 through March 1966, containing astronaut by-liners and non-space topics; "The Fledging Science Writer Vol. 2," April 1966 through September 1966, containing spouse and family astronaut families topics; and [Vol. 3], containing flight technical topics. These folders include both the releases by World Book Encyclopedia Science Services (including ones written by Anne Thompson Bray) as well as the accompanying black and white photographs, some from NASA and some taken by World Book staff photographers. The collection also includes a scrapbook containing photographs of Anne Thompson Bray and other the staff at the Space News Roundup .
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
Anne Thompson Bray (1934–2009) graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Journalism. Bray then went to work for the Fayetteville Observer before joining the NASA's Public Affairs staff first as a staff writer and then as the editor of the Space News Roundup , the official newspaper of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (now Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center). From April 1962 until July of 1963 Bray covered the Mercury Space Program from Houston, Texas. After the Mercury Space Program was completed, she left the civil service and worked for Cornet Magazine and Ford Aerospace, the Aerospace and Defense Division of Ford Motor Company. Bray also worked with World Book Encyclopedia Science Services.
Provenance:
Jessica Moyd Smith, Gift, 2020, NASM.2021.0004
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.
This collection contains one scrapbook which includes photographs and a news clipping pertaining to various aviation organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Also in the collection are a number of loose documents relating to the Guggenheim estate, Hempstead House, in Long Island, New York that was donated to the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1917.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains one scrapbook, measuring approximately 11 by 12.5 inches, which includes photographs and a news clipping pertaining to various aviation organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Organizations included in the scrapbook are the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences; Aero Club of America; Royal Aeronautical Society (UK); Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom of Great Britain; Aero-Club Von Deutschland (Germany); Rangsdorf Aviation Club (Germany); Lilienthal-Gesellschaft für Luftfahrtforschung (Germany); and the Aero Club of France. The photographs show exterior and detailed interior views of the facilities of these organizations. The scrapbook also contains a news clipping regarding the move into new headquarters for the Aero Club of America in 1911, and several photographs that appear to show an aviation-related exhibit in an unknown location that includes images of several trophies. Also in the collection are a number of loose documents relating to the Guggenheim estate, Hempstead House, in Long Island, New York that was donated to the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1917. These documents include floor plans of the first and second floors of the house; a topographical map of the estate grounds; and a map of Long Island with the estate marked on it. Finally, the collection includes a chart relating to various topics in the area of aviation medicine and what entities are doing research about them.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
During the early flight period, World War I, and on into the 1920s and 1930s, numerous famous flights by pioneering pilots represented the cultural acceptance of the airplane from an entertaining novelty into an instrument of commerce, a weapon of war, and a vehicle for spectacle. In response, there emerged a new form of technological enthusiasm called "air-mindedness." To be airminded meant the zealous support of aviation to bring about the next great era in human civilization, which many people called the "Air Age." During this time period, numerous aviation-related societies and clubs were formed.
Provenance:
Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, Gift, NASM.XXXX.0269.
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.
On February 9--10, 1909, the balloon "Berlin" made one of the first balloon crossings over the Alps. This collection contains a scrapbook documenting the flight that includes photographs, news clippings, and telegrams.
This collection is in German.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains a scrapbook documenting the flight across the Alps made by the balloon "Berlin" in February 1909. The scrapbook contains 27 black and white photographs, with German captions, including both ground shots of the balloon as well as aerial shots taken from the balloon in flight. Besides the balloon's crew and various spectators, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg are shown in the photographs. The scrapbook also includes several newspaper clippings and two telegraphs, all in German.
Arrangement:
This collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
On February 9--10, 1909, the balloon "Berlin" made one of the first balloon crossings over the Alps. The balloon ascended from St. Moritz, Switzerland and landed 30 hours later near Sárbogárd, Hungary. The pilot of the balloon was Oskar Erbslöh, Julius Zumtanwald was the guide, Friedrich Gruneberg kept the log, and Fritz Reimann was a passenger.
Provenance:
Unknown, found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0578.
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.
