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ZR3 1924 America Flight - Azores drop

Title:
Sieger Catalog 20.c
Medium:
paper; ink
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Place of Origin:
Angra do Heroismo, Angra (Azores; Portuguese administrative district)
Place of Destination:
Baden-Baden, Germany (German empire)
Date:
1924
Topic:
John P. V. Heinmuller Collection of Zeppelin Covers  Search this
Covers & Letters  Search this
Object number:
0.222097.1.53.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm86f07baa3-c8b1-4f32-a9fa-dc8805f81494
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.222097.1.53.1
Online Media:

Token commemorating Amelia Earhart's first transatlantic flight

Associated Person:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Medium:
metal (silver)
Dimensions:
Other: 3.2cm (1 1/4in.)
Type:
Miscellanea
Place:
United States of America
Date:
1928
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.1.25.2
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8ee44fa5d-a137-429d-84fa-6d0e9fabf7ba
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.1.25.2
Online Media:

Token commemorating Amelia Earhart's first transatlantic flight

Associated Person:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Medium:
metal (silver)
Dimensions:
Other: 3.2cm (1 1/4in.)
Type:
Miscellanea
Place:
United States of America
Date:
1928
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.1.25.3
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8a755aabc-73f3-460f-809e-f7db46cc17ee
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.1.25.3
Online Media:

Amelia Earhart transatlantic flight cover

Associated Person:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Medium:
paper; ink ( ); adhesive
Dimensions:
9.5 x 15 cm (3 3/4 x 5 7/8 in.)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Place:
Newfoundland (British colony)
Wales and Monmouthshire
Date:
1928
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)  Search this
Covers & Letters  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.1.5.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8424c6765-2f4d-40ee-99d2-cfb5dd70d08c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.1.5.1
Online Media:

News clippings surrounding Amelia Earhart's transatlantic flight to Europe

Depicts:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Medium:
paper; ink
Type:
Archival Material
Place:
United States of America
Date:
May 1932
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.2.20.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8dede6b27-a5d2-46af-81b4-94556e73226c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.2.20.1
Online Media:

Photograph of Amelia Earhart in London, England

Depicts:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Medium:
paper; emulsion
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 7 11/16 × 10 1/16 in. (19.53 × 25.56 cm)
Type:
Photographs
Place:
United States of America
Date:
May 1932
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.2.22.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm869f34284-de70-4d6f-8b5d-e35225335284
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.2.22.1
Online Media:

Photograph of New York City parade honoring Amelia Earhart

Associated Person:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Medium:
paper; emulsion
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 8 1/4 × 6 1/2 in. (20.96 × 16.51 cm)
Type:
Photographs
Place:
United States of America
Date:
June 20, 1932
Topic:
The Great Depression (1929-1939)  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.2.24.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm86d1957b1-b635-47a0-9d23-2c077a9b7863
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.2.24.1
Online Media:

Amelia Earhart's flight suit

User:
Amelia Earhart, American, 1898 - 1937  Search this
Manufacturer:
Arnold, Constable & Company  Search this
Medium:
leather; fabric (wool); plastic; metal
Dimensions:
Height x Width x Depth: 59 x 30 1/2 x 6 in. (149.86 x 77.47 x 15.24 cm)
Type:
Philatelic Hobby
Place:
United States of America
Date:
c. 1920
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)  Search this
Planes & Pilots  Search this
Object number:
0.279483.3
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8b00e7c7a-3d20-42c6-9c54-93b731106196
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_0.279483.3

Cover carried aboard Lindbergh's transatlantic flight

Medium:
paper; ink
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 3 11/16 x 6 1/2 in. (9.3 x 16.5 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Place:
United States of America
Date:
May 20, 1927
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)  Search this
Object number:
2006.2037.3.1
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8ee80eccc-df3c-408a-b0a8-e6016cfa645c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_2006.2037.3.1
Online Media:

Letter from inside Charles Lindbergh transatlantic flight cover

Medium:
paper; ink
Dimensions:
Height x Width: 10 7/8 x 8 7/16 in. (27.7 x 21.4 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Place:
United States of America
Date:
May 16, 1927
Topic:
The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)  Search this
Object number:
2006.2037.3.2
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
On View:
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm841c52ef5-d5be-42d2-8415-260ddbaf484c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_2006.2037.3.2

Photograph of NC-4 Flying Boat

Medium:
paper; photo-emulsion
Type:
Photographs
Place:
United States of America
Date:
May 1919
Credit line:
National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown
Object number:
A.2008-5
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm868c7abfc-0f50-4e67-b8ef-7da3753e36a6
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_A.2008-5

Photograph of airmail pilot James DeWitt Hill

Medium:
paper; photo-emulsion
Dimensions:
Height x Width (unframed): 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.32 cm)
Type:
Photographs
Place:
United States of America
Date:
c. 1924
Credit line:
National Postal Museum, Curatorial Photographic Collection Photographer: Unknown
Object number:
A.2009-13
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8bd966c77-c511-4179-bb6f-3391b5e64340
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_A.2009-13

Diary

Collection Collector:
Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor)  Search this
Collection Creator:
Quinn, Terry (photographer)  Search this
Container:
Box 39, Folder 11
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1950
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but negatives and audiovisuial materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to the donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Robinson and Via Family Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Robinson and Via Family Papers
Robinson and Via Family Papers / Series 2: Robinson Family / 2.6: Robinson, Franklin A. / 2.6.1: Correspondence, diaries, personal ephemera
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8c69fd212-5fa6-426e-8f82-ac71a4266346
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0475-ref167
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  • View Diary digital asset number 1

Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis", Charles A. Lindbergh

Title:
Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis", Charles A. Lindbergh
Pilot:
Charles A. Lindbergh  Search this
Manufacturer:
Ryan Aircraft Co.  Search this
Materials:
Fabric, metal, glass, Ra-226
Dimensions:
Overall: 9 ft. 10 in. × 27 ft. 8 in. × 46 ft., 5135lb. (299.7 × 843.3 × 1402.1cm, 2329.2kg)
Other (Takeoff Weight): 5135lb. (2329.2kg)
Type:
CRAFT-Aircraft
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Date:
1927
Credit Line:
Gift of the Spirit of St. Louis Corporation
Inventory Number:
A19280021000
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv902b19e41-7d71-4e71-999a-957595426799
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19280021000

Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974

Creator:
Jacques Seligmann & Co.  Search this
Subject:
Hauke, Cesar M. de (Cesar Mange)  Search this
Glaenzer, Eugene  Search this
Haardt, Georges  Search this
Seligman, Germain  Search this
Seligmann, Arnold  Search this
Parker, Theresa D.  Search this
Waegen, Rolf Hans  Search this
Trevor, Clyfford  Search this
Seligmann, René  Search this
Seligmann, Jacques  Search this
De Hauke & Co., Inc.  Search this
Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this
Eugene Glaenzer & Co.  Search this
Germain Seligmann & Co.  Search this
Gersel  Search this
Type:
Gallery records
Citation:
Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Mackay, Clarence Hungerford, 1874-1938 -- Art collections  Search this
Schiff, Mortimer L. -- Art collections  Search this
Arenberg, duc d' -- Art collections  Search this
Liechtenstein, House of -- Art collections  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- France -- Paris  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
La Fresnaye, Roger de, 1885-1925  Search this
Art, Renaissance  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Art treasures in war  Search this
Art, European  Search this
Theme:
Art Gallery Records  Search this
Art Market  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9936
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212486
AAA_collcode_jacqself
Theme:
Art Gallery Records
Art Market
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212486
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974 digital asset number 1
Online Media:

Ira L. Hill Portrait Photonegatives

Photographer:
Martin, Ray  Search this
Hill, Ira L. (Ira Lawrence), 1877-1947  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Photographic History  Search this
Names:
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this
Extent:
200 Cubic feet (300 wooden drawers; 23,metal file drawers)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Retouching
Place:
New York (N.Y.)
Date:
1912-1953
bulk 1925-1931
Scope and Contents:
Approximately 86,000 photographic negatives (Series 1) and twenty-three drawers of file cards (Series 2) comprise the collection. Most of the pictures are studio portraits.

Series 1: Photonegatives

The majority of the negatives are glass plates, 5 x 7 inches. Approximately 10% of the total number of images are on film, also 5 x 7 inches, and all the film material which has been inspected thus far is on safety base: rapid deterioration of some of the film indicates that it is unstable cellulose acetate or diacetate. Nearly all of the negatives are portraits. Many of the female subjects ear furs or expensive gowns and dresses, and most of the men seem well-dressed. The majority of the portraits inspected have been heavily retouched with pencil, as apparently was Hill's custom, and the standard procedure followed by most commercial portrait studios. There are some large portraits, especially wedding photographs, which are in extremely poor condition due to the acetate deformation and deterioration.

