Gabreski, Francis Stanley "Gabby" (Franciszek Gabryszewski)
Collection Creator:
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.
Gabreski, Francis Stanley "Gabby" (Franciszek Gabryszewski) [Documents]
Collection Creator:
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.
Gabreski, Francis Stanley "Gabby" (Franciszek Gabryszewski) [Photos]
Collection Creator:
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.
This collection consists of one Polish Air Force pilot's certificate; one pilot grade certificate; one copy of LIFE Magazine, dated April 6, 1953, featuring an article by Jarecki on his flight; on copy of This Week Magazine for August 23, 1953, with Jarecki's flight as cover story; one photocopied article from the Erie Daily Times, September 30, 1985; one photograph of a meeting of businessmen in the White House's Oval Office that includes Jarecki; one photograph of Frank Jarecki, Francis S. Gabreski, and James H. Doolittle; and the front page of the New York Times, dated March 6, 1953, matted on cardboard.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of one Polish Air Force pilot's certificate; one pilot grade certificate; one copy of LIFE Magazine, dated April 6, 1953, featuring an article by Jarecki on his flight; on copy of This Week Magazine for August 23, 1953, with Jarecki's flight as cover story; one photocopied article from the Erie Daily Times, September 30, 1985; one photograph of a meeting of businessmen in the White House's Oval Office that includes Jarecki; one photograph of Frank Jarecki, Francis S. Gabreski, and James H. Doolittle; and the front page of the New York Times, dated March 6, 1953, matted on cardboard. 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 Franciszek Jarecki MiG-15 Flight Collection is arranged by content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Franciszek (Frank) Jarecki graduated from the Polish Air Force College at Deblin, Poland, in 1952 and in September of that year was transferred to the 10th Fighter Regiment based at Stolp. On March 5, 1953, on the day of Joseph Stalin's death, Jarecki flew his Mikoyan & Gurevich MiG-15 from the Polish air base to land at Roenne airport in Bornholm, Denmark, to seek political asylum in the United States. It was the first intact MiG-15 to reach the West. Franciszek Jarecki studied English at Alliance College in Pennsylvania, opened his own machine shop and then went on to establish Jarecki Industries and acquire several other businesses.
Provenance:
Franciszek Jarecki, Gift, 2002
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 cd and tape copies of this project. Please note that the original recordings are NOT part of this collection; the originals were returned to their original tape series and accession. The collection also contains the background documentation on this project, including grant information, and tape summaries.
Biographical / Historical:
The Langley Theater (now called the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater) at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) has been the venue for numerous lectures, seminars and special events. Opened in 1976, the theater was an arena for speakers who dealt with almost every aspect of aviation and space history and science. Many famed pilots and astronauts, aircraft and spaceship designers, and space scientists presented lectures or were part of symposiums at the Museum's theater. These presentations, preserved on audio cassette tapes, constitute a rich historical legacy in sound. In 1994, curator Von Hardesty, Aeronautics Division, received a 5000 dollar grant from the Aviation and Space Writers Foundation to help with the cataloging and preservation of the theater lecture tapes. As the grant was not large enough to pay for outside conservation work, equipment (one CD recorder and two audio tape cassette recorders) was purchased and an archival preservation system was implemented. Each selected tape had a cassette and CD copy made. Famous lecturers include: David L. "Tex" Hill, Gerhard Neumann, Adolf Galland, Douglas Bader, George Gay, Gregory W. "Pappy" Boyington, Donald Lopez, Johannes Steinhoff, Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabrieski, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager, and Paul Tibbets.
Provenance:
Aeronautics Division, NASM, Transfer, 2012
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests