This collection consisted of 10 cartons of photographs that were at first loaned, and then donated, from the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences (IAS) in 1968 when they were dissolving their library. After the photographs arrived at NASM, they were divided and placed in the Technical Files. As of 2009, 817 images have been identified and cataloged as being from the Sherman Fairchild Collection. The images include shots of balloons, gliders, airships, aircraft, aircraft instruments, engines, uniforms, aerial photographs, and early concepts of flight.
Biographical / Historical:
Sherman Fairchild (1896-1971) had a long and varied aviation career; included in his many contributions to the aerospace field was his work with aerial cameras and his aircraft companies, including Fairchild Industries.
Provenance:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Gift, 1968
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
Emory Conrad Malick was an early American aviator. This collection consists of copies of records relating to Malick including copies of photographs, correspondence, and other documents.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of copies of records relating to Emory Conrad Malick including copies of photographs of Malick; aerial photographs taken by Malick; a copy of Malick's letterhead which includes a photo of Malick at the controls of an aircraft; biographical sketches written by family members; news clippings related to Malick; copies of correspondence between Malick and various family members and business associates; a listing of "Holders of Aviation Certificates of the Aero Club of America Issued under F.A.I [Fédération Aéronautique Internationale] Rules"; a receipt for dues paid to the Aero Club of Pennsylvania; and a copy of a member's ticket to an Aero Club of Pennsylvania event in September 1910.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Emory Conrad Malick was an early American aviator. Malick was born in 1881 and grew up in Pennsylvania. As a young man, Malick built and flew gliders. Malick attended the Curtiss Aviation School at North Island, San Diego, California where he earned Aero Club of America aviation certificate no. 105 on March 20, 1912 (issued under Fédération Aéronautique Internationale rules). In 1914, Malick obtained a Curtiss pusher type airplane and began barnstorming in Pennsylvania making him the first pilot to fly in Snyder County. Malick later moved to Philadelphia and flew for the Flying Dutchman Air Service and took aerial photographs on behalf of the Aero Service Corporation and Dallin Aerial Surveys. Malick died in 1958.
Provenance:
Mary Groce, Gift, 2010, NASM.2010.0034
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 a circa 1926 French-language booklet written by French author Victor Cambon entitled La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud (The France-Africa-South America Airline) and possibly intended to be an investment prospectus for the early French airline Lignes Aériennes Latécoère. The publication, heavily illustrated with aerial photographs, discusses postal (air mail) routes operated by Lignes Aériennes Latécoère linking France via Spain to North Africa, details of Pierre-Georges Latécoère's proposed idea of a France-Africa-South America air route, and reference to test flights made in 1925 over the South American portion of the proposed route.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a circa 1926 French-language booklet (11 x 8.5 inches, 28 pages) written by Victor Cambon entitled La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud (The France-Africa-South America Airline) and possibly intended to be an investment prospectus for Lignes Aériennes Latécoère. The cover features a color illustration of a stylized Latécoère LAT 15 airliner in flight over a partial globe marked with a postal route linking several cities in France, Africa, and South America. The first part of the publication provides an introduction detailing the amount of time it took for mail delivery between France and South America via ship as of 1925 and how that time would be greatly reduced if Pierre-Georges Latécoère's ideas of a France-Africa-South America air route were to be put into action. A map detailing the route and distances between France and Buenos Aires, Argentina is included; a dotted line indicates a special ship route connecting the Cape Verde islands and the islands of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil. The author provides a history of Latécoère's successful France-Morocco air mail route (started September 1, 1919, between Toulouse and Casablanca via Spain) and France-Dakar route (started June 1, 1925, to continue service on to Dakar, Senegal) as proof of the commercial viability of the concept. A section on the technical organization of Lignes Aériennes Latécoère provides information on the routes, aircraft, engines, repair facilities and procedures then in use by the manufacturer and its airline, and features several photographs of Latécoère aircraft including the LAT 15, LAT 17, and LAT 21; views of the airfield at Toulouse, France; and photographs of noted passengers on the France to Morocco route (Ligne Aérienne France-Maroc) including King Albert I of Belgium, French politicians Laurent Eynac and Paul Painlevé, Marshal Philippe Pétain and Marshal Hubert Lyautey. The second part provides more detailed information on the proposed France-Africa-South America air route, with references to test flights made over the South American portion of the route. The publication includes numerous aerial photographs of locations along the air portion of the route: Toulouse and Carcassonne, France; Barcelona, Alicante, Granada, Peñíscola, and Málaga, Spain; Gibraltar; Tangier, Rabat, and Casablanca, Morocco; Dakar, Senegal; Recife (Pernambuco), Bahia, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Pelotas, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The publication also contains a heavily retouched black and white aerial print photograph of Carcassonne, France, circa early to mid-1920s.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
