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.
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.
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.
The Weldon B. Cooke Collection consists of newspaper articles and photographs relating to Cooke and the various aircraft he built or flew, including the Diamond, Wiseman-Cook, Sandusky Tractor, and Aeromaid aircraft. There are also severala few broadsides from events Cooke participated in, along with a program and ticket from the "3rd International Aviation Meet, 1912."
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of newspaper articles and photographs relating to Cooke and the various aircraft he built or flew, including the Diamond, Wiseman-Cook, Sandusky Tractor, and Aeromaid aircraft. There are also a few broadsides from events Cooke participated in, along with a program and ticket from the "3rd International Aviation Meet, 1912."
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 Weldon B. Cooke Collection is arranged by content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Weldon B. Cooke (1884-1914) was a flying pioneer involved in aviation as a pilot, mechanic, and builder. Cooke graduated from the California School of Mechanical Arts and the College of Electrical Engineering, University of California. In 1910, he built a Montgomery-type glider, and during the summer of 1911 he taught himself to fly in a Curtiss-type biplane: the Diamond. In this aircraft, Cooke became involved with exhibition flying and participated in several air meets, including the 1912 Los Angeles meet. Cooke soon become involved in building aircraft, beginning with his rework of an aircraft which had been built by Ben Noonan, Don Prentiss, and Fred Wiseman: the "Wiseman-Cooke." In this aircraft, Cooke participated in exhibition flying and carried the first official mail at Eureka, CA in 1912. Late in 1912, he left the exhibition flying business to form the Weldon B. Cooke Aeroplane Company in Sandusky, Ohio, where he built a Tractor Biplane Flying Boat. He left Ohio to assist with the operation of the Benoist Company's early St. Petersburg-Tampa passenger air-boat line. He returned to his Sandusky company in 1914, but the company soon became bankrupt. Cooke then returned to California, where he become involved with Silas Christofferson's airline between Oakland and San Francisco, piloting the Christofferson Flying Boat, Aeromaid. Following his time with Christofferson, Cooke returned to exhibition flying, and died in 1914 during an exhibition flight held at the Pueblo Colorado Fair Grounds.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Almarose Cooke Worden, gift, 1997, 1998-0001.
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
Frederick J. Wiseman (1875--1961) was an early California aviator and one of the designers of the Wiseman-Peters (later named Wiseman-Cooke) Biplane. This collection consists of two autgraphed postcards, both featuring an inset portrait of Frederick J. Wiseman and a view of the Wiseman-Peters #2 Biplane (Wiseman-Cooke Biplane).
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two 5.5 by 3.5 inch sepia-toned postcards, both featuring an inset portrait of Frederick J. Wiseman wearing a suit and tie and a view of the Wiseman-Peters #2 Biplane (Wiseman-Cooke Biplane). One postcard features a right side view of the aircraft on the ground with Wiseman visible standing beside it, and is captioned, "Aviator Wiseman Immediately After Winning the Amateur Endurance Record, January 18, 1911." The other postcard features a view of the aircraft in flight and is captioned, "Wiseman Rounding the last Pylon in the Speed Trial, Selfridge Field." Both postcards are autographed on the front by Wiseman.
Arrangement:
Collection is only two items.
Biographical / Historical:
Frederick J. 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. Wiseman 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 pooled his money with fellow race car driver M. W. Peters to build an airplane. They persuaded local butcher Ben Noonan to put up the remainder of the needed funds, and the group added Don Prentiss as secretary of the organization and Julian Pierre, an additional mechanic. In May 1910, as the first Wiseman-Peters biplane began to be tested and exhibited, the group started construction of a second aircraft, and it was in this second airplane that Wiseman would make all his significant exhibition flights. During July 1910, both Peters and Wiseman flew the Wiseman-Peters #2, and the following year Wiseman entered the 1911 Aviation Meet at Selfridge Field. In February of that year, Wiseman made an early airmail flight when he carried mail, a bundle of newspapers and a sack of groceries from Petaluma, California, to Santa Rosa, California. 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, later working for the Standard Oil Company of California. Wiseman was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation. Weldon Cooke, another pioneer aviator from California, bought and modified the Wiseman-Peters aircraft, renaming it the Wiseman-Cooke and flying the aircraft for exhibition and air mail flights.
Provenance:
Donor unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0993.
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.
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