Several hundred 8"x 10" glass negatives are not studio portraits. Many are informal outdoor portraits, landscapes and scenic views. Some seem to depict vacation outings and camping trips.

These photographs (approximately 86,000, according to the inventory conducted in the early 1980s) are currently stored off-site (building 18, Silver Hill Facility), and are not yet accessible due to the fact that parts of the collection are contaminated with asbestos insulation fibers; after preliminary cleaning, asbestos levels remaining were still considered hazardous. The collection must be included within the over-all Silver Hill asbestos abatement program. However, a small representative sample of glass and film negatives (1 box) has been cleaned and shelved in the Archives Center.

Series 2: Card Files

The collection is accompanied by twenty-three drawers of cards which form a partial working catalog. These cards are business records, recording the names of subjects and dates of sittings, along with prices charged, and the photographer or studio's catalog number. These numbers are on the negative jackets and match the card numbers. The cataloguing system incorporates at least in part a chronological arrangement which parallels the numerical sequence.

Celebrity subjects in the collection include Eleanor Roosevelt, Hedda Hopper, Fred Astaire, Ziegfield girls such as Billie Burke, and other public and entertainment figures. However, the celebrity portraits represent only a small percentage of the photographs. Indeed, an extensive list of prominent subjects supposedly to be found in the collection was supplied by Ray Martin before the acquisition, but most of these names have not appeared in either the card files or the collection itself, to the limited extent that the material could be inspected during inventory. Of course, there are chronological gaps in the cards.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two series.

Series 1: Photonegatives

Series 2: Card Files

Card files arranged alphabetically by client name; each file devoted to a single year, half-year, or, in one instance, consecutive series of years. Photonegatives arranged numerically within drawers.
Biographical / Historical:
Ira Lawrence Hill opened a photographic studio in New York City about 1905, and died in 1938 or 1939. His birthdate has not yet been located. Hill was considered the "Cecil Beaton of his time" in New York, for he photographed the wealthy and socially prominent in his studio, but also received requests from all over the country to document society events "on location". He photographed many film and theatrical celebrities, portraits with helping to launch her career. She wrote: "Aside from his own enthusiasm, the above [referring to the Hill photograph] was the only evidence which C. B. Cochran submitted to Sir Gerald du Maurier when suggesting I be imported for a role in 'The Dancers' in London. Since my first transatlantic flight marked the turning point in my career, my personal thanks go to photographer Ira Hill who posed and reproduced me. I've faced many a camera since, both still and moving, but not one of their images served me so well as Ira's. Photographers can flatter you and they can foul you up. When submitting to news cameramen I often came out looking like the second witch in 'Macbeth.'"

Ray Martin, donor of the collection to the Museum, noted that her personally photographed the wedding of Sen. Claiborne Pell while working for Hill. Hill eventually married five debutantes in succession, according to Martin. His work frequently was published in Vanity Fair, Town and Country and other magazines, and he did his best work from 1920 on.

The Hill studio was located at 677 Fifth Avenue, near 53rd Street, according to a letter from 1946 on "Ira L. Hill's Studio" stationary. It is not known whether the studio was always in that location.

Ray Martin worked for Hill from 1936 to 1938. After Hill's death Martin purchased the studio and operated it until about 1960. Photographs in the collection which are dated after 1939 presumably were made by Mr. Martin or under his supervision. The early Hill and Martin photographs were placed in storage for several years after Martin closed the studio, and he subsequently donated them to the Division of Photographic History of the Museum of History and Technology in the 1960s. The Division finally accessioned the collection in 1981 (accession number 1981.0463).
Although some sources give Hill's date of death as 1938, an article in the New York Times, November 21, 1939, describes the arrest of "Society Photographer" Ira L. Hill after a fight at the home of his ex-wife.
Related Materials:
Materials at Other Organizations

National Portrait Gallery has a portrait of Margaret Sanger by Ira Hill.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Ray Martin, 1970.
Restrictions:
The majority of the collection is inaccessible and is stored off-site. Special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
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.
Occupation:
Actors  Search this
Actors -- Interviews -- Pennsylvania  Search this
Topic:
Portraits -- 1900-1950  Search this
Celebrities -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Acetate film -- 1900-1950
Retouching -- Pencil
Citation:
Ira L. Hill Portrait Photonegatives, 1912-1953, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0144
See more items in:
Ira L. Hill Portrait Photonegatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep866fdfe73-3f81-4896-942d-d91d71dfdfc1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0144

