Flight to the top : how a home town airline made history-- and keeps on making it : the absorbing 60-year story of Northwest Airlines / Kenneth D. Ruble
This accession consists of ephemera relating to Virginia D. Martus and Dorothy K. de Silva's Air France Concorde flight on May 28, 1978.
Scope and Contents:
This accession consists of the following material relating to Virginia D. Martus and Dorothy K. de Silva's Air France Concorde flight on May 28, 1978: Air France flight certificates, along with letters explaining the certificates; two copies of the "Concorde Network" brochures, one from de Silva's is annotated with flight information; three postcards of the Air France Concorde; one 8.5 by 10 inch photograph of the Air France Concorde; a "Guide for the Supersonic Traveller" brochure, produced by Air France; and two menus. This collection also contains two Trans World Service (TWA) menus, presumedly from their trip back to the United States.
Arrangement:
Arranged by type.
Biographical / Historical:
The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation (BAC), the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems. In 1976, Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, the Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hour—half the time of a conventional jet airliner. However its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.
Provenance:
Virginia D. Martus, Gift, 2012, NASM.2019.0030
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.
KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) Search this
Extent:
11 Digital scans
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Digital scans
Date:
bulk 1937
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of scans copied by the NASM Archives of eleven photographs taken by Laura W. Heermance (1916-1960) in France during the Spring of 1937. The photographs were shot at the Le Bourget Airport and at the Aero Club de la Riviera, France The following aircraft are shown: Imperial Airways Short L. 17 Scylla and Handley Page H.P. 42E Hannibal; Air France Potez 62; KLM Douglas DC-2; Sabena Savoia-Marchetti S.73; Percival Gull Six; de Havilland D.H.89 Dragon Rapide and D.H.80 Puss Moth; and Caudron C. 400 Phalene (Moth), C.232, and C.272 Luciole (Firefly).
Biographical / Historical:
During the Spring of 1937, Laura Heermance and Louise Tallman of Connecticut were taken to Europe by their aunt. They were loaned a Leica camera with 35 mm film and Ms. Heermance, an enthusiastic student pilot, took photographs of aircraft at Le Bourget Airport and Aero Club de la Riviera, France.
Provenance:
Louise Tallman, Gift, 2005
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 Air France Concorde Collection [Martus] digital asset: Finding aid](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?max=170&id=https://sirismm.si.edu/siris/findingaid.gif "Finding aid")
