This collection consists of John A. Meyer's diaries during World War IIs.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of Meyer's diaries during World War II and a typewritten transcript of those diaries.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
John A. Meyer was an aerial photographer in the US Army Air Forces during World War II. He was stationed in Bangor, Maine,and the North Atlantic Air Bases in Newfoundland.
Provenance:
Dr. John A. Meyer, Gift, 1994, NASM.1995.0010
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 bibliographies, correspondence, reports, articles, pamphlets and drafts of papers on aerial mapping and photography (one authored by Maj. James Bagley). It also contains a dictionary of photographic terms (in German) and material on various cameras and other equipment including Adam Hilger Ltd.'s Survey Stereoscope; Fairchild's Solar Navigator; Brigg's Gyroscope Vertical Indicator; J.G. Saltzman, Inc.'s, lighting and enlarging equipment; Messter Topograph; the Nistri Photocartograph and the Santoni Photogrammetric method (in both English and Italian); and the aerocartograph (blue prints and quadrangle mapping).
Biographical / Historical:
The U.S. Army began aerial photography after World War I to free them from the time consuming and costly survey parties. Major James W. Bagley was placed in charge of the small engineer detachment at Wright Field to supply aerial photography for military mapping. The experiments of this time period produced methods of aerial mapping that opened up vast areas which would have been denied to a ground surveyor during World War II.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Dr. Martin Gordon, Gift, 1991, 1991-0034, Public Domain
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 140 items comprising approximately 31 hours of 16 mm color film footage, shot by Art Scholl from 1968 to1984. Footage includes aerobatic air show flying, aerial scenes, and shots of Scholl and his flying companion, his dog Aileron. There is also footage from the following Scholl productions: "North to Canada" and "Special Fantasy Flight: A Photographer's Dream."
Biographical / Historical:
Arthur "Art" Scholl (1931-1985) was a three-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, an air racer (placing several times at the National Air Races at Reno), an air show pilot, an aerial cameraman, and a fixed base operator with a school of international aerobatics. Scholl held all pilot ratings, and was a licensed aircraft and powerplant (A&P) mechanic and an authorized FAA Inspector. He also was a professor and head of the Department of Aeronautics at San Bernardino Valley College. Scholl performed across the United States and internationally from the late 1950s until his death in 1985. He flew a pair of de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk aircraft, which he extensively modified and dubbed "Super Chipmunks." In 1959, Scholl began working for legendary Hollywood pilots Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz at Tallmantz Aviation and then later formed his own movie production company, producing and performing aerial photography and stunts for many commercials, movies and television shows, including "The Right Stuff," "The Great Waldo Pepper," and "The A-Team." Art Scholl was killed in 1985 while filming in a Pitts S-2S Special for the movie "Top Gun."
Provenance:
Judy Scholl, Gift, 2012
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 includes 75 photographs of Word War II bombings of France, specifically of Cologne. Aerial reconnaissance photographs make up the majority of the collection, although there are also photographs of a mapping room as well as a few pictures taken on the ground of the bombing damage. This collection also includes two prints of a Lockheed P-38 in flight.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
James A Hedgpeth, Jr., Gift, 1989, 1989-0078, 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
Topic:
World War, 1939-1945 -- Aerial operations Search this
The World War I German Aviation Photographs Collection consists of images of a number of subjects relating to World War I German aviation. Included in the collection are photographs of personalities such as Captain Oswald Boelke and General Ernst Udet, images of aircraft (mostly German), including various types of Fokker, Farman, Nieuport, Vickers and Bristol aircraft, and contemporary aerial photography. It should be noted that the collection is entirely in German, including the captions that are written on the reverse of many of the photographs.
Scope and Contents:
This small collection is comprised of photographs of a large variety of subjects relating to World War I German aviation. Contained herein are images of personalities such as Captain Oswald Boelke and General Ernst Udet, images of aircraft (mostly German) including various models of Fokker, Farman, Nieuport, Vickers and Bristol aircraft and contemporary aerial photography. It should be noted that the collection is entirely in German, including the captions that are written on the reverse of many of the photographs.
The World War I German Aviation Photographs Collection consists of images of a number of subjects relating to World War I German aviation. Included in the collection are photographs of personalities such as Captain Oswald Boelke and General Ernst Udet, images of aircraft (mostly German), including various types of Fokker, Farman, Nieuport, Vickers and Bristol aircraft, and contemporary aerial photography. It should be noted that the collection is entirely in German, including the captions that are written on the reverse of many of the photographs.