Following the end of World War I, French aircraft designer and builder Pierre-Georges Latécoère (1883--1943) became interested in creating an air network linking France with cities in Africa and South America. In September 1919, Lignes Aériennes Latécoère (often referred to at the time simply as "La Ligne" or "The Line") initiated service between the Latécoère base at Toulouse, France, with Casablanca, Morocco (then a French protectorate) via several intermediate stops along Spain's Mediterranean coast. In June 1925 service was extended across the Spanish colony of Rio de Oro to Dakar, Senegal (then French West Africa). Although Latécoère did not yet have an aircraft capable of making the South Atlantic crossing between Africa and South America, he went ahead with test flights in 1925 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Buenos Aires, Argentina (with six stops enroute), and to Recife, on Brazil's northeast coast (with three stops). The proposed air route would encompass five legs: France, through Casablanca to Saint-Louis-du-Sénégal by airplane; Senegal to the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Africa by seaplane; Cape Verde to the islands of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil via a special fast surface ship; Fernando de Noronha to Recife by seaplane; and Recife to Rio and Buenos Aires by airplane. Latécoère obtained financial support in Brazil from wealthy French banker Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont (1871--1944), who increased his stake in the business until he took over Lignes Aériennes Latécoère in 1927, renaming it Compagnie Générale Aéropostale (better known simply as Aéropostale) to reflect its strong investment in air mail service. Latécoère returned to aircraft design and manufacturing, with the company becoming most famous in the 20th century for its numerous seaplane models. Still active in the 21st century as the aerospace subcontractor Groupe Latécoère, the company is now known for manufacturing aircraft equipment and substructures such as doors and fuselage sections.
French engineer and journalist Victor Cambon (1852-1927) graduated from and was later a professor at the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris, France. Cambon was a prolific author who published articles and books predominantly on agricultural issues, French economic and colonial problems, and German industrial power, and at one time served as the editor of the scientific journal La Nature.
Provenance:
Unknown (found in collection), 2010, NASM.XXXX.0938
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.
La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud [Victor Cambon] Publication, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0938, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
2.71 Cubic feet (4 photo albums, 384 glass plate negatives)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Aerial photographs
Scrapbooks
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- 1910-1920
Washington D.C. -- Photographs
Date:
1918-1920
Summary:
This collection consists predominantly of aerial photography of the Washington, D.C. area created by Dr. William F. Meggers (1888 - 1966), a noted physicist and spectroscopist at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), as part of a research project on sensitizing glass plate negatives which he carried out during the period 1918 to 1919. The collection includes 384 glass negatives (predominantly 4 x 5 inches, with some 5 x 7 inches), four photo albums, several folders of loose photographs, and a document.
Scope and Contents:
This collection, which consists predominantly of aerial photography from the period 1918 to 1919, contains 384 glass negatives (predominantly 4 x 5 inches, with some 5 x 7 inches), four photo albums, several folders of loose photographs, and a document.
Series 1 of the collection consists of material donated in 1967 by the Meggers family and includes four photo albums of print photographs, 85 loose print photographs, a photocopy of Meggers' and Stimson's 1920 article "Dyes for Photographic Sensitizing," and 263 glass negatives. One of the albums has prints of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area (such as Arlington, Virginia, and the Great Falls of the Potomac). In addition to the aerial photography, there are a few views of the Fokker DH-4M-2 (Atlantic Model 1) biplanes used for the photography flights. Another of the albums contains images of Niagara Falls and the surrounding countryside. The third and fourth albums contain images predominantly from unidentified locations, except for some showing Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort, Hampton, Virginia. Photographs found in the albums are believed to be prints from negatives in the collection.
