Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Collection Creator:
Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944 Search this
Extent:
1 Item (6.0" x 3.5")
Container:
Box 21, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Diaries
Date:
1933 December 25-1934 December 31
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
National Air & Space Museum Technical Reference Files
Creator:
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Extent:
1,900 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
Ongoing
Scope and Contents note:
The Technical Reference Files comprise an artificial collection that currently contains 1,900 cubic feet of aviation and space related materials, organized in 22 subject series. File materials include photographs, press releases, clippings, correspondence, reports, and brochures, on individuals, organizations, events, and objects.
Arrangement note:
List of Series
Organized in 22 subject series
Aircraft (240 cubic feet)
Heavier-than-Air (180 cubic feet)
Human-carrying, heavier-than-air craft which are supported primarily by dynamic lift, including airplanes (powered fixed-wing aircraft), gliders and hang gliders (unpowered, fixed-wing aircraft), helicopters (powered-rotor rotorcraft), and autogiros (unpowered-rotor rotorcraft). Also included are unmanned vehicles that were originally designed as man-carrying aircraft. (Aircraft designed from the start as unmanned vehicles can be found in the Space History reference files with missiles and rockets.)
Lighter-than-Air (LTA)(60 cubic feet)
History, science, and art of airships and balloons from the 18th century to the present.
Propulsion (175 cubic feet)
Engines
Air-breathing engines. (Other power plants for aircraft (including rocket motors) are filed under the Space Propulsion subseries.)
Accessories Accessories and components which support air-breathing engines; also fuels, coolants, and lubricants.
Propellers Specific models, listed by designer or manufacturer; also general topics.
Space Propulsion
All methods of spacecraft propulsion (even "passive" concepts such as the Solar Sail), spacecraft power sources (such as solar batteries and fuel cells), all rocket motors (including those used to power aircraft and other vehicles), and all accessories and components.
Biographical (261 cubic feet)
Information on specific people involved in the history of aviation and space exploration listed alphabetically by name.
Organizations (27 cubic feet)
Aviation and space related organizations.
Corporations (15 cubic feet)
Basic information about aviation and space corporations.
Air Transport (105 cubic feet)
General
Broad air transport topics such as air cargo; economics; insurance; refueling and maintenance; regulation; salvage; and statistics.
Airlines
Specific regularly scheduled passenger and/or cargo carrying airlines.
By Region or Nation Materials covering air transportation topics within specific world regions.
Airports
Specific U. S. and foreign airports; also general topics such as airport equipment, planning, and security.
Air Mail
Basic history of air mail services, foreign and domestic.
Electronics and Communications (24 cubic feet)
General
Electronics and communications equipment; also related topics such as air traffic control, navigational aids, and radar.
Avionics
Avionics equipment by manufacturer.
Education (42 cubic feet)
Type Recognition
Aircraft recognition training programs and materials, both U. S. and foreign (predominantly World War II). Includes various aircraft spotter's guides and information on WWII's National Model Building Program.
Schools
General topics; also specific aviation schools (predominantly U.S.) Training Guides Documents used for training.
Events, Air Expositions, Meets, Races, and Shows (42 cubic feet)
By Date and Location
Information organized by date (1868 to the present) and location of event; includes assorted ephemera such as brochures, programs, advertisements, and tickets.
By Subject
Information dealing with broad categories of flights or events, for example: transatlantic, around-the-world, and altitude attempts.
Awards and Trophies (12 cubic feet)
Specific awards and trophies by name; also general topics pertaining to many awards.
Equipment (54 cubic feet)
General
Assorted aviation-related general equipment topics; includes the Brodie System, specialized tractors and trucks, and general information on markings, insignia and camouflage.
Clothing, Flight Gear, and Insignia
Information on clothing and related flight gear, and the insignia used on them (both U.S. and foreign). Does not include pressure suits and g-suits, which appear in a separate subseries below.
Oxygen
Information on oxygen equipment.
Parachutes
Information on the history of parachutes; also some specific types.
Pressure Suits and G-Suits
Information on pressure suits and g-suits.
Instruments
Instruments by type (altimeter, compass, air speed indicator, etc.) and by manufacturer. Also includes general topics such as instrument illumination, lubrication, and testing.
Space History (270 cubic feet)
Topics related to space exploration, astronomy, missiles, rocketry, or remotely piloted vehicles. Also includes technologically related programs and vehicles that were designed to function entirely within the Earth's atmosphere.
General Aviation (12 cubic feet)
Non-scheduled civil aviation.
General
General topics such as aerial refueling, aerobatic flying, and business aviation.
Regional
General aviation by state; also some information on general aviation in other countries.
Uses of Aircraft
Agriculture, advertising, fire fighting, insect control, meteorology, and tourism.
Government (12 cubic feet)
National and international government agencies and regulations.
Arts and Literature (12 cubic feet)
Aviation and space exploration as depicted in art, literature, motion pictures, radio, and television; also includes aircraft nose art.
Military (84 cubic feet)
International
Military aviation by country (non-U.S.); includes general information on aces.
USA
U.S. military aviation, including selected Air Force bases and units, basic information on aircraft carriers, and military flight demonstration teams.
Armament
Guns, bombs and bombing, bombsights, ammunition, gun mounts, gun turrets, gun sights, chemical warfare, anti-aircraft guns and accessories.
Wars (12 cubic feet)
Aviation's role in various wars and conflicts, from the 1914 Mexican Punitive Expedition through Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Museums (144 cubic feet)
General
Non-Smithsonian aviation and space museums around the world, by name.