This donation consists of one copy of TM 1-205, Air Navigation; one copy of Instrument Flight Part One: Basic Air Work; one copy of Instrument Flying Advanced Theory and Practice; and a scrapbook detailing Clarke's time in the Navy. The scrapbook is separated into two sections: LITIS and CNTS. The first section of the scrapbook focuses on Link Instrument Training Instructor School. Here are detailed labeled diagrams, outlines and notes, Clarke's badges, a brochure from Independence Day 1944, and seven maps of the United States Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia. The outlines and notes cover various topics including: Link trainer, Link trainer history, sensations of instrumental flight, navigation, communications, radio ranges, type E-6B Dead Reckoning Computer, instructions for the use of the Astro Compass Mark II, navigational procedures, and let-down procedure and instrument approach. The second section of the scrapbook includes information on navigation training including various diagrams, a list of definitions, and outlines and notes on the use of astrograph, navigation, ships, airplanes, and nautical data.
Biographical / Historical:
Barbara Lou Clarke was born on August 14, 1919. During World War II she joined the United States Navy where she was a Link Trainer Instructor and her rating was Sp(T)2c. Clarke later attended Boston College and the University of Southern California.
Provenance:
Candi Zizek, Gift, 2006
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
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
This collection contains aviation ephemera from around the world, although primarily America. Most of the items are collectors cards which feature famous aviators and airplanes. They came from chewing gum and cigarette packages and feature a colorful picture of the subject on the front and a history of important events on the back. Some of the cards are mounted in booklets specifically designed for this purpose. There are two additional types of collectibles in the scrapbook; one is a series called 'War News Pictures' which details allied victories during World War II. It encourages the collectors to keep a permanent record of the events during the war. The other collectible is a series of American propaganda stamps from WWII. They depict the enemy in colorful pictures and urge the collectors to continue supporting the war effort. Miscellaneous items in the scrapbook include matchbook covers advertising Naval aviation recruiting and odd souvenirs.
General:
The Bella Landauer Sheet Music Collection is held by the National Air and Space Museum Library.
NASMrev
Provenance:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, gift, unknown, XXXX-0122, 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
In 2002 Betty Skelton donated a collection of materials outlining her career as an aviatrix and race car driver to the National Air and Space Museum. The donated material consists primarily of news clippings, pamphlets, magazines, photographs, and scrapbooks covering the span of Ms. Skelton's career.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists primarily of news clippings, pamphlets, magazines, photographs, and scrapbooks covering the span of Ms. Skelton's career.
Arrangement:
The collection has been divided into three series. The first series contains information on Betty Skelton's personal life, including birth and wedding announcements and family photos. The second, pertaining to her professional life, spans a broad range of materials covering the various careers pursued by Ms. Skelton. The third series consists of oversized items such as scrapbooks and large format magazines. Each series is further divided by format (i.e. news clippings, brochures, and photographs) and then chronologically.
SERIES I: Personal
News clippings;
Photographs
SERIES II: Professional
News clippings, Programs and Pamphlets;
Correspondence;
Magazines/Press Releases;
Photographs;
Negatives
SERIES III: Oversized Materials
Biographical / Historical:
Betty Skelton Frankman, noted aviatrix, automobile test driver, race car driver, and business woman, was born in 1926 in Pensacola, Florida. Her interest in aviation was kindled at a young age while watching Navy stunt pilots practice. Soon, she and her parents began taking flying lessons and Betty soloed for the first time at age 12, four years before the legal age. As soon as she was legally able, age 16, Betty got her pilot's license. At age 19 she joined the Civil Air Patrol while also working as a flight instructor at her father's aviation school. She began a professional career as an aerobatic pilot in 1946, flying a 1929 Great Lakes 2T1A biplane. In 1948, while flying that aircraft, Betty won her first International Aerobatic Championship for Women. She would repeat this achievement in 1949 and 1950 while flying a Pitts-Special S-1C that she nicknamed "Little Stinker." By 1951 Betty realized that she had gone as far as a woman could go in aviation and retired.
Through a chance meeting with Bill France, the founder of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), Betty began a second career as a test and race car driver. She set multiple land speed records and two transcontinental speed records. Her work with Dodge and Chevrolet led her to her next career as an advertising executive for Campbell-Ewald Advertising Agency, the firm that handled Chevrolet advertising.
In 1959, Betty was given the opportunity to train with the original Mercury 7 astronauts. She completed the same physical and physiological tests as the astronauts, but knew a woman was not destined to be the first American in space. The experience resulted in only a cover story in LOOK magazine (Vol. 24 No. 3 Feb. 2, 1960). In 1965, Betty married Donald Frankman and, eventually, the two moved to Florida and started a real estate business.
Betty held more combined aviation and automotive records than any other person. Her aviation achievements included: a world speed record for piston engine aircraft (unofficial), two light plane altitude records, and three international aerobatic championships. Her achievements in the automotive field included a women's closed course speed record (144.02 mph), a speed record for 200-249 cubic inch piston displacement (105.8 mph), a 24-hour stock car endurance record, a transcontinental record New York to Los Angeles (56 hrs 58 mins.), four land speed records, a South American transcontinental auto speed record, and multiple Bonneville Speed and Endurance Records.
She was also inducted into many halls of fame including, the International Aerobatic Hall of Fame, the NASCAR International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Corvette Hall of Fame, the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame, and the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. In 1985, Betty and Don donated her Pitts Special "Little Stinker" to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (NASM). It currently hangs at the entrance to NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles, Virginia.
Betty and her second husband, Dr. Allan Erde, retired to The Villages, Florida, a popular retirement community where many residents use golf carts to get from place to place. But Betty, in keeping with her moniker as the "fastest woman on Earth," drove a bright red Corvette convertible. She died at her home on August 31, 2011, at the age of 85.
The following timeline covers key events in Skelton's life, as well as in the aerospace and automotive industries. Events involving Skelton are shown in normal type while those of the latter are shown in italics.
Timeline of Betty Skelton
6/28/1926 -- Betty is born in Pensacola, Florida
May 1927 -- Charles Lindbergh makes the first solo west to east transatlantic flight
May 1932 -- Amelia Earhart becomes first women to solo across the Atlantic
1937 -- Amelia Earhart and Captain Fred Noonan go missing
12/7/1941 -- Bombing of Pearl Harbor forces American entry into World War II
1942 -- Officially soloed and received pilot's license at age 16
1944 -- Women's Airforce Service Pilots program ends
1945 -- Joins the Civil Air Patrol, eventually achieving rank of Major
May 1945 -- End of War in Europe
August 1945 -- Atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed by Japanese surrender and end of World War II
1946 -- Begins career as aerobat at Southeastern Air Exposition in Jacksonville, Florida
1947 -- The United States Air Force becomes an independent military service Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier becoming the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound
1948 -- Becomes International Aerobatics Champion for women Buys "Little Stinker" Orville Wright dies at age 76 Berlin Airlift begins operation NASCAR is formed
1949 -- Pilots the smallest plane to cross the Irish Sea Represents United States in RAF Pageant – Belfast, Ireland Sets World Light Plane Altitude Record (~26,000 ft) First non-stop round the world flight is made by Capt. James Gallagher Represents United States in International Air Pageant – London, United Kingdom Unofficially sets world Speed Record for engine aircraft (426 mph) Retains title as International Aerobatics Champion for women
1950 -- Retains title of International Aerobatics Champion for women Becomes hostess of radio program "Van Wilson's Greeting Time"
1951 -- Four monkeys become the first living creatures to travel in space Retires from Flying Sets World Light Plane Altitude Record (~29,000 ft)
1953 -- Jacqueline Cochran becomes first women to fly faster than the speed of sound Stars in a movie short about motor boat jumping Meets Bill France and takes first ride in pace car
1954 -- Sets Stock Car Flying Mile Record (105.88 mph) Sets new world women's closed course record (144.02 mph) Sets new world women's closed course record (143.44 mph) First woman to drive an Indy Car
1955 -- Participates in Stock Car Endurance Run
1956 -- Becomes an advertising executive for Campbell-Ewald Participates in Stock Car Endurance Run First successful launch of a Chrysler Redstone Rocket from Cape Canaveral Sets new land speed record (145.044 mph) Sets transcontinental record New York to Los Angeles (56 hrs 58 mins)
1957 -- Sputnik 2 carries first dog into space Participates in Mobilgas Economy Run Sputnik is launched by the Soviet Union
1958 -- United States launches Explorer 1, the first US satellite to enter Earth's orbit National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is established South American Transcontinental Auto Speed Record (41hrs 14 mins)
1959 -- Trains with Mercury 7 astronauts
1960 -- Participates in Mobilgas Economy Run
1961 -- Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space Participates in Mobilgas Economy Run Yuri Gagarin becomes first man in space
1962 -- Cuban Missile Crisis Participates in Baja Run
1963 -- John F. Kennedy is assassinated Valentina Tereshkova becomes first women in space
