This collection consists of 11.9 cubic feet of material chronicling Lee Ya-Ching's role as a pilot trying to raise funds for China during World War II. The collection contains the following types of material: correspondence, both official and personal; maps; publications; newspapers; invitation; programs from events; lecture notes; scripts from radio shows; photographs, both official and snapshots; trip schedules and agendas; address books; scrapbooks; and official paperwork and licenses.
Scope and Content note:
This collection consists of 11.9 cubic feet of material chronicling Lee Ya-Ching's role as a pilot trying to raise funds for China during World War II. The collection contains the following types of material: correspondence, both official and personal; maps; publications; newspapers; invitations; programs from events; lecture notes; scripts from radio shows; photographs, both official and snapshots; trip schedules and agendas; address books; scrapbooks; and official paperwork and licenses.
Note: The digital images shown for this collection were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product which did not reproduce all materials found in this collection; some items have not been scanned. In addition, some materials have been excluded from display due to copyright, trademark, or patent restrictions.
Arrangement:
This collection of materials listed in the finding aid is arranged into two series, Ms Lee's personal papers and her professional papers. Within each series, items are arranged by material type then chronologically. No attempt was made to translate foreign language material in the collection.
Biographical/Historical note:
Lee Ya-Ching was born in Canton, China in 1912. As an only child who lost her mother at a young age, Ya-Ching was raised by her father and grandmother. Under her father's guidance she
learned many skills, including martial arts, some previously restricted to male children. Ya-Ching attended English schools in Hong Kong and Shanghai and at the age of 16 was sent to London to attend finishing school.
In 1929 at the age of 17, Ya-Ching went to Geneva, Switzerland. It is there that she took her first ride in an airplane and vowed to learn how to fly. She enrolled in Ecole Aero Club de Suisse and, in 1934, became the first woman to receive a pilot's license from the school. Determined to continue her education, Ya-Ching went to the United States and attended the Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, California in 1935. In November of that year she became the first
woman licensed through the Boeing School. Upon completion of her training at the Boeing school Ya-Ching returned to China and began campaigning for a Chinese pilot's license, eventually obtaining the license in 1936. Seeing a need to train new pilots, Ya-Ching and some fellow pilots opened a civilian flying school in Shanghai in 1936.
When Japan invaded China in 1937, Ya-Ching volunteered to fly for her country, but was refused. Undeterred, she served her country by establishing hospitals. Leaving Shanghai for Hong Kong just before the city fell, she was finally given the opportunity to fly for China by piloting Red Cross planes ferrying supplies from Hong Kong to Canton. Realizing that China needed aid and supplies, Ya-Ching embarked on a Goodwill Tour of the United States and Canada in 1938. When the war prevented her return to China, Ya-Ching continued the tour expanding her appearances into South America.
Not much is known of Ya-Ching's life after the war. She returned to Hong Kong for a number of years. In the 1960's she returned to California, where she died in 1998 at the age of 86.
Time Line of Lee Ya-Ching
xxxx -- The following timeline covers key events in Ya-Ching's life, as well world events. Events involving Ya-Ching are shown in normal type world events are shown in italics.
1909 -- M. Vallon flies first plane in China
1911 -- China ousts the 2000 year old Imperial System for a Republic
April 16, 1912 -- Lee Ya-Ching is born in Canton, China
1916 -- Ya-Ching's mother dies of tuberculosis
1917 -- China enters World War 1 on the side of the Allies
1926 -- Begins career as a movie actress
1928 -- Leaves the film industry and goes to school in England
1929 -- The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is ousted from China Goes to Switzerland
September 1931 -- Japan seizes control of Manchuria
November 1931 -- CCP resurfaces in China and forms the Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi Province
May 1932 -- Amelia Earhart becomes first woman to solo across the Atlantic
1933 -- Begins flying lessons at Geneva's Cointrin-Ecole d'Aviation
1934 -- Receives her pilot's license from Ecole Aéro Club de Suisse
1935 -- Attends and receives license from the Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, California
1935 -- Falls out of an aerobatic plane, earning her membership in the Caterpillar Club
1936 -- Receives her pilot's license from the Chinese Government First domestic airline established in China Opens a civilian flying school in Shanghai
1937 -- Flies for the Red Cross ferrying supplies from Hong Kong to Canton Japan invades China Earns Hong Kong commercial pilot's license Helps establish hospitals in Shanghai
1938 -- Begins goodwill tour of United States and Canada
1939 -- Appears in US film Disputed Passage with Dorothy Lamour
1940 -- Flies "Estrella China" to Caribbean, Central and South America Aids Ruth Nichols in raising money for Relief Wings
1941 -- Begins working for United China Relief
December 7, 1941 -- Bombing of Pearl Harbor forces American entry into World War II
1944 -- Begins Goodwill and Fund Raising tour of South America and Caribbean
August 1945 -- Atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, followed by Japanese surrender and end of World War II
1946 -- Returns to China and retires
1946 -- Fighting between CCP and KMT (Nationalist party) resumes
October 1949 -- KMT retreats to Taiwan Mao Zedong establishes the People's Republic of China
1950 -- Receives Hong Kong private pilot's license
1963 -- Receives Hong Kong Special Purpose Pilot's license
1971 -- Permanently moves to the United States
1997 -- British rule ends in Hong Kong
January 28, 1998 -- Dies at the age of 86
Provenance:
Pax Cheng and Mary Wolfson, Gift, 2007, NASM.2008.0009.
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:
World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian relief Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Thomas Adrian Fransioli, 1981 April 21. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Architects -- Massachusetts -- Interviews Search this
This collection consists of three photographs of his wife and infant daughter carried by Staff Sergeant George Robert "Bob" Caron aboard the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay during the bomber's mission to Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of three photographs carried aboard the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay by Staff Sergeant George Robert "Bob" Caron during the bomber's mission to Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945; Caron carried the photographs tucked inside the clear plastic sleeve of his pressurized oxygen duration chart [Oxygen Placard, Enola Gay, A20200329000]. Two black and white photographs are of Caron's wife, Katherine Marie "Kay" (Younger) Caron (1924-2001). A third hand-colored photograph is of Kay Caron holding their baby daughter, Judy Kay Caron; inscribed on the reverse: "Sept. 5, 1945 / Judy Kay 3 mo. / To Daddy Love Kay & Judy Kay."
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II, and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons. On August 6, 1945, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan.
US Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant George Robert "Bob" Caron (1919-1995) was the tail gunner aboard the Enola Gay during its mission to Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. His rear-facing position in the aircraft enabled him to take what became the official USAAF photograph of a mushroom cloud rising from the city following the detonation of the atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy.
Provenance:
Randall M. Holder, gift, 2008, NASM.2008.0037
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 contains two photographs of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Silverplate "Enola Gay" on the island of Tinian, taken by Raymond N. Rittko.
There are also two Radio Press News releases for the "U.S.S. Guilford", dated December 12 and December 19, 1945. The releases detail post-war news stories from around the world.
Biographical / Historical:
Tinian Island, part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, fell to the Japanese after World War I. It was captured by the United States on June 15, 1944. From December 1944 until the end of World War II, the island served as an airbase for Boeing B-29s. It was the loading point for atomic weapons onto the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Silverplate "Enola Gay".
Boeing's B-29 Superfortress was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II, and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. Although designed to fight in the European theater, the B-29 found its niche on the other side of the globe. In the Pacific, B-29s delivered a variety of aerial weapons: conventional bombs, incendiary bombs, mines, and two nuclear weapons. On August 6, 1945, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan.
The "U.S.S Guildford" (APA-112) was a Bayfield-class attack transport. The vessel assisted in Operation "Magic Carpet", which facilitated the return of of troops from the Pacific theatre and the supplying of troops for the occupation of Japan.
Provenance:
R. Damian Mycka, Gift, 1991, NASM.1991.0095.
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
Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Silverplate "Enola Gay" and Radio Press News Collection, Acc. NASM.1991.0095, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
US Army Air Corps Japanese Propaganda Leaflets [Sylvan]
Creator:
United States. Office of War Information Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Leaflets
Date:
1945
Summary:
Before the atomic bombing missions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, leaflets bearing illustrations and Japanese characters were dropped from the air by the US Army Air Corps to warn the Japanese populace. This collection consists of three bombing leaflets as well as a snapshot of Seymour Sylvan with his crew in front of his Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of three bombing leaflets; two are 5.5 by 8.25 inches and the other is 4.25 by 5.25. The two larger leaflets contain messages in Japanese, accompanied with either images of Japanese leaders or of US Bombers dropping bombs, while the smaller leaflet contains only a message in Japanese. This collection also includes a snapshot of Seymour Sylvan with his crew in front of his Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Before the atomic bombing missions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, leaflets bearing illustrations and Japanese characters were dropped from the air by the US Army Air Corps to warn the Japanese populace.
Provenance:
Lenore Sylvan, Gift, 2016, NASM.2016.0018
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 William Jones' World War II scrapbook.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of William Jones' World War II scrapbook. The scrapbook measures 10.125 by 12.5 by 4.25 inches and contains 215 pages plus inserted pockets holding additional documents and photos. The scrapbook includes maps; patches and images of insignia; Jones' military records; news clippings; foreign currency; drawings; a technical drawing of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress; fabric from a Japanese aircraft; a typewritten narrative by Jones of his time in the U.S. Army Air Corps; a piece of paper autographed by Harry S. Truman; an Office of Civilian Personnel Recreational Guide to the Tokyo area; vectographs and two pairs of viewing glasses; information on Jones' donations to other museums; and numerous photographs, many of which were taken by Jones. Subjects of the photographs include daily life in the U.S. Army Air Corps; portraits of various military personnel; scenes in various parts of the Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan; views of bombing damage in Japan; prints from gun camera film of Japanese aircraft being shot down; and aerial views of Itazuke Airfield and Nagasaki and Hiroshima after the atomic bombing took place. The aerial photos of Nagasaki are signed by Fred J. Olivi (co-pilot of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Silverplate Bocks Car) and the aerial photographs of Hiroshima are signed by Paul Warfield Tibbets, Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk, and Thomas Wilson Ferebee (pilot, navigator, and bombardier respectively of the Boeing B-29, Silverplate Enola Gay). Aircraft depicted in the photographs include the North American P-51 Mustang; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress; Douglas C-54 Skymaster; Consolidated B-24 Liberator; Stinson (Aircraft) L-5 Sentinel; Noorduyn Norseman; Mitsubishi A6M5 Reisen (Zero Fighter) Zeke; and Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko (Moonlight) Irving (Night Fighter Model 11). The collection also includes the publication, How to Make Polaroid Vectographs, published by the Polaroid Corporation in November 1943, as well as four CDs containing high resolution scans of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki aerial views and scans of other pages in the scrapbook.
Arrangement:
No arrangement, single item.
Biographical / Historical:
William Jones was an aerial photographer in the Army Air Corps during World War II. During the occupation of Japan, Jones photographed the atomic bomb damage of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki at low altitude. After his discharge he continued in his photography career, owning and operating a studio, Jones Photos, in Columbia City, Indiana, for over 43 years.
Provenance:
William Jones, Gift, 2006, NASM.2006.0067
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
Hiroshima-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945
Date:
[ca. 1940s, 1980s]
Scope and Contents:
Series I of this collection consists of the following: seven folders containing almost 200 photographs and negatives on display in the exhibit, four series of slides (two detailing the U.S.S. Midway used for background research, one detailing documents and photos of the Philippine Sea battle, and of the finished museum exhibit) and the exhibit script. Series II is a collection of images that were collected for the Sea Air Operations Gallery but were not used in the exhibit itself. It consists of 17 folders of photographs and negatives dealing with the following subjects: Pearl Harbor, Pacific battleship battles of 1942-1945, US and Japanese commanders, aircraft carriers, aces, the USS Enterprise, Guadalcanal, USMC air operations, Grumman workers, Manila atrocities, miscellaneous aircraft and miscellaneous photos. In Series I, 33 of the photograph negatives have no corresponding prints in the folders but are on display downstairs. Seven of the photos of a more graphic nature have no accompanying print nor are they on display. Series III consists of research material gathered in support of the Sea Air Operation Gallery. Series IV consists of slide images taken by Lt. William G. Lotz, USN, aboard the USS Midway circa 1989-1990. Series III and IV were merged with the exiting collection in 1998.
Biographical / Historical:
The National Air and Space Museum's Sea Air Operations Gallery details the operations of carriers and their aircraft, both of the World War II era and the present day. Featured are panels focusing on carrier-verses-carrier battles fought by the U.S. and Japanese navies during World War II: the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle for Leyte Gulf. The exhibit also highlights other Pacific missions, from Pearl Harbor, through Midway, to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
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:
Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941 Search this
Interview of Thomas Adrian Fransioli, conducted April 21, 1981, by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, in Wenham, Massachusetts.
Fransioli speaks of his upbringing in Seattle, Washington; training and friendships at architectural school at the University of Pennsylvania; working in North Carolina, Virginia, Philadelphia, and Cleveland as an architect, interior designer, and draftsman; his commission for a grand country house in Virginia, 1932-1934; his work for John Russell Pope on the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; work in photographic reconnaissance for the U.S. Army during World War II; visiting Hiroshima after the atomic bomb; his training at the Art Students League; his paintings of cityscapes and houses; the promotion of his career by Margaret Brown of Boston; and influences upon him. Fransioli also recalls Charles Klauder, Margaret Brown, Carl Feiss, Otto Eggers, John Walker, David Finley; and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Thomas Adrian Fransioli (1906- 1997) was an architect and painter from Massachusetts. He was born in Seattle, Washington.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Topic:
Architects -- Massachusetts -- Interviews Search this
