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
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.
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:
Lee Ya-Ching Papers, NASM.2008.0009, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Contains articles and reports on civil aviation organizations, including the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the International Air Transport Association.
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
CAB IATA [Civil Aeronautics Board International Air Transport Association] [Folder 1 of 2]
Collection Creator:
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Container:
Box 102, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1960-2003
Scope and Contents:
Fares, Accidents and Safety
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
CAB IATA [Civil Aeronautics Board International Air Transport Association] [Folder 2 of 2]
Collection Creator:
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Container:
Box 102, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1965-1993
Scope and Contents:
IATA
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Container:
Box 102, Folder 5
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1918-1950
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Official Airline Route and Mileage Manual
Collection Creator:
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Container:
Box 103, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1951-1951
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1914-2011
Scope and Contents:
R.E.G. (Ron) Davies maintained most of his research on airlines and related topics in three-ring binders in his office, calling them his "dossiers." Davies started to collect these materials during his time with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and British European Airways and continued through his retirement in 2011. He often wrote to airlines and aircraft manufacturers soliciting information, but also collected materials from his own travels. He also received materials from friends and colleagues.
The dossier labels from the binders (when available) are the first item in the file. A typical dossier begins with a handwritten timeline and hand-drawn route maps. Next, Davies provides fleet information, which often includes drawings by Paul Brisette of aircraft with the livery colors and designs, then articles in chronological order. Dossiers frequently also include passenger tickets, timetables, marketing materials and annual reports. Any subdivisions within the binder are listed in the file's scope and content note.
Arrangement:
The first set of dossiers are organized geographically by continent and region. Since the materials were collected over the span of many years, Davies usually maintained his original order rather than rearrange to match geopolitical changes. This order has been retained within the collection. For example, despite the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992, the airlines of Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are still filed under Yugoslavia. The former Soviet regions are also retained together. Former colonial arrangements are often maintained as well, for example, the West Indies and much of Africa.
Davies also maintained dossiers on aircraft, dividing them into United States and non-US manufacturers.
The final set of materials are Davies' research binders and loose files. Subjects include civil aviation organizations, such as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and International Air Transport Association (IATA); airline routes, maps, and schedules (separate from timetables); statistics; and miscellaneous topics.
Davies frequently left notes for his museum volunteers to file newly acquired documents but did not get a chance to file everything before his retirement in 2011. These loose materials are incorporated in the dossier series at either the airline/region/country level as "unfiled 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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Supplemental and Local Service [Publications] [Folder 1 of 3]
Collection Creator:
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Container:
Box 25, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1973-1996
Scope and Contents:
World Airways; Air Transport World, June 1982; Ozark; "Patterns of Service Established Before and After the Lake Central-Allegheny Merger," Civil Aeronautics Board, January 1973
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Supplemental and Local Service [Publications] [Folder 3 of 3]
Collection Creator:
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George) Search this
Container:
Box 25, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1960-1976
Scope and Contents:
"Air Service for Main Street, U.S.A," by Arthur E.A. Mueller, 1961; The Story of North Central Airlines, 1976; Bonanza Airlines, November 1960; Civil Aeronautics Board, North Central Area Airport Investigation, Docket 13743, "In the matter of an airline service airport investigation involving points served by North Central Airlines, Inc.," February 1964; Hughes AirWest materials and newsletter, 1968-1969
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:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Charles W. White papers, 1933-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation. Funding for the digitization was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
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.
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, 2 booklets, 9.7 x 7 inches (25 x 18 cm))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
October 16, 1958
Summary:
This collection consists of two copies of "Yankee Clippers Carry On," a program produced for the christening ceremony of the Pan American World Airways Boeing Model 707-120 "Jet Clipper America" by Mamie Eisenhower at Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1958.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two copies of "Yankee Clippers Carry On," a 9.7 x 7 inch (25 x 18 cm) booklet produced as a program for the christening ceremony of the Pan American World Airways Boeing Model 707-120 "Jet Clipper America" (r/n N707PA). The christening was performed by Mamie Eisenhower (wife of then US President Dwight D. Eisenhower) at Washington National Airport (IATA airport code DCA), Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1958. Speakers at the event included Juan T. Trippe, President of Pan American World Airways; Sinclair Weeks, US Secretary of Commerce; H. M. (Jack) Horner, Chairman of the US Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB); William M. Allen, President, Boeing Airplane Company; Elwood R. Quesada, Special Assistant to the President of the United States (Special Adviser for Aviation), and Christian A. Herter, US Under Secretary of State. The program's dramatic front cover maritime illustration—designed to look like an engraving—depicts a Pan American Boeing 707 nicknamed "Clipper America" in flight over a three-masted clipper sailing ship.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
The Boeing Model 367-80, better known as the Dash 80, a graceful, swept-winged aircraft powered by four revolutionary new jet engines, would come to revolutionize commercial air transportation when its developed version entered service as the famous Boeing 707, America's first jet airliner. Flying 100 miles per hour faster than the de Havilland Comet and significantly larger, the new Boeing jet transport, which made its first flight on July 15, 1954, had a maximum range of more than 3,500 miles. The Boeing Aircraft Company found Pan American World Airway's president Juan T. Trippe a ready customer for their new design. Trippe had been spending much of his time searching for a suitable jet airliner to enable his pioneering company to maintain its leadership in international air travel. Impressed by the aircraft's performance, Trippe worked to convince Boeing to widen the Dash 80's fuselage design to allow seating six passengers in each seat row rather than five. On October 12, 1955, Trippe placed an order with Boeing for 20 of the new airliners (now known as the 707) but also ordered 25 of Douglas's competing DC-8, which had yet to fly but could accommodate six-abreast seating. At Pan Am's insistence, the Boeing 707 was made four inches wider than the Dash 80 so that it could carry 160 passengers six-abreast. One August 15, 1958, Boeing delivered the first of Pan Am's new 707s. Two months later, on October 16, 1958, Pan Am celebrated the advent of the jet age in the United States with a ceremony held at Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the christening by then-US President Dwight D. Eisenhower's wife Mamie Eisenhower of the Pan American World Airways Boeing Model 707-120 "Jet Clipper America" (r/n N707PA). Ten days later, on October 26, 1958, Pan Am began daily Boeing 707 international service between New York City and Paris, France.
Related Materials:
Aircraft in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection:
Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport, A19730272000.
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 subseries is in storage off-site. Contact Archives Center for terms of access.
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.
Collection Citation:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
This subseries is in storage off-site. Contact Archives Center for terms of access.
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.
Collection Citation:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
This subseries is in storage off-site. Contact Archives Center for terms of access.
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.
Collection Citation:
Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