1965 -- Sets new land speed record (315 mph) Marries Donald A. Frankman
1967 -- An accident during testing of Apollo 1 kills Virgil Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Edward White
1969 -- Successfully lobbies to end discrimination against female pilots in air racing Becomes Vice President of Campbell-Ewald's new Women's Market and Advertising Department Apollo 11 is launched with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, making Neil Armstrong the first man on the moon
1970 -- Explosion onboard Apollo 13 First scheduled service of the Boeing 747
1972 -- The last manned mission to the moon, Apollo 17 is completed President Nixon announces funding for the building of a reusable space shuttle
1974 -- Charles Lindbergh dies at age 72
1975 -- Apollo/Soyuz Test Project and Soyuz 19 successfully dock in Earth orbit
1977 -- Begins working for First Florida Realty Publishes book Little Stinker British Airways and Air France begin regular Concorde service from New York's JKF Airport National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launches Voyager I & II
1980 -- Jacqueline Cochran dies at age 74
1981 -- Space Shuttle Columbia launches for the first shuttle mission
1983 -- Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space
1985 -- Donates Little Stinker to NASM
1986 -- Space Shuttle Challenger explodes on take off Soviet Union launches Mir Space Station
1988 -- Inducted into International Aerobatic Hall of Fame (1st woman)
1989 -- Destruction of the Berlin Wall
1993 -- Inducted into NASCAR International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1st woman) Inducted into Florida Women's Hall of Fame
1997 -- Inducted into Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame Mars Pathfinder lands on surface of Mars
2001 -- Space Station Mir ends its 15 year life in space Inducted into Corvette Hall of Fame (1st woman) Donald A. Frankman dies
2003 -- Concorde service between the United States and Europe ends Inducted into International Council of Air Shows Foundation Hall of Fame
2005 -- Marries Allan Erde Inducted into National Aviation Hall of Fame
2008 -- Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
8/31/2011 -- Betty dies at her home in The Villages, Florida
Provenance:
Betty Skelton, Gift, 2001
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.
The Bowman Family Papers contain 1.28 cubic feet of material related to the aviation careers of Leslie (Les), Marguerite (Martie), and Larnie Bowman.
Scope and Contents:
The Bowman Family Papers contain: log books, licenses, and membership cards for Marguerite, Larnie, and Leslie Bowman; loose materials including maps, newspaper clippings from the 1930s, 1972 and 1985; and miscellaneous photographs, including two of Charles Lindbergh. Three scrapbooks at the end of the collection (1923-1931, 1932-1935, 1936-1987) include photographs (some autographed), personal and business correspondence, and newspaper clippings.
Arrangement:
The Bowman Family Papers are arranged by content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Leslie (Les) and Marguerite (Martie) Bowman were married in October 1919 and had both learned to fly by 1925. Les, a mechanic, worked as an engineer and salesman for the Kinner Engine and Aircraft Company and was involved in both the production and testing of airplanes. Martie was a charter member of both the Ninety-Nines, a women pilots' association, and the National Air Race Association. She set women's speed records and swept three women's racing events on one day in 1938. Les and Martie both tried wing walking, as did their daughter, Larnie, at the age of eight. Larnie learned to fly by the time she was twelve. During World War II, the Bowmans ran one of five civilian schools for the training of Navy fighter pilots. Les and Martie retired from aviation after the conclusion of the war.
Provenance:
Mrs. M. Lorraine Allen, gift, 1991, NASM.1991.0042
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.
Charles Francis Ritchel was a mechanic and general inventor, who by the mid-1880s claimed to have obtained 150 patents for various devices. This scrapbook consists of material relating to Ritchel's flights and activities between 1878 and 1901.
Scope and Contents:
This scrapbook consists of material relating to Ritchel's flights and activities between 1878 and 1901, including his patent for propelling an airship by foot pedals. Also included are articles relating to his other inventions.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Francis Ritchel was a mechanic and general inventor, who by the mid-1880s claimed to have obtained 150 patents on such devices ranging from windup toy motors, to his boring machine used in the manufacture of brushes, to his airship experiments.
Provenance:
Paul E. Garber, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0325, 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
![View 27th Aero Squadron Scrapbook [Nathan Blumberg] digital asset: Finding aid](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?max=120&id=https://sirismm.si.edu/siris/findingaid.gif "Finding aid")