Smithsonian
Basic information on the National Air and Space Museum, and related past and present Smithsonian Institution facilities and exhibits. Researchers seeking detailed information on the history of the Museum or its past exhibits should contact the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Models (9 cubic feet)
Various types of scale aircraft models and related topics; also wind tunnel test models.
Safety (15 cubic feet)
Includes basic information on topics such as accident investigation, safety equipment, medicine, rescue, survival training, noise abatement, and windshear.
Miscellaneous (33 cubic feet)
General
Very small subseries of miscellaneous topics such as natural flight (birds and insects), preservation of air- and spacecraft, sonic booms, and toys.
National or Regional Histories
Documents regarding aviation history within specific regions.
Navigation
Air navigation history, equipment, and systems.
Photography
Aerial photography history and equipment.
Engineering
Engineering related to specific types of aircraft systems, such as landing gear, rotors, materials, tires, seats, and wings. Also information on wind tunnels.
Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Container:
Drawer J1, Folder 1923-940-01
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents note:
Documents
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
This collection includes 49 black and white prints and 19 color snapshots. The color prints are of the Piasecki H-21 and the Boeing-Vertol CH-113 Voyageur. These photographs were taken of the aircraft in 1958 at the Philadelphia Airport before their respective test flights. The black and white photography relate to Arendt and his air mail service. The images include photographs of air mail personalities, including Walter H. Stevens, and the following aircraft: de Havilland DH-4 Mailplane Conversion; Curtiss JN-4; Martin MP Mailplane (MB-1 and MB-2); Great Lakes 4A-1; Bach 3CT8 (Air Yacht); Travel Air 2000; Martin MT; Junkers-Larsen JL-6; Great Lakes 2T1A; Fokker D-VII; Travel Air Mystery; Brunner Winkle Bird
Biographical / Historical:
Arthur C. Arendt was a pilot for the U.S. Air Mail Service from August 5, 1920 until April 9, 1921. He was a colleague to Walter H. Stevens, another air mail pilot, who was one of the thirty-four air mail pilots to die in the line of duty when his aircraft caught fire in the air above Pemberville, Ohio, on September 14, 1920. Arendt was later a member of the Air Mail Pioneers organization
Provenance:
Arthur C. Arendt, Gift
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
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
This collection consists of 116+ photographs, although it is suspected that there are actually some others that have not as yet been identified as belonging to this group. The photographs cover a wide array of subjects related to aviation and especially to airmail in Nebraska. Included are images of aircraft, pilots (such as William C. Hopson), and airfield lighting equipment.
Biographical / Historical:
Photographer Nathaniel L. Dewell (188??-1954) was a resident of the State of Nebraska. Although the subject matter of his photographs covered a variety of areas, aviation, particularly with respect to airmail service, comprised a large part of his work. His avid interest in the post office's airmail delivery service, particularly during the 1920s when the transcontinental route reached from New York City to San Francisco, is well documented in the dozens of images he captured relating to that topic.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Robert L. Stephenson, gift, 1958-59, XXXX-0571, 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
Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974 Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1927-1957
bulk 1928-1931
Summary:
This collection consists of first day air mail covers collected by pilot and philatelic enthusiast Basil Lee Rowe, predominantly during his career as an airline pilot for Pan American Airways (PAA) in the Caribbean area in the period 1927-1931. Collection includes covers carried by Charles A. Lindbergh in his Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" during his tour of the Caribbean in February 1928, and covers autographed by many of the early airline pilots who carried them, including Cy Caldwell, Edwin Musik, Caspar D. Swinson, Charles R. Parmelee, and Rowe himself.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of first day air mail covers collected by Basil Rowe, predominantly during his career as a pilot in the Caribbean area. Most of the air mail was carried by West Indian Aerial Express (WIAE) or Pan American Airways (PAA) between Florida and islands in the Caribbean or Caribbean ports in Central and South America. Some of the first day covers are autographed by the pilots of the flights (including Cy Caldwell, Edwin Musik, Caspar D. Swinson, Charles R. Parmelee, and Rowe himself) or other noted aviators such as Dean C. Smith, or public officials such as Theodore Roosevelt III, then Governor of Puerto Rico. One group of covers were carried by Charles A. Lindbergh in the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" during his tour of the Caribbean in February 1928. Following the covers is an annotated price list; note that not all items listed are part of this collection. Also included at the end of the collection are PAA forms used by two non-PAA pilots for flights inbound to Miami, Florida, from Havana, Cuba, in July 1931: James Goodwin Hall in his Lockheed Altair "The Crusader" (r/n NR-15W), and Frank M. Hawks in his Travel Air Mystery Ship "Texaco 13" (r/n NR-1313).
Arrangement:
Air mail covers are arranged in chronological order; documents appear following the covers at the end of the collection.
Biographical / Historical:
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.
Related Materials:
See related collection Basil Lee Rowe Collection, NASM.XXXX.0019.
Provenance:
Basil Lee Rowe via Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, Gift, 1965, NASM.XXXX.0487
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 October 15, 1928, Pan American Airways inaugurated air mail service between San Juan, Puerto Rico (USA) and Havana (Cuba). Cover has been signed by pilot Basil Rowe, former WIAE pilot now employed by PAA.
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:
Basil Lee Rowe First Day Air Mail Covers, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0487, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
On October 16, 1928, Pan American Airways inaugurated air mail service between Port-au-Prince (Haiti) and New York City (USA). Cover has been signed by ex-WIAE pilot Basil Rowe, flying the ex-WIAE Keystone Pathfinder "Santa Maria."
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:
Basil Lee Rowe First Day Air Mail Covers, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0487, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Materials – Biography, photographs, and newspaper clippings.
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 Through World War I Collection, Acc. XXXX-0424, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
