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Walter Kidde & Company Aviation Photograph Collection

Creator:
Walter Kidde & Company  Search this
Names:
Arnold, Rudy, 1902-1966  Search this
Extent:
0.54 Cubic feet ((2 boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
bulk 1930-1950
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 350 photographs, negatives, and illustrations, dating from the 1930s through the 1940s, from the Walter Kidde & Company archive. Subjects include Kidde fire suppression and air flotation systems, and military, commercial, and general aviation aircraft of the period. The collection also includes thirty-three photographs and transparencies made by aviation photographer Rudy Arnold (1902-1966).
Biographical / Historical:
Walter Kidde & Company was founded in 1917 by Walter Kidde (1877-1943). Initially established as a construction company, Kidde moved to fire suppression systems, introducing the first portable carbon dioxide fire extinguisher in 1924. In 1926, the Kidde Company, working with the US Navy, developed a fire prevention system for aircraft engines. A branch of the company was founded in the United Kingdom in 1935. The company experienced large growth during World War II. After Walter Kidde's death in 1943, the company was headed by his son, John Kidde. The British company Williams Holdings acquired Kidde in 1988. In 1989, Kidde merged with another Williams Holdings company, Graviner, to form Kidde Graviner. Williams Holdings spun off Kidde in 2000. It was acquired by United Technologies Corporation in 2005, and, merging with other UTC companies, became UTC Fire & Security.
Provenance:
Frank Lindsey, Gift, 2014
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
Fire extinction  Search this
Aircraft supplies industry  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Walter Kidde & Company Aviation Photograph Collection, Accession 2014-0021, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2014.0021
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2ddce3b58-e658-4028-8504-18cff5755935
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2014-0021

Rudy Arnold Photo Collection

Creator:
Arnold, Rudy, 1902-1966  Search this
Names:
New York Graphic  Search this
New York Journal-American  Search this
New York School of Photography  Search this
Arnold, Rudy, 1902-1966  Search this
Extent:
10.91 Cubic feet (9,579 photographic items)
25.37 Linear feet (38 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
circa 1920s-1950s
bulk 1920-1940
Summary:
Rudy Arnold (1902-1966) was introduced to photography in 1918. After studying at the New York School of Photography, he worked at the New York Journal-American and the New York Graphic. During his stint at the latter he started to focus on aviation photography. In 1928, Arnold started his own aviation photography business and worked out of the following New York air fields and airports during his career: Roosevelt Field, the old Curtiss Airport, Floyd Bennett Field, and LaGuardia Airport His coverage of a wrecked airliner in upstate New York was the first photograph sent by wire to newspapers across the country. Arnold's work appeared in every aviation magazine, house organs (Douglas, Grumman), and mass circulation magazines as well as many newspapers. He also did motion-picture camera work for Universal and Paramount.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of Rudy Arnold's collection of negatives, glass plates and color transparencies, spanning his career as an aviation photographer. The following subjects are included in this collection: civilian and military aircraft; experimental aircraft; seaplanes; airliners; aerial images; helicopters; aviation events and personalities.
Arrangement:
The Rudy Arnold Photo Collection consists of 25.37 linear feet (10.91 cubic feet) of original photographic material. It contains 9,579 original photographic items: Series I contains 5,303 black and white negatives, Series II contains 3,058 color transparencies, Series III contains 447 black and white glass plate negatives and Series IV contains 769 120 mm format negatives and two 8 x 10 inch color transparencies. Each series is organized alphabetically starting with the aircraft company name and designation followed by personalities and various other subjects. The last item is a 3-ring binder with 369 35mm copy slides of a variety of Arnold's images. While these copy slides are part this collection, they are not counted in the total number of items because they are copies of the Arnold originals.
Biographical / Historical:
Rudy Arnold (1902-1966) was a commercial aviation photographer. He began his career by studying at the New York School of Photography in New York City, New York. Arnold worked for both The New York Journal-American and The New York Graphic as a photographer. By 1928 he had developed an interest in aviation photography and started his photography business. He primarily worked out of Floyd Bennett Field, Roosevelt Field and LaGuardia Airport in New York for aviation magazines and newspapers and aviation industry house organs. Arnold photographed both civil and military aircraft, including airplanes, airships, and helicopters. While Arnold took images on the ground, he used air-to-air photography extensively. Rudy Arnold's photography was and still is considered to be artistic as well as a great documentary source. His photography was widely published during his career and still is today. Rudy Arnold's aviation photography career is documented in the book Images of Flight: The Aviation Photography of Rudy Arnold by E.T. Woodridge (Smithsonian Institution, 1986).

The bulk of the images were taken between circa 1920 through 1940 on Long Island, New York. The majority of these images are of American aircraft. Some of the represented manufacturers are Grumman, Douglas, Lockheed and Curtiss. In addition, the collection contains images Arnold took of aviation personalities including Douglas Corrigan, Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post and Howard Hughes. There are also images of United States military personal, armaments and vehicles, Atlantic coastal defense, as well as aircraft models and civilian vehicles, among other topics.

The collection was held by the Arnold family for many years. It suffered water damage prior to being accessioned by the Archives Division. The damage is more noticeable in the color material where there are color variations. However, in most cases the aircraft in the image is not disfigured. This collection was housed in the Aeronautics Division of the National Air and Space Museum for several years before being transferred the Archives Division. Prior to the Archives Division rehousing the collection, the materials were in acidic paper envelopes and boxes. These envelopes had Arnold's original caption and negative number (when assigned). Most of the envelopes were intact but a few were missing or had been damaged by moisture. After capturing the information on these envelopes, the Archives Division has rehoused the collection and the individual items are now in Mylar enclosures in acid free envelopes and boxes.
Provenance:
Dagmar Arnold-Wahlforss, gift, 1980-1990
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Permissions Requests
Topic:
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Helicopters  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Research aircraft  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aerial photography  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Rudy Arnold Photo Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0356, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0356
See more items in:
Rudy Arnold Photo Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2f7325ac6-1b17-436d-98cf-c70754971a75
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0356
Online Media:

Bristol XLRQ-1

Collection Creator:
Arnold, Rudy, 1902-1966  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 38
Type:
Archival materials
Negatives
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Permissions Requests
Topic:
Bristol Aeronautical Corp XLRQ-1 Glider  Search this
Collection Citation:
Rudy Arnold Photo Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0356, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Rudy Arnold Photo Collection
Rudy Arnold Photo Collection / Series 1: Black and White Negatives / Aircraft: Bensen B-7M to Cessna 195
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg227c39376-ff3b-4c11-b833-ef5016d9a578
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0356-ref644

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