Young, Edward Herbert; Events, Wright Brothers, Fort Myer Trials, 1908
Container:
Folder 1, Item 8
Type:
Archival materials
Ephemera
Date:
1908
Scope and Contents:
Round blue cardboard badge, with string, issued for the Aeronautical Trials of the Wright Military Flyer held at Fort Myer, Virginia, 1908, to Mr. [Edward H.] Young.
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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1) [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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1) [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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1) [Negatives]
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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1), NASM [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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1), NASM [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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1) [Oversize]
Collection Creator:
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
19.5 x 21.5 inch parchment like poster, with second copy on heavy copy paper of the 1908 Army Signal Corp Specification No. 486 which resulted in the contract awarded to the Wright brothers for their plane.
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.
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No.1) [Oversize]
Collection Creator:
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
17.5 x 21 inch photograph, brown toned matte gelatin silver print, mounted on 20.5 x 24 inch heavy greyish-brown cardboard; Winfield Scott Clime photograph of Wright (Co) Type A Military biplane, piloted by Orville Wright with unknown passenger, in flight over Fort Myer, Virginia, during the US Army trials, September 1908. Note on reverse, "Gift of Mr. & Mrs. A.W. Clime, Old Lyme, Conn, Acknowledged 1951." Three-quarter right front view from below of aircraft; photographer in bowler hat at lower left foreground.
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 US Army Signal Corps advertised for bids for a two-seat observation aircraft and in 1908 and 1909, the Wrights flew the Wright 1908 Military Flyer at official Army trials at Fort Myer, Virginia. This collection consists of 45 black and white photographs, of varying sizes and including some duplicates, taken by photographer W. S. Clime at the 1908-1909 official army trials.
Scope and Contents:
The US Army Signal Corps advertised for bids for a two-seat observation aircraft and in 1908 and 1909, the Wrights flew the Wright 1908 Military Flyer at official Army trials at Fort Myer, Virginia. On September 17, 1908, Orville Wright and Lieutenant Thomas Etholen Selfridge made a flight as a part of these trials. While in the air, a blade on the propeller broke and the aircraft fell from 75 feet up and landed on Wright and Selfridge. Both men sustained severe injuries. Wright broke a leg and several ribs, and Selfridge was taken off the field unconscious. Selfridge died shortly after the accident from his injuries and became powered flight's first fatality. The Army was to purchase the Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No. 1) for $30,000 in 1909.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
This collection consists of 45 black and white photographs, of varying sizes and including some duplicates, taken by photographer W. S. Clime at the 1908-1909 official army trials at Fort Myer, Virginia. Shown in the images are the Wright 1908 Military Flyer in flight and on the ground; the crash that injured Orville Wright and killed Thomas Selfridge; and Thomas S. Baldwin with an Army dirigible. Other persons shown in the photographs include mechanic Charles W. Taylor; Major George O. Squier; Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm; Lieutenant Benjamin D. Foulois; Augustus Post; and Mrs. M. Longworth. The collection also contains one unrelated photograph of A. Roy Knabenshue making a flight over Washington, DC.
Provenance:
A. S. Clime, Gift, Unknown, NASM.XXXX.0904
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:
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No. 1) Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographic prints
Citation:
Fort Myer Army Trial Flight Photographs, NASM.XXXX.0904, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection consists of the following items copied from Mrs. Eleanor Relyea's album: eleven black and white 8 by 11 inch copy prints of early Air Service photography, including images of the Wright Military Flyer at Fort Myer, a portrait of Glenn Curtiss, images of air-to-air refueling, and images of General William L. "Billy" Mitchell with General Mason M. Patrick; a copy of a publication entitled "Flight in Literature" by Ernest Jones; a copy of a letter to Mrs. Relyea from General Benjamin Delahauf Foulois; and a copy of a memorandum from General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold. There is also an original 10 by 13 inch black and white photograph of General Mitchell, signed by him to Mrs. Relyea.
Biographical / Historical:
Eleanor Relyea (d. 1951) started her employment with the U.S. War Department working as a clerk for the Signal Corps in 1905. She retired from the War Department in 1935, as a Chief Clerk of the US Army Air Corps. Mrs. Relyea compiled a photo album relating to her work with the Army Air Corps, which included photographs and letters from important aviation personalities, including General William L. "Billy" Mitchell.
Provenance:
Eleanor Ford, Gift, 2004
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:
Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No. 1) Search this
Wright (Co) Type A Fort Myer Trials (1908) Photographs [Winston]
Extent:
440 Megabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Megabytes
Date:
1908-09-12
Summary:
A collection of five photographs taken by George Otis Wilson, Sr. at the U.S Army military trials of The Wright (Co) Type A flyer at Fort Myer, Virginia in 1908.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of scans of five photographs taken by George Otis Winston, Sr. at the U. S. Army military trials at Fort Myer, Virginia in 1908. The scans were made from the original 3.5 x 5.6 inch negatives that were loaned by donor for copying. The Wright (Co) Type A can be seen in the images. The presence of the small American flag tied to the right interplane strut of the elevator planes suggests that the photographs were made on September 12, 1908, shortly before a flight made by Orville Wright with Major George Squier as passenger.
Arrangement:
The collection has no specific arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
The U.S. Army Signal Corps advertised for bids for a two-seat observation aircraft and in September 1908 and June and July 1909, the Wrights flew at official Army trials at Fort Myer, Virginia. (It was here that powered flight's first fatality occurred: the tragic death of Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge.) A number of other demonstration flights were made, and records set, during this time period. The Army was to purchase the Wright (Co) Type A Military (Signal Corps No. 1) for $30,000 in 1909.
George Otis Winston, Sr. (1886-1938) was an avid amateur photographer who lived much of his life in Washington, D. C. Winston attended the 1908 military trials at Fort Myer and documented the event by taking several photographs.
Provenance:
Richard Winston, Gift, 2019, 2019.0017
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.
![View US Army Air Service Copy Photographs [Relyea] digital asset: Finding aid](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?max=120&id=https://sirismm.si.edu/siris/findingaid.gif "Finding aid")