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 World War I German Aviation Photographs Collecetion is arranged by content type.
Provenance:
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
Hans Groenhoff (1906-1985) was a celebrated American aviation photographer from the 1930s through the 1960s, also working as a pilot, journalist, editor, correspondent, and—in his retirement years—as an aviation tourism publicist for the Bahamas. This collection of 25,550 images consists of Groenhoff's collection of negatives and transparencies, spanning his career from 1933 to 1975.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of Groenhoff's collection of negatives and transparencies, spanning his career from 1933 to 1975, and includes images of military and civilian aircraft and events, glider and sailplane activities, air shows and races, airlines and airports, weather (clouds) and aerial images.
Arrangement:
Series 1: 1962 Acquisition, approximately 24,250 images; photography made by Groenhoff in the period 1933 to 1962, consists of mixed medium format black-and-white negative single-sheet or cut-frame roll film (Subseries 1, HGA), 35mm black-and-white roll film (Subseries 2, HGD), and mixed medium format color transparency (positive) film (Subseries 3, HGC), as well as black-and-white print enlargements made by the Smithsonian of selected images. Also included in this series are a small number of posed portraits of Groenhoff at work.
Series 2: 1984 Acquisition (HGB), approximately 1,300 images; photography made by Groenhoff in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily during his employment with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, consists of mixed format black-and-white and color roll film and a small number of 35mm color slides.
Series 3: "Focus On Flight" Exhibit and Book Materials. This small series consists of mixed materials (copy photography and documents) used in the creation of the NASM exhibit, Focus on Flight: Four Decades of Aerial Photography (Rudy Arnold and Hans Groenhoff) (November 1984 through September 1985), and the related book by curator E. T. (Tim) Wooldridge, Focus on Flight: The Aviation Photography of Hans Groenhoff, published for the National Air and Space Museum by Smithsonian Institution Press (Washington, D.C.), 1985.
Biographical/Historical note:
Hans Groenhoff (1906-1985) was born and educated in Germany, but emigrated to the United States in 1927. Residing in New York City, Groenhoff pursued his interest in aviation and photography. Following in the footsteps of his brother Günther, a famous aviator and pioneer glider pilot in Germany, Hans Groenhoff became an active glider pilot in the nearby Elmira, New York, area, nurturing a lifelong fascination with clouds and aerial photography. Groenhoff's photography career took off when he inherited two cameras following the death of his brother in a glider accident in 1932; he went on to work as a photographer, journalist, editor, and correspondent, with his photographs and articles published in mainstream magazines such as Life, Colliers, Esquire, National Geographic, and The Saturday Evening Post, as well as aviation publications such as Air Trails Pictorial, Sportsman Pilot, Aero Digest, and especially Flying and Popular Aviation, for whom he was a regular correspondent. Groenhoff also shot advertising and publicity photography for aircraft manufacturers and the U.S. Army Air Forces. Following the death of his first wife, Fridel Barth, in 1954, Groenhoff moved to the Miami, Florida, area to take advantage of better weather for photographing aircraft. In 1956, Groenhoff married Frances Semman, who assisted him in his work. In his retirement years, Groenhoff was employed by the Bahamas Government to promote the Islands as a tourist destination for private and sport aviation, founding their popular "Bahamas Flying Treasure Hunt" events which ran annually for several years.
Hans Groenhoff's aviation photography career is documented in the book Focus on Flight: The Aviation Photography of Hans Groenhoff by E. T. Woodridge (Smithsonian Institution, 1985).
Provenance:
Hans Groenhoff, Purchase, 1962, 1984, NASM.XXXX.0359, NASM
Restrictions:
Physical access to film originals (negatives, transparencies, and slides) requires notice a minimum of two business days in advance of visit to allow for retrieval of materials from cold storage.
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, Commercial -- United States Search this
John A. Meyer was an aerial photographer in the US Army Air Forces. He was stationed in Bangor, Maine and the North Atlantic Air Bases in Newfoundland, 1942-1943.
Biographical / Historical:
This collection consists of three films and corresponding videotape of footage shot by the donor at Bangor Maine and North Atlantic Air Bases in Newfoundland. The films include footage of base life, USO Shows, and the following aircraft: Douglas A-20, Boeing B-17, Douglas B-18, Consolidated B-24, Douglas C-54, Noorduyn C-64, Piper L-4, and Bell P-39. Most of the flying and aircraft scenes are in color, while the footage of the USO Show and troops at play are in black and white.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
John A. Meyer, Gift, unknown, 1991-0030, NASM
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 one 272 page scrapbook of newspaper articles, photographs of Jay B. Benton, photographs of his balloon, and photographs taken from the balloon. The articles are from various periodicals including Boston Evening Transcript, Boston Post, Boston Herald, Boston Daily Globe, The Republican, New York Times, The Rochester Herald, The Rutland Herald, and Springfield Union. The articles center on Benton's balloon flights, balloon flight in general, freemasonry, and other topics concerning Benton, his life, and his interests. This scrapbook bears the title "Up in a Balloon, Thrilling Experiences of Jay B. Benton," and was completed and rebound by Benton's nephew, Jay R. Benton, on September 12, 1929.
Biographical / Historical:
Jay B. Benton was born on April 10, 1870 in Winchester, Massachusetts. He graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont in 1885, and five years later graduated from Dartmouth College. Later in 1890, Benton made his way to Boston where he found a job as a reporter for The Boston Evening Transcript. After four years with The Boston Evening Transcript, Benton accepted a position with The Boston Journal as assistant managing editor. Benton sought his pilot's license in 1909 as his interest in ballooning increased, and was the fourth member of the Aero Club of New England to receive his pilot's license. In 1912, Benton and William van Sleet flew the balloon Springfield from Pittsfield, Massachusetts to Pittston, Maine, a distance of 220 miles. During this excursion, the pair established a new record for the longest balloon flight in New England and received an award for maintaining equilibrium. Benton participated in many adventures and mishaps during the pioneer days of balloon flight, and he faithfully recorded his travels and the balloon travels of others through his position as a reporter. Benton was a member of the the Aero club of New England, the Society of Freemasons, the Press Club, the Newspaper Club, and the Papyrus Club.
Provenance:
Unknown, Gift?, 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
This collection consists of copies of six Abrams Explorer drawings, 1938-1940.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of copies of the following six Abrams Explorer drawings: two 3 views—
the one from 1938 is 36 by 40 inches and the one from 1940 is 36 by 44 inches; Balance Table - Table 4, is 23 by 17 inches; Balance Diagram is 17 by 36 inches; Side Elevation of Fuselage is 36 by 59 inches; and Side Elevation of Fuselage Covering is 36 by 59 inches.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
The Abrams Explorer, built in 1937, was the only one ever created and was uniquely designed for aerial survey and mapping functions. By featuring obstruction-free camera platforms, Abrams Aircraft CEO Dr. Talbert Abrams planned to market the plane to the United States armed forces for surveys, mapmaking, and aerial photography. The aircraft was successfully tested and used for government contract survey work until the beginning of the war when the military opted for more survivable, converted high-speed fighter aircraft for photo reconnaissance. Dr. Abrams lent the Abrams Explorer to the National Air Museum in 1948, and it was officially donated in 1973.
Provenance:
Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Cleary, Gift, 2007, NASM.2018.0080
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 442 copy photographs including color dye coupler photo transparencies and silver gelatin photo-negatives which document U.S. Navy aircraft and aviation activities during World War II. They include aerial combat, aircraft carrier landings and takeoffs, bombings, explosions, flights, and signal exchanges. Aircraft shown include a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Douglas SBD Dauntless, and Grumman F6F Hellcat. There are photographs of aircraft carriers including details of bridges and flight decks, as well as images of ships in dry dock, a task force, and one image of Pearl Harbor in 1944.
Biographical / Historical:
Edward J. Steichen (1879-1973) was a prominent photographer during both World War I and World War II. During World War I he commanded the photographic division of the U.S. Army Expeditionary Forces, where he learned aerial photography. During World War II Steichen served as director of the U.S. Naval Photographic Institute, overseeing all combat photography, and organized the 'Road to Victory' and 'Power in the Pacific' exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). From 1947 to 1962 he directed MOMA's Department of Photography.
General:
The original negatives to this collection are housed at the National Archives.
NASMrev
Provenance:
No donor information, Unknown, unknown, XXXX-0553, 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
The scrapbook documents Tynan's career in aviation, through training and active duty with photographs of personnel, activities and equipment. This includes aerial photographs of of France, and also numberous photographs of German, French, British, Italian and American aircraft, the cannon "Big Bertha" and numerous photographs documenting battlefields and trenches. Also included are many photographs of wrecked aircraft, bomb-damaged cathedrals, and towns such as Rheims, Belleau Wood, and Momarte. Also included are copies of 'PLANE NEWS': The air service letter of the A.E.F.', newspaper articles reprinting Tyran's letters recounting his training and service in France, and newspaper clippings from the time of his retirement, recounting his experiences as Chancellor at the American Embassy in Tokyo and his travel agency business.
Biographical / Historical:
John E. Tynan enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a private in 1916. He served in France with the 26th Aero Squadron of the A.E.F. during 1917 and 1918, leaving the service as a lieutenant.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
John E. Tynan, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0015, NASM
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 donation consists of Heveran's scrapbook which contains photographs and ephemera. The photographs include images of the following aircraft and aviation scenes: Curtiss H Flying Boat; SPAD XVI and XIII; de Havilland D.H.4; Salmson; Fokker D.VIII; Halberstadt C.II; Royal Aircraft Factory (RAF) S.E.5; power winch for raising a balloon; and images of the 14th Balloon Photo Section members. There are also images of armament, tanks (including a decoy German tank), German artillery and mortar, images of dead German soldiers, and images of the destruction of the French countryside. The scrapbook also includes a map, French and Belgian currency, a Christmas menu, and newspaper articles.
Biographical / Historical:
Glenn Edward Heveran, Sr. (1895-1960) was born in Chicago, Illinois. As a young man he was a commercial photographer and participated in the infant motion picture industry in Chicago. Heveran was inducted into the United States Army in March of 1918. He became a corporal in the 14th Balloon Photo Section, First Army, and was sent to France in August of 1918. When he returned home in 1919, he prepared a scrapbook, containing photographs that he took or collected during his time in France
Provenance:
Ronald D. Heveran, Gift, 2003
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 Kodak 120 color negatives (half-frame format), 35 mm color negatives, and 35 mm color slides shot by Mitchell Luetger (70 still film-based images total) of the following Space Shuttles, each seen mounted on the Boeing 747-100 NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), as they stopped at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, 1979-1984: twelve shots of the Space Shuttle Challenger on ramp taken from the air on April 14, 1983; twenty-one shots of the Space Shuttle Challenger on ramp taken on April 17, 1984 (twelve taken on low pass down runway and nine taken from above); four shots of Discovery in-flight on approach to Kelly AFB, March 23, 1989; and thirteen shots of Columbia on ramp taken on March 23, 1979. Also included are two views of a NASA Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I, one view of a US Air Force Douglas C-9A Nightingale, and a few aerial views of the San Antonio area.
Biographical / Historical:
Mitchell Luetger (1944-) is an aerial photographer based near San Antonio, Texas. His company is called "Aero Views by Mitch" and he shoots aerial photography mainly of farms and ranches, for real estate sales and development, and for companies monitoring construction progress. On March 23, 1979, he received permission to go out on the ramp at Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, where the Space Shuttle Columbia had stopped for refueling on its way to the John F. Kennedy Space Center. Over the years Luetger was also able to photograph the Space Shuttle Discovery and Space Shuttle Challenger when they stopped at Kelly AFB.
Provenance:
Mitchell Leutger, 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
This scrapbook consists of photographs of Tait and his fellow cadets, plane maneuvers, gun camera photos, and newspaper clippings. Included in the collection but separate from the scrapbook are pages from a memoranda/address book, a brief memoir written by Tait in the early 1980s, and several official army certificates such as his training diplomas and his honorable discharge certificate. There is also a large comical watercolor of a pilot in a plane entitled the "Spirit of 1918" and signed at the bottom by 31 people.
Biographical / Historical:
During the summer of 1917, Trevor S. Tait postponed his studies at Yale University in order to volunteer for service with the new branch of the military, the U.S. Air Service. He received his initial pilot training at the newly opened ground school at Cornell University in November 1917. After graduating in February 1918, he was ordered to Camp Dick at Dallas, Texas, and then Love Field, also near Dallas. In October, 1918, he was commissioned, given pursuit classification, and ordered to Carlstrom Field at Arcadia, Florida. After graduating as a pursuit pilot in November, 1918, he was sent to Dorr Field, near Arcadia, for aerial gunnery training. Upon graduation, World War I having already ended, he was provided with an emergency discharge so that he could begin his freshman year at Yale.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Kevin S. Tait, Gift, 2001, 2001-0040, 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
This collection consists of approximately 869 negatives, 343 transparencies and 539 photographic prints of aircraft and cockpit shots. These images are divided into the forty-three groups, which include the following aircraft: Boeing B-17 'Swoose,' B-29 'Enola Gay,' B-36, KC-97L; Cessna Citation; Convair T-29; Curtiss A-4E; Douglas C-124; Falcon 50; Fokker F-27; Grumman E-2 Tracer and HU-16 Albatros; Jetstar Cabin; Junkers JU-52 and JU-388; Kaman 16-B; Learjet 25, 35, 36, and 802; Lockheed C-130; North American F-100 Simulator; Piper J-3 Cub; Providence Airline Corp CV-240; and Sabre 40. There is also a folder of correspondence between Webb and individuals / repositories regarding aircraft photography.
Biographical / Historical:
Michael Webb (1951-1986) was first an architectural photographer, but from 1977 until his death became focused exclusively on aviation photography.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Mary Urbahn Lanman, Gift, 1994, 1994-0052, NASM
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 45 photographs relating to Nichols and the 163rd Aero Squadron. The images include: aerial views of air fields; 2nd Day Bombardment Group photographs and group photographs of the 163rd and the 100th Aero squadrons; wrecked aircraft; air-to-air photographs of aircraft and dirigibles; and ground shots of aircraft, mostly De Havilland DH-4s, and air fields. There is also a photo of the 2nd Day Bombardment Group Insignia.
Biographical / Historical:
Lt. Earle Nichols was part of the 163rd Aero Squadron, which was a De Havilland DH-4 squadron for the 2nd Day Bombardment Group. This Group was organized on 1 November 1918 and was Major George E. Reinburg's first Air Service command at the Front. The group was ready for operations by 9 November but bad weather prevented them from flying any bombing missions before the Armistice.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
David Mayhew, gift, 1995, 1996-0010, 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
This collection consists of files on Aero Service Corp and Virgil Kauffman.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of correspondence, published materials, press clippings, photographs, and maps documenting Aero Service and its photogrammetrist work, as well as material on Virgil Kauffman in particular.
Arrangement:
Arranged by the archivist in chronological order.
Biographical/Historical note:
Virgil Kauffman (1898-1925) was a photographer and photogrammetrist. Kauffman was a unit photographer in the U.S. Army during World War I and was assigned to the Air Service for aerial reconnaissance. After the war Kauffman joined the Aero Service Corporation and eventually became President of the company. Aero Service was founded in 1919 to carry out a wide variety of projects, including aerial photography, photo mapping, and remote sensing. The company participated in several important projects, including work with the Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Geological Survey, and mapping work for the European and Pacific theaters during World War II.
Provenance:
Virgil Kauffman Estate and C. Eric Storms, gift, 1986, 1987-0146, 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.
This scrapbook contains newspaper clippings relating to Leland Miller's professional accomplishments in the early 1920s, as well as the social activities of his wife and friends.
Biographical / Historical:
Leland W. Miller graduated from George Washington University with a BSE, and from Harvard with a MBA. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1917, and was one of the six flyers to make the first Central American flight from Panama to the Mexican border, making stops in all Central American countries. Miller also gained renown for his expertise in aerial photography and served with the US Army Air Corps, 9th Aero Squadron and, later, as Commanding Officer of the 12th Photographic Section at France Field, Canal Zone. Miller retired from the Air Force as a Brigadier General in 1946, and went on to be Vice President of Finance for Northeast Airlines in 1947, and Vice President of Finance for Convair, 1948-1953.
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
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.
This collection consists of approximately 0.18 cubic feet of black and white photographs pertaining to Mathias Peter Kashuba's service at the Second Air Instructional Center (2d AIC) in Tours, France, during World War I.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 0.18 cubic feet of black and white photographs pertaining to Mathias Peter Kashuba's service at the Second Air Instructional Center (2d AIC) in Tours, France, during World War I. There is one set of captioned photographs which measure approximately 12 x 9 inches each that shows many aspects of life at Tours Aerodrome and which was likely put together by the Aerial Photography School there. These photographs show personnel, facilities, and operations on base. There are additional photographs of various sizes in the collection, many of which were possibly taken by Kashuba or his colleagues and others that are of the type generally collected by those who served in World War I. These photographs include aerial views of various areas of France, views of local citizens and notable locations, views of areas damaged by bombing, personnel, equipment, and aircraft including the SPAD XIII (S.13) and Sopwith Camel.
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:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Mathias Peter Kashuba enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Service in December 1917. He served with the 4th Company, 2nd Regiment at the Second Air Instructional Center (2d AIC) at Tours Aerodrome, France, and was likely connected to the Aerial Photography School there. Kashuba was honorably discharged at the rank of corporal in June 1919.
Provenance:
Adam Kashuba, Gift, 2019, NASM.2019.0060
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.
