Ruth Law (1891-1970) was the first woman to loop the loop, the first person to fly a plane at night and a one-time holder of the Chicago to New York aerial speed record. After World War I, Law was active in the "Ruth Law Flying Circus," a three-plane troupe that traveled to state and county fairs. This collection consists of a photograph of aviator Ruth Law and her passenger Doris Hayes sitting in Law's aircraft. There is also a "Certificate of Flight," signed by Law, which certifies that Hayes was her passenger in Seabreeze, Florida, on February 21, 1916.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a photograph of aviator Ruth Law and her passenger Doris Hayes sitting in Law's aircraft. There is also a "Certificate of Flight," signed by Law, which certifies that Hayes was her passenger in Seabreeze, Florida, on February 21, 1916.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Ruth Law (1891-1970) was the first woman to loop the loop, the first person to fly a plane at night and a one-time holder of the Chicago to New York aerial speed record. After World War I, Law was active in the "Ruth Law Flying Circus," a three-plane troupe that traveled to state and county fairs. Her husband, Charles Oliver, persuaded her to retire from flying to "home and hearth" in 1922.
Provenance:
Hugh A. MacLean, Gift, 1996, NASM.1996.0021
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
Publicity photographs for Ruth Law, including postcards, loop-the-loop, and Ruth Law's Flying Circus
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:
Ruth Law Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0387, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Ruth Law was the third American woman to earn her pilot's license. The Ruth Law Collection chronicles her aviation career with most materials dating from 1916 to 1919. The largest part of the collection is a scrapbook, with additional loose materials, containing the following types of items: photographs; newspaper clippings; correspondence; magazine articles; programs; and ribbons.
Scope and Contents:
This collection chronicles Ruth Law's life in 1916-1918, covering mostly her aviation career but also touching upon other aspects of her life. The scrapbook contains the following types of material: photographs; newspaper clippings; correspondence; magazine articles; programs; and ribbons, including a first-place ribbon won by her dog at a dog show. Additional groups of loose photographs were integrated with the collection in 1998. The photographs contain images of Ruth Law in all stages of her life, both in aerial and studio views, as well as images of her contemporaries in aviation, various World War I era aircraft, and circa-1919 photographs of her brother, Frederich Rodman Law.
Arrangement:
The Ruth Law Collection is arranged as follows:
Series 1
Ruth Law Scrapbook
Series 2
Auxiliary Photographs
Biographical / Historical:
Ruth Law (1891-1970) bought her first aircraft, a Wright Model B, from Orville Wright in 1912. She enrolled in the Burgess Flying School in June 1912, made her first flight on July 5, and soloed on August 12. She was the third American woman to earn her pilot's license. Among Law's accomplishments are the first woman to "loop the loop", the first person to fly a plane at night, and a one-time holder of the Chicago -- New York aerial speed record in 1916.
In 1917, Law offered her services to the United States in World War I. She was the first woman authorized to wear a military uniform, but she was denied permission to fly in combat. Instead, she raised money for the Red Cross and Liberty Loan drives with exhibition flights. After World War I, Law was active in the Ruth Law Flying Circus, a three-plane troupe that traveled to state and county fairs. She toured Asia in 1919 and had the honor of carrying the first official air mail to the Philippine Islands. Her husband, Charles Oliver, persuaded her to retire from flying to "home and hearth" in 1922.
Provenance:
Ruth Law Estate?, gift?, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0387, 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.
Collection Citation:
Ruth Law Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0387, 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:
United States Women In Aviation Through World War I Collection, Acc. XXXX-0424, 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:
Ruth Law Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0387, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