Giuseppe M. Bellanca Collection

Creator:
Bellanca, Giuseppe M., 1886-1960  Search this
Names:
Bellanca Aircraft Corporation  Search this
Wright Aeronautical Corporation  Search this
Chamberlin, Clarence  Search this
Extent:
248.5 Cubic feet (245 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Financial records
Newspaper clippings
Drawings
Photographic prints
Date:
1919-1959
Summary:
This collection consists of the archives of Giuseppe M. Bellanca and his company, including the following types of mediums: drawings, stress analysis tests, reports, photographs/negatives, documents, correspondence, patent information, newspaper clippings, business records, and financial statements.
Scope and Contents:
Series I: Mr. Bellanca's professional life

Here, the researcher will find documents regarding the day-to-day operations of the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation. The material is generally divided into core documents of the corporation, correspondence, financial documents, subcontracting pursuits, patents, employee relations, and company history.

Series II: Technical Material

This material is separated into the following subseries: Miscellaneous Handwritten Notes and Sketches, Bellanca Aircraft Technical Data, Bellanca Aircraft Corporation Reports, Technical Research Files, Bellanca Aircraft Drawing Lists, Bellanca Aircraft Drawings, and Bellanca Aircraft Drawing Indexes. The Bellanca Collection is not a complete history of the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation. Over the years, it appears that many items were loaned out by the Bellanca Family to researchers and not returned. Therefore, there are significant gaps in correspondence, formal, numbered reports, and other areas of the collection. For example, the earliest report in the Bellanca Collection is Report #28, the next report which appears is report #45.

The Giuseppe M. Bellanca Collection contains over 10,000 drawings. (At the time of processing, not all drawings were entered into the Bellanca Drawings Database. These drawings will be entered as time allows.) The drawings vary in size from 8 x 11 inches to 36 x 185 inches. There are original pencil drawings, blueprints, and blueline drawings. Over 130 models of Bellanca aircraft are represented in the Collection. There are General Arrangement, or Three-View drawings for over 80 of these models. Bellanca drawings are not easy to decipher. Most of the drawings have data blocks which contain only a finite amount of information. Often the aircraft has been identified only by serial number. In some cases the model number of the aircraft is also the drawing number. Other times, the aircraft name would be given, but no model number, i.e. Skyrocket. Also, words were abbreviated and it was left up to the processing archivist to determine their probable meaning. Despite the explanation in the scope and content notes, the Bellanca Corporation was not consistent when assigning model numbers. Letters were sometimes assigned that reflected a United States War Department designation, i.e. the VSO and the VF. By using the Bellanca Drawing indexes, the processing archivist was able to supply model numbers for some of the drawings.

7136 Bellanca Aircraft Company Drawings have been added to the National Air and Space Museum Miscellaneous Drawings Database. As time allows, the remaining Bellanca Drawings will be added to this database. An Archives Staff member will assist researchers in retrieving these materials from the database finding aid.

The Bellanca drawings were stored for over thirty years in less-than-ideal conditions. Many of the drawings were drawn on poor-quality tracing paper, and have become extremely brittle and fragile. Therefore, many of the drawings in the Bellanca Collection may not be available to researchers.

During processing of the collection, the project archivist has gained some insight about how Mr. Bellanca chose the model designations for his aircraft. The earliest system of model designations was based upon letters of the alphabet. No model designations appear for any Bellanca design until his work for Maryland Pressed Steel in 1916. The CD, which he designed for that company, was his fourth aircraft design that was built, and the letter D is the fourth letter of the alphabet. This pattern continues through the Bellanca CF. During 1926, when Mr. Bellanca worked for the Wright Corporation, he already had in mind an improved version of the CF, which was designated the CG. This aircraft received the designation WB-1 from the Wright Corporation.

When Mr. Bellanca formed his own company in 1927, the letter pattern described above reasserted itself for a time with the introduction of the Bellanca CH. It was a common practice of manufacturers of the time to also include the engine horsepower as part of the model number, so the Bellanca CH actually received its Approved Type Certificate (ATC) as the CH-200. When the next model came out, it was the CH-300 with a 300 horsepower Wright Whirlwind engine. This system remained in place through the CH-400. Names were given to some Bellanca aircraft. It appears that the names were a marketing tool meant to appeal to the buying public. With this idea in mind, the CH-300 became the "Pacemaker", the CH-400 became the "Skyrocket", and the P 100 was christened the "Airbus". In the early 1930's, the Bellanca Corporation moved away from the alphabetical designations and moved to numerical designations. Later Bellanca aircraft model designations consist of a series of numbers, such as 31-50. The first number was the wing area, in this case, 310 square feet, divided by 10. The second number was the horsepower of the engine, 500, divided by 10. This resulted in a distinctive system of model designations, which lasted until Mr. Bellanca sold the company.

Series III: Mr. Bellanca's personal material.

In this series, the researcher will find personal correspondence among family members, from both Giuseppe and Dorothy Bellanca's families and personal, legal and financial records for Bellanca family. As the lines between Mr. Bellanca's personal and professional lives were sometimes blurred, a fine line of separation between the two was not always possible. For example, at one time or another, two of Mr. Bellanca's brothers, John and Frank, worked for the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation and Andrew Bellanca, Mr. Bellanca's nephew, was his lawyer throughout his life. Therefore, the processing archivist suggests that the researcher look in the professional series of documents as well as Mr. Bellanca's personal papers for a more complete representation of Mr. Bellanca's correspondence.

After processing was completed, publications which previously had been offered to the NASM Branch Library were returned to the collection. They are listed in an addendum at the end of this finding aid.

Series IV: Photographs.

The researcher will find photographs of Bellanca aircraft, including the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation's Master Photograph Files, photographs of the Bellanca factory and factory workers, and photographs of Giuseppe M. Bellanca, business associates, and family members.

Series V: Miscellaneous and Oversize Materials.

This series contains ephemera of the Bellanca Collection: Scrapbooks, Loose Newspaper Clippings, Artwork, Ephemera and Magazine Clippings.

The Bellanca Collection included 27 motion picture films. In May of 2000, this film was transferred to the NASM Film Archives. Researchers wishing to access this part of the collection should contact the NASM Film Archivist.
Arrangement:
Series I: Mr. Bellanca's Professional Life

Series II: Technical Data

Series III: Personal Papers

Series IV: Photographs

Series V: Miscellaneous and Oversize Materials
Biographical / Historical:
Giuseppe Mario Bellanca was born in 1886 in Sciacca, Sicily. As a young man, he attended the Technical Institute in Milan, graduating with a teaching degree in mathematics in 1908. During his quest for a second mathematics and engineering degree, he became enamoured of aviation, and set out to design and build his own airplane. Bellanca's first aircraft design was a "pusher" aircraft, somewhat similar to the Wright Flyer. Lacking funds for such an endeavor, he joined with two partners, Enea Bossi, and Paolo Invernizzi. The union of the three produced the first flight of a totally Italian-designed and Italian-built aircraft in early December of 1909. The flight was short, but it was a start. Bellanca's second design was a tractor-type aircraft. Although the aircraft was successfully constructed, it was never flown due to insufficient funds for an engine.

At the urging of his brother Carlo, who was already established in Brooklyn, New York, Giuseppe Bellanca immigrated to America in 1911. Before the end of the year, he began construction of his third airplane design, a parasol monoplane. After construction was completed, he took the small craft to Mineola Field on Long Island, NY, and proceeded to teach himself to fly. He began by taxiing. He then, taxied faster, which gave way to short hops. The hops got longer, until, on May 19, 1912, there was not enough room to land straight ahead, and Bellanca had to complete a turn in order land safely. Having successfully taught himself to fly, Bellanca then set about teaching others to fly, and from 1912 to 1916, he operated the Bellanca Flying School. One of his students was a young Fiorello La Guardia, the future mayor of New York City. In return for flying lessons, La Guardia taught Bellanca how to drive a car.

In 1917 the Maryland Pressed Steel Company of Hagerstown, MD hired Bellanca as a consulting engineer. While there, he designed two trainer biplanes, the CD, and an improved version, the CE. With the conclusion of WWI, Maryland Pressed Steel's contracts were cancelled and the company entered into receivership. Thus, the CE never went into production.

In 1921, a group of investors lured Bellanca westward to Omaha, NE, in hopes of establishing that town as a center for aircraft manufacture. Before the aircraft could be built, the company went bankrupt, but construction of the aircraft continued under the financial backing of a local motorcycle dealer named Victor Roos. The resultant aircraft, the Bellanca CF, was called by Janes's All the World's Aircraft "the first up-to-date transport aeroplane that was designed, built, and flown with success in the United States." Among the local people helping to build the aircraft was the daughter of Bellanca's landlord, Dorothy Brown. Giuseppe and she were married on November 18, 1922.

Despite its advanced design, the Bellanca CF could not compete with the economics of the time. In the days just after World War I, a surplus Curtiss Jenny could be purchased for as little as $250.00. A Bellanca CF, with a price tag of $5000.00, was just too expensive and the aircraft never went into production. After the disappointment of the CF, Bellanca designed wings for the Post Office Department's DH-4's. His new wings were a tremendous improvement over the original design, but only a few aircraft were so modified.

In 1925, Bellanca went to work for the Wright Aeronautical Corporation of Paterson, NJ. His assignment there was to develop an aircraft around the new Wright Whirlwind engine. He already had a design in mind, which was an improved version of the CF, called the CG. This design evolved into the Wright-Bellanca WB-1.

The WB-1 enjoyed a short, but successful flying career. The aircraft had already won one race and efficiency contest before an untimely accident destroyed the craft during preparation for an attempt to break the world's non-refueled endurance record. Fortunately, at the time of the crash, Bellanca was already working on an improved version, of the WB-1 designated the WB-2.

During 1926, the WB-2 won two efficiency trophies at the National Air Races in Philadelphia. Wright considered putting the aircraft into production, but decided against it to avoid alienating other aircraft companies that were potential customers for their engines. Disappointed by Wright's decision, Bellanca left the company and joined with a young businessman named Charles Levine to form the Columbia Aircraft Company. Wright sold the WB-2 and all drawings and production rights to the new company. The WB-2 went on to a long and fruitful flying career starting with establishing a new world's non-refueled endurance record of 51 hours, 11 minutes, and 59 seconds in April of 1927.

In the latter half of 1926, Charles Lindbergh wanted to buy the WB-2, now named the 'Columbia', for his proposed flight from New York to Paris. He was rebuffed by Levine who also had designs on the flight and the $25,000 prize money. Lindbergh then went to Ryan for his specially designed NYP. Meanwhile Levine, in choosing the crew, managed to promise two seats to three people. So while the Columbia was grounded by a court order brought by the third party, Lindbergh took off on his successful flight to Paris.

Eventually, the 'Columbia' was cleared of litigation and took off on its successful transatlantic flight on June 4, 1927. In the cockpit were Clarence Chamberlin, one of the pilots of the endurance record and Charles Levine, who became the first transatlantic passenger. The plan was to fly all the way to Berlin, and Chamberlin had vowed to fly until they ran out of fuel. Forty-three hours later, they landed in Eisleben, Germany, the first of two successful Atlantic crossings for Bellanca's most famous aircraft.

Disappointed because the 'Columbia' was not the first aircraft to accomplish the New York to Paris flight, Bellanca severed all relations with Levine, and started his own company, the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of America, and rented facilities on Staten Island, NY. The new Bellanca model was designated the CH, and was basically a commercial version of the WB-2. The new company also had two other models that were built for special orders, the Bellanca Model J and the Model K.

It was not long before Bellanca caught the attention of the Du Pont family of Delaware. They wanted to start aircraft manufacturing in Delaware, and in late 1927, an agreement was made with Bellanca to locate his factory outside of Wilmington. The site was large enough for a first-class airfield, with a seaplane ramp on the nearby Delaware River.

This was a busy time in Bellanca's life. Along with all that was happening in his professional life, he and Dorothy celebrated the birth of their son August T. Bellanca in March of 1927.

With the exception of a few years immediately before and during the early stages of WWII, Bellanca was President and Chairman of the Board from the corporation's inception on the last day of 1927 until he sold the company to L. Albert and Sons in 1954. After his departure from the company, Giuseppe and his son, August, formed the Bellanca Development Company with the purpose of building a new aircraft. It would have increased performance due to the use of lighter materials for its structure. Work on this aircraft was progressing when Giuseppe Bellanca succumbed to leukemia and died on December 26, 1960. After his father's death, August continued the project, and under his guidance, the aircraft first flew in 1973.

In 1993, August Bellanca donated his father's personal and professional papers to the National Air and Space Museum Archives. Prior to that time, they were kept in the Bellanca home near Galena, MD, and administered by Dorothy and August Bellanca.

1886 -- Born in Sciacca, Sicily

1909 -- Built first airplane. It completed the first flight of an Italian-designed, Italian-built, aircraft on December 8, 1909.

1911 -- Immigrated to America, settled in Brooklyn, NY.

1912 -- Completed construction of parasol monoplane. Successfully learned to fly this aircraft at Mineola, Long Island, NY.

1912 - 1916 -- Taught others to fly the parasol monoplane, including Fiorello LaGuardia.

1917 - 1920 -- Employed as a consulting engineer for Maryland Pressed Steel Company of Hagerstown, MD. While there, Bellanca designed and built the Bellanca CD and CE tractor biplanes.

1921 - 1922 -- Moved to Omaha, NE, and with Victor Roos, formed the Roos-Bellanca Aircraft Company. Bellanca designed and built the Bellanca CF. Married Dorothy Brown on November 18, 1922, in Omaha, NE.

1923 -- Moved back to New York, and designed and built new sets of wings for the Post Office Department's DH-4 mailplanes

1925 -- Employed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation of Paterson, NJ, designing an aircraft around their new "Whirlwind" engine. The Wright-Bellanca 1, or WB-1, was the result, and was first flown in the latter part of that year.

1926 -- First flight of the WB-2.

1927 -- Bellanca started the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of America, on Staten Island, NY. Bellanca established the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of New Castle, DE. Wright decided not to enter into quantity production of the WB-2. Bellanca entered into a partnership with Charles A. Levine, and together, they formed the Columbia Aircraft Corporation. From Tuesday, April 12 to Thursday, April 14, Clarence Chamberlin and Bert Acosta set a new world's non-refueled endurance record in the WB-2, which was shortly thereafter, renamed the "Columbia". On June 4th, the Columbia set off across the Atlantic, and landed in Eisleben, Germany.

1941 - 1943 -- Head of the aviation department at Higgins Industries, Inc., in New Orleans, designing large cargo aircraft for troop movement during the war.

1954 -- Formed the Bellanca Development Company, to conduct research in lightweight aircraft construction materials.

1960 -- Died of leukemia in New York, December 26.
Provenance:
Mr. and Mrs. August Bellanca, Gift, 1993, NASM.1993.0055
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.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Bellanca WB-2 "Miss Columbia"  Search this
Transatlantic flights  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Financial records
Newspaper clippings
Drawings
Photographic prints
Citation:
Giuseppe M. Bellanca Collection, Acc. NASM.1993.0055, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.1993.0055
See more items in:
Giuseppe M. Bellanca Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg271dc0842-f969-4959-847e-2fe8d6d09920
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1993-0055
Online Media:

Cross Section of Aviation Personnel Collection [Boedecker]

Creator:
Boedecker, Kenneth J.  Search this
Extent:
8.96 Cubic feet (15 flat boxes, 25 shoeboxes, 1 slim document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Black-and-white negatives
Photographic prints
Date:
1936-1962
Summary:
Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker (1892--1981) was an aircraft engine expert and avid amateur photographer who created a series of photo albums containing images of a wide variety of personnel employed in the aviation field. This collection consists of those albums, the negatives for the photographs in the albums, and one box of enlarged prints of some of the photographs.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of sixteen volumes of photo albums containing photographs of a wide variety of personnel employed in the aviation field, including aircraft and engine manufacturing, the military, and airline and airport employees. The photographs are mostly taken by Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker, although some photos that show Boedecker himself were taken by others with his camera. Some are taken at the subject's workplace and others are taken at events such as air races or organization meetings, and it appears to have been Boedecker's practice to try to take photographs of the entire flight crew when he traveled by air. Most of the photographs are autographed by the subject and all are captioned with the subject's name, company, date, and location where the photo was taken. In the case of the photographs of flight crews, the airline route is also noted. Boedecker documented both large and small companies, and a large portion of the employees shown in the albums are women. The photographs appear in the albums in the order they were taken, and some include indexes of the people shown in the album. The collection also includes the negatives for the photographs in the albums, which are arranged alphabetically by last name of the subject, and one box of enlarged prints of some of the photographs.
Arrangement:
Collection has three series defined by type of material. The first series consists of volumes of photo albums that are arranged by date. The second series consists of negatives arranged alphabetically by last name of subject. The third series contains copy prints.
Biographical / Historical:
Kenneth Judson "Boedy" Boedecker (1892--1981) was an aircraft engine expert and avid amateur photographer. Boedecker began his technical training at the Mechanics Institute in New York in 1910 and studied there until 1914, later studying at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn from 1914 to 1918. Boedecker also served in the US Naval Reserve (USNR) and was on active duty during World War I as a chief machinist's mate with the Northern Bombing Group in France and England. Boedecker worked as a machinist, draftsman, tool designer, and inspector for various companies before joining Lawrence Aero Engine Corporation as Chief Inspector in 1919, later becoming the Assistant Works Manager. When Lawrence merged with Wright Aeronautical, Boedecker became a Service Engineer for Wright before rising to Service Manager in 1927, General Service Manager in 1929, and Sales and Service Engineer in 1931. At the time of Boedecker's retirement in 1958, he was assistant to the vice president for sales at Curtiss-Wright. Boedecker learned to fly making test flights of Wright aircraft and made his first solo flight in 1930, going on to earn his pilot's license. During his time with Wright Aeronautical, Boedecker was assigned to test and inspect the Wright engines that powered numerous record-setting aircraft including Charles Lindbergh's Ryan NYP Spirit of St Louis that made the first solo transatlantic flight, the Fokker C-2 Bird of Paradise in which Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger made the first transpacific flight from the US mainland to Hawaii, and the Fokker F.VIIB-3m Southern Cross which Charles Kingsford-Smith and his crew flew to make the first transpacific flight from California to Australia. Boedecker also checked the engines of various aircraft that flew in the 1927 Dole Air Race. Boedecker was a member of numerous professional and aviation organizations including the Society of Automotive Engineers, Ancient and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen, Wings Club, and Conquistadores del Cielo.

In the 1930s, Boedecker purchased a new camera and began to take portrait photographs of colleagues and other members of the aviation community as a way to familiarize himself with the equipment. Encouraged by the editor of Wright Aeronautical's internal employee newsletter who reproduced some of the photographs in that publication, the project grew to include sixteen volumes of photographs taken during the course of Boedecker's work as well as during his extensive travels to aviation-related events. Boedecker would print two copies of each photograph and send them to the subject, asking that person to sign one and return it to him for inclusion in his album. At least one volume of the album was reproduced and published in the late 1930s by Aero Digest Publishing Company. The first fifteen albums were officially presented to the Smithsonian at a ceremony in the Regents Room on May 16, 1962. The sixteenth volume was sent later as it was still being completed at the time of the presentation. In that volume there is a photograph taken at the presentation ceremony by a Smithsonian photographer which, according to Boedecker, is the only photograph in the collection not taken with his camera.
Provenance:
Kenneth J. Boedecker, Gift, 1962, NASM.XXXX.0323.
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.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Aircraft industry  Search this
Women in aeronautics  Search this
Airlines  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Black-and-white negatives
Photographic prints
Citation:
Cross Section of Aviation Personnel Collection [Boedecker], NASM.XXXX.0323, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0323
See more items in:
Cross Section of Aviation Personnel Collection [Boedecker]
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2d2ad4ab8-4b66-4c41-a7a4-6b500315c57a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0323
Online Media:

Model, Static, Lockheed Electra, Amelia Earhart

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Aircraft Corp.  Search this
Materials:
Overall - wood
Metal- propellers, landing gear
Dimensions:
Model: 23.5 × 73.7 × 104.1cm (9 1/4 in. × 2 ft. 5 in. × 3 ft. 5 in.)
3-D (Model Overall): 4.1kg (9lb.)
Type:
MODELS-Aircraft
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Credit Line:
Gift of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.
Inventory Number:
A19600213000
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv918de48ff-0b6d-4734-8337-fdf932960d39
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19600213000
Online Media:

Felixstowe (NAF) F-5-L (hull only)

Manufacturer:
Naval Aircraft Factory  Search this
Materials:
Overall: Wood
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 31.6 m (103 ft 9 in)
Length: 15 m (49 ft 4 in)
Height: 5.7 m (18 ft 9 in)
Weight: Empty, 3,955 kg (8,720 lb)
Gross, 6,169 kg (13,600 lb)
Type:
CRAFT-Aircraft
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Date:
1918
Credit Line:
Transferred from the U.S. Navy Department
Inventory Number:
A19240007000
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9e90ebb82-f16e-4063-9ab2-a29f0aa70e83
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19240007000

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