This collection consists of approximately 350 photographs, negatives, and illustrations, dating from the 1930s through the 1940s, from the Walter Kidde & Company archive. Subjects include Kidde fire suppression and air flotation systems, and military, commercial, and general aviation aircraft of the period. The collection also includes thirty-three photographs and transparencies made by aviation photographer Rudy Arnold (1902-1966).
Biographical / Historical:
Walter Kidde & Company was founded in 1917 by Walter Kidde (1877-1943). Initially established as a construction company, Kidde moved to fire suppression systems, introducing the first portable carbon dioxide fire extinguisher in 1924. In 1926, the Kidde Company, working with the US Navy, developed a fire prevention system for aircraft engines. A branch of the company was founded in the United Kingdom in 1935. The company experienced large growth during World War II. After Walter Kidde's death in 1943, the company was headed by his son, John Kidde. The British company Williams Holdings acquired Kidde in 1988. In 1989, Kidde merged with another Williams Holdings company, Graviner, to form Kidde Graviner. Williams Holdings spun off Kidde in 2000. It was acquired by United Technologies Corporation in 2005, and, merging with other UTC companies, became UTC Fire & Security.
Provenance:
Frank Lindsey, Gift, 2014
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 materials relating to Bruce Del Mar's airplane cabin pressurization and air quality engineering work, including: 82 3.25 by 4 inch glass lantern slides featuring images, graphs and charts of Del Mar's cabin pressurization work including work on the Douglas DC-4E (possibly for a lecture); reports; drawings; correspondence; and issues of Douglas' internal management newsletter. There are also several reports on air transportation of large cargo, including vehicular trailers.
Biographical / Historical:
Bruce Del Mar (b. 1913) graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1937 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. During his college summer breaks, Del Mar had worked at Douglas Aircraft Company, and after his graduation he returned to to Douglas full-time. At Douglas he worked with other scientists on airplane cabin pressurization, which would allow passengers to comfortably fly above 10,000 feet without oxygen masks. Del Mar, along with Douglas engineer Wolfgang Klemperer, held the patent for the first pressurization system of a commercial aircraft. In 1952, Del Mar used the money he received from royalties on his patents and inventions to found Del Mar Engineering Laboratories in Santa Monica, California. His company, later renamed Del Mar Avionics, built targeting systems for military aircraft. During later years, the company produced HydraSet, a hydraulic lifting device used to hoist space shuttles onto 747s for transport to Cape Kennedy and to move fuel rods in nuclear power plants. Besides his work in the aviation field, Del Mar also had great success in the medical field and in 1963 he was the first to patent and produce the Holter monitor, an electrocardiogram system that allowed physicians to track their patients' hearts continuously.
Provenance:
Bruce E. Del Mar, Gift, 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