Series 2 of the collection consists of 119 4 x 5 inch glass negatives (almost all aerial photographs of the Washington, D.C. area) transferred on November 17, 2011, from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (formerly the National Bureau of Standards). Views of northwest Washington, D.C., include the National Bureau of Standards campus on Peirce Mill Road; the original Wardman Park Hotel in the Woodley Park neighborhood; the William Howard Taft Bridge (Connecticut Avenue NW) across Rock Creek and surrounding Mount Pleasant, Woodley Park, Lanier Heights, and Kalorama Heights neighborhoods; the National Zoological Park (later the Smithsonian National Zoological Park) in Rock Creek Park; new homes in the Richmond Park neighborhood; the McMillan Reservoir, Filtration Plant, and Sand Filtration Site; and the United States Naval Observatory and Observatory Circle area. Views of the National Mall area include the Smithsonian Institution Castle, the United States National Museum (later the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History), the Washington Monument and newly-constructed Lincoln Memorial, and extensive War Office buildings. Views of the Capitol Hill area include the United States Capitol Building, the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, the Hart Senate and Cannon House office buildings, and Union Station. Views of southeast Washington, D.C. include Bolling Field (military airfield) and the Anacostia River and surrounding area. Views made across the Potomac River feature Arlington National Cemetery, including multiple views of the newly-constructed Memorial Amphitheater. This series also contains a few images of the Potomac River waterfront areas of Alexandria, Virginia, including the Torpedo Factory at the foot of King Street and the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation docks at Jones Point, and—farther downriver—views of George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Arrangement:
The materials are divided into two series. Series 1 consists of the original 1967 acquisition donated by the Meggers family, with the materials are subdivided by format. Subseries 1.A consists of the four photo albums; Subseries 1.B consists of loose black and white print photographs found inside the front cover of Photo Album 3 [NASM-9A19047] and grouped by location; Subseries 1.C contains materials relating to Dr. Meggers; and Subseries 1.D consists of glass plate negatives. Series 2 consists of the additional materials transferred from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2011. All glass plate negatives are presented in the order they were received from the donors.
Biographical / Historical:
Dr. William F. Meggers (1888 - 1966) was a noted physicist and spectroscopist at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). In 1918, Meggers conducted a NBS research project on sensitizing glass plate negatives and the effectiveness of certain aerial cameras. The glass plate negatives were aerial shots of the Washington, D.C. area taken from a Fokker (Atlantic) aircraft. The flights were made from Bolling Field and a field near Port Comfort, Virginia [now known as Old Point Comfort, Hampton, Virginia]. The results from Meggers' study were published in The Journal of the Optical Society of America, 1920. [See: W. F. Meggers and F. J. Stimson, "Dyes for Photographic Sensitizing, Journal of the Optical Society of America, Vol. IV, Number 3, May 1920.]
Provenance:
Dr. William Meggers via daughter Dr. Betty J. Meggers, gift, 1967, NASM.XXXX.0280; additional material received from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), transfer, 2011
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 1.46 cubic feet of historical maps and photographs collected by Dieter Gröschel.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 1.46 cubic feet of historical maps and photographs collected by Dieter Gröschel. The maps, which are various sizes, date from approximately 1884 to 1941 and were produced in Germany, France, and England. They show parts of Russia; Germany; France; Belgium; Holland; Bavaria; and Africa; and many have hand-drawn notations including battle lines, locations of troops, etc. Some of the maps are linen-backed and designed for use in an aircraft. The collection also contains numerous black and white historical photographs including aerial photographs of Germany and France taken in 1917 and 1918; photographs of personnel, facilities, and operations relating to Feldflieger-Abteilung Nr. 5 which date from 1915 to 1918; aerial photographs taken in 1918 of Flanders and Zeebrugge by Karl Keppler and Max Greiner of Fliegerabteilung 291 (A); a French set of 32 black and white aerial photographs on ten pages, with interpretation, used for training observers in World War I; an unbound German World War I album containing black and white photographs and post cards; and a photo album belonging to a paymaster of the Jagdstaffelschule I during World War I. The album, which measures approximately 14 x 10 inches, is linen-covered and contains photographs of the front-lines in France and Italy; personnel, including members of the Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 144; aircraft, including crashes; and personal family photographs relating to the album's creator. Aircraft depicted in these photographs include an Albatros D Series Fighter and a captured Nieuport fighter. There is also a 3.5 x 5.5 inch color post card dating to 1915 with an illustration of French pre-World War I era infantry looking up at an Etrich Taube (Dove) type aircraft included in the collection. Finally, this collection contains a selection of manuals which includes the following titles: Instructions Concerning Battle Maps, US Army War College, 1917 (Translated from French edition of 1916); List of Conventional Signs and Abbreviations in Use on French and German Maps, compiled by Second Section, General Staff (Topography), American Expeditionary Forces, 1918; Catalogue of Maps, General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, 1918; List of Places in Argonne-Verdun District with their Locations, Supplement A, General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, November 7, 1918;
Notes on Map Reading for Use in Army Schools, His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1918; Basic Field Manual, Vol. 1, Chapter 5 - Map and Aerial Photograph Reading, US War Department, 1938; Basic Field Manual, Conventional Signs, Military Symbols, and Abbreviations, US War Department, 1939; Basic Field Manual, Military Intelligence, Military Maps, US War Department, January 6, 1941; Basic Field Manual, Elementary Map and Aerial Photograph Reading, US War Department, April 12, 1941; and Basic Field Manual, Advanced Map and Aerial Photograph Reading, US War Department, September 17, 1941.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material. Some of the large maps are arranged by size.
Provenance:
Dieter H. M. Gröschel., Gift, 2015, NASM.2015.0046
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 a photo album documenting several early Texas airfields as well as a blueprint map entitled, "Aerial Route Map, Taliaferro Field, Texas to San Diego, California."
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a photo album documenting several early Texas airfields. The cover appears to be faux leather covered canvas, and the pages are made of fabric and appear to be hand sewn. The cover measures approximately 21 x 12 inches, and the pages measure approximately 15 x 10 inches. Images shown in the album include both aerial and ground level views of the fields and, in some cases, views of available facilities. Many of the photographs include handwritten notations. For almost all of the fields, there is also a description form which includes information such as details about the surface and markings of the field, distance to the nearest telephone, who to contact to gain access to the field, and many other details. Included in the album are the following fields: Weatherford, Baird, Cisco, Sweetwater, Colorado, Big Springs, Stanton, Midland, Odessa, Pecos, Toyah, Sierra Blanca and El Paso. The collection also contains a blueprint map entitled, "Aerial Route Map, Taliaferro Field, Texas to San Diego, California." The map, which measures approximately 13.25 by 44.25 inches, was prepared under the direction of Major T. C. Macaulay by Aerial Photographic Section No. 43 and designed by L. Dale Hatton.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
The photo album in this collection appears to document a survey of Texas airfields conducted by an unknown entity, possibly the US Army Air Service, in 1919.
Provenance:
Unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0544.
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 historical files on FI, its predecessors, and subsidiaries. The material consists primarily of historical/public relations material, including photographs and brochures, but also includes significant amounts of business records for FEAC, Kreider-Reisner, Hiller, Republic, Ranger, Stratos, and Swearingen. The collection also documents Fairchild's joint ventures with Fokker, Pilatus, and other aircraft manufacturers. The material also includes an extensive negative collection as well as film and videotape libraries.
Scope and Contents note:
Sherman Mills Fairchild (1896-1971) founded Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation (FAEC) in 1920. FAEC was incorporated in New York State for the purpose of developing, manufacturing and selling aerial photographic equipment. It went through many changes over the course of its existence. By 1971, FAEC was called Fairchild Industries, Inc. and had become an enormous corporation that produced such famous and history making aircraft as the Model 24 and A-10 as well as acquired other aviation industry giants such as Republic Aviation and Hiller Aircraft Company.
The Fairchild Industries, Inc. Collection, accessions 1989-0060 and 1990-0047, was donated to the Archives Division of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution in 1989 and 1990. The collection consists of printed and photographic materials. The subject matter of the material has a wide scope that includes, but is not restricted to, the following subject areas: public relations, legal matters, production photography, aircraft drawings and manuals, company published materials such as brochures and press releases, and history files. This collection does not contain the engineering files or the complete photo holdings or corporate records of Fairchild Industries, Inc or any of its predecessors.
The collection was maintained for many years by Theron Rinehart, a Fairchild Industries employee. Due to the large size and lack original order, the Archives Division decided to create a database as well as a traditional finding aid for access to the collection. Access to the Fairchild Docs database is available from the Archives Division by appointment. Aircraft types and designations are listed in the database and finding aid as they are in The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Directory of Airplanes Their Designers and Manufacturers, edited by Dana Bell, 2002 (Greenhill Books: London). Folder titles are those that appeared on the original folders and dates are provided for those materials that had them. The material was rehoused by the Archives Division and is now in acid free folders and boxes. There are few instances of water damage; these materials are indicated in the finding aid and database.
This finding aid contains a corporate history and chronology of the companies owned by of Fairchild Industries, Inc and a list of the Fairchild, Hiller, Republic and Swearingen aircraft documented in this collection. The books, periodicals and artifacts that were part of this collection have been removed. This finding aid contains a list of these materials. Please ask for assistance in contacting the NASM Branch and Smithsonian Libraries and the NASM Aeronautics Division.
Sherman Mills Fairchild's personal papers, The Sherman Fairchild Papers, can be found in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress.
Biographical/Historical note:
The following information was taken from The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Directory of Airplanes: Their Designers and Manufacturers, edited by Dana Bell, 2002 (Greenhill Books: London).
"In 1924, Sherman Fairchild established the Fairchild Aviation Corp as the parent company for his many aviation interests. In 1930, The Aviation Corp (AVCO) purchased Fairchild Aviation and its subsidiaries, initially operating the various companies under their original names. The following year, Sherman Fairchild repurchased Fairchild Aviation Corp and began repurchasing the subordinate companies. In a December 1936 reorganization, Fairchild Aviation Corp divested itself of all aircraft manufacturing interests, placing them under a new Fairchild Engine and Airplane Co.
The original aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of Fairchild Aviation Corp was Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing Co; it was created in 1924 to design and build aircraft as platforms for Fairchild's aerial survey cameras. Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing was one of the subsidiaries purchased by AVCO in 1930, but not one of the first companies repurchased by Sherman Fairchild. In 1931 AVCO combined the aircraft company with Fairchild Engine Co, forming American Airplane and Engine Corp. Fairchild Aviation Corp bought American Airplane and Engine in 1934, renaming the company the Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing and Engine Co.
In the 1936 reorganization that divided Fairchild Aviation Corp assets, Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing and Engine Co became Fairchild Engine and Airplane Co and took charge of all Fairchild aircraft and engine holdings. Fairchild Engine and Airplane Co became Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corp in 1950 and Fairchild Stratos Corp in 1961. With the 1964 purchase of Hiller Aircraft Corp, Fairchild Stratos was renamed Fairchild Hiller Corp, then, again, renamed Fairchild Industries after the separation of all Hiller interests in 1973. Although Fairchild Industries closed and sold its military and commercial aircraft manufacturing divisions in 1987, "Fairchild" aircraft continued to be produced through the Swearingen Metro and Fairchild Dornier lines (see below).
Fairchild created, purchased, and merged with several companies during its history. The following are the most important subsidiaries:
Fairchild Aircraft Ltd was created in 1929 as Fairchild Aviation Corp's Canadian subsidiary. The company ended all aircraft production in 1948.
The Kreider Reisner Aircraft Co Inc was formed in 1927. Kreider Reisner became a wholly-owned division of (first) the Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing Co in 1929, (second) AVCO's American Airplane and Engine Corp (which renamed KR aircraft "Pilgrims") in 1931, and (third) Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing and Engine Co in 1934. Kreider-Reisner was renamed the Fairchild Aircraft Corp in 1935, becoming Fairchild Engine and Airplane Co's principle US aircraft manufacturing subsidiary. Fairchild Aircraft Corp was renamed the Fairchild Aircraft Division in 1939, the Fairchild Aircraft and Missiles Division in 1961, the Fairchild Stratos Aircraft and Missiles Division in 1961, the Aircraft-Missiles Division in 1965, and the Aircraft Division in 1967. With a growing number of aircraft subsidiaries reporting to Fairchild Industries, the Aircraft Division was broken up in a corporate reorganization of the 1970s. While the Kreider Reisner Midget is listed under Kreider Reisner, all Kreider Reisner Challenger series aircraft (designated "KR" biplanes by Fairchild) appear under Fairchild.
In 1936 Fairchild Engine and Airplane Co founded the subsidiary Duromold Aircraft Corp to better account for time spent developing the Duromold wood/resin bonding process and the Model 46 aircraft. In 1938, the majority interest in Duromold was bought by a group of investors (including process inventor Col. Virginius E. Clark), who formed the Clark Aircraft Corp. Fairchild kept a minority interest in Clark, retaining Duromold as a holding company. In September 1938, Fairchild renamed its Duromold division Fairchild Airplane Investment Corp, and Clark created a subsidiary called Duramold Aircraft Corp (note the spelling change). In 1938 Duramold was renamed Molded Aircraft Corp. In 1939, Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corp bought back a controlling interest in Clark and renamed Molded Aircraft Duramold Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. The Duramold and Clark companies disappeared during one of Fairchild's World War II reorganizations.
In 1952 Fairchild licensed the rights to Dutch Fokker's F.27 medium-range airliner. In 1953, the USAF transferred production contracts for the Chase Aircraft Co, Inc C 123 to Fairchild. The Chase-built XC 123 and XC 123A appear under Chase, while Fairchild's C-123 production is listed under Fairchild.
In 1954, the American Helicopter Co, Inc (founded 1947) became the Helicopter Division of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corp. The division closed by the end of decade.
In 1964, Fairchild Stratos purchased Hiller Aircraft Corp, and both companies were renamed: Hiller Aircraft Co Inc become a subsidiary of Fairchild Hiller Corp. In the 1973 reorganization of Fairchild Hiller into Fairchild Industries, Hiller helicopter interests passed to an independent Hiller Aviation Inc….
In 1965, the Republic Aviation Corp became Republic Aviation Division (also known as Fairchild Republic) of Fairchild Hiller Corp. In 1987, Republic was shut down when Fairchild Industries ceased building commercial and military aircraft.
Swearingen Aircraft formed in the late 1950s, modifying Beech aircraft for executive transport. In 1965 the company produced its first new design, the Merlin. In 1970 Swearingen began development of the Metro, a joint venture to be marketed by Fairchild Hiller Corp. As a subsidiary of Fairchild Industries, Swearingen became Swearingen Aviation Corp, in 1971, Fairchild Swearingen in 1981, and Fairchild Aircraft Corp in September 1982. When Fairchild Industries closed its aircraft design and production facilities in 1987, Fairchild Aircraft Corp was sold to GMF Investments, Inc; GMF continued to operate the company under the Fairchild name. In 1990, Fairchild Aircraft filed for Chapter 11 protection and was purchased by Fairchild Acquisition Inc as Fairchild Aircraft Inc. Fairchild Aircraft delivered its last aircraft in 2001. Most Swearingen designs are filed under Swearingen; the Metro and Expediter can be found under Fairchild.
In 1996, Fairchild Acquisition became Fairchild Aerospace. While continuing to operate Fairchild Aircraft, the company also purchased 80% of the stock of Germany's Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH (with the remaining 20% of shares held by Daimler Benz Aerospace). Dornier's aircraft manufacturing operations were taken over by Fairchild Dornier Luftfahrt Beteiligungs GmbH. In 2000, Fairchild Aerospace was renamed Fairchild Dornier Aerospace, with corporate headquarters moved to Germany. Dornier designs predating Fairchild's takeover are listed under Dornier. Subsequent designs are found under Fairchild Dornier."
The following lists companies owned by Sherman Fairchild Industries and their years of incorporation. Major divisions of Fairchild are also listed. This list does not include when these entities were divested of or liquidated.
1926 -- Fairchild Air Transport, Limited (name change from Elliot-Fairchild Air Transport, Limited)
1927 -- Fairchild Aviation Corporation (reorganization and refinancing of the following subsidiaries and minority holdings, Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation, Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc., Fairchild Flying Company, Inc, Fairchild Caminez Engine Corporation, Fairchild Airplane Manufacturing Corporation, Fairchild Aviation, Limited, Compania Mexicana de Aviacion, S.A. [20% stock] and International Aerial Engineering Company [20% stock])
1928 -- Faircam Realty Corporation
1928 -- Fairchild Boats, Incorporated
1928 -- Fairchild Engine Corporation
1928 -- V.E. Clark Corporation
1928 -- West Indian Aerial Express, Incorporated
1928 -- Fairchild Aviation Corporation of Illinois
1958 -- Fairchild Aircraft and Missiles Division (name change from Fairchild Aircraft Division)
1958 -- International Aluminum Structures Incorporated
1960 -- Astrionics Division (name change from Electronics Systems Division)
1960 -- Aircraft Service Division
1961 -- Fairchild Stratos Corporation (operating division, subsidiaries and affiliates: Aircraft-Missile Division, Aircraft Service Division, Electronic Systems Division, Stratos Division, Fairchild Arms International Ltd, Fairchild Aviation (Holland) N.V., and Aerotest Laboratories, Inc.)
1962 -- Space System Division formed by Fairchild Stratos Corporation
1962 -- Data Systems Engineering formed by Fairchild Stratos Corporation
1964 -- Hiller Aircraft Company, Inc
1964 -- Fairchild Hiller Corporation (name change from Fairchild Stratos Corporation; division and subsidiaries: Aircraft Missiles Division, Aircraft Service Division, Electronic Systems Division, Data Systems Engineering, Space Systems Division, Stratos Division, Hiller Aircraft Company, Inc., Fairchild Aviation (Holland) N.V. and Fairchild Arms International, Inc.)
1965 -- Republic Aviation Corporation
1965 -- Republic Aviation Division
1965 -- Electronic and Information Systems Division (formed by combining Electronic Systems Division, Data Systems Engineering and similar disciplines from Republic Aviation Corporation)
1966 -- Burns Aero Seat Company, Incorporated
1966 -- Fairchild Hiller – FRG Corporation
1966 -- Aircraft Division (formed by combining Aircraft-Missiles Division and Hiller Aircraft Company, Inc.)
1966 -- Space and Electronics Systems Division (formed by combining Space Systems Division and Electronic and Information Systems Division)
1966 -- Industrial Products Division (forms from the Industrial Products Branch of Stratos Division)
1967 -- S.J. Industries, Inc.
1967 -- Air Carrier Engine Services, Inc.
1967 -- Fairchild Chemical Corporation
1967 -- EWR-Fairchild International
1968 -- Fairchild Aircraft Marketing Company
1968 -- FAIRMICCO
1969 -- Fairchild-Germantown Development Company, Incorporated
1970 -- Fairchild Aviation (Asia) Limited
1971 -- Fairchild Industries, Incorporated (name changes from Fairchild Hiller Corporation, division and subsidiaries: Fairchild Aircraft Marketing Company, Fairchild Aircraft Service Division, Fairchild Industrial Products Division, Fairchild Republic Division, Fairchild Space and Electronics Division, Fairchild Stratos Division, Burns Aero Seat Company, Incorporated, Fairchild Arms International, Ltd., Fairchild Aviation (Asia) Limited, Fairchild Aviation (Holland) N.V., Fairchild-Germantown Development Company, Incorporated and S.J. Industries, Inc.)
1971 -- Fairchild KLIF, Incorporated
1971 -- Swearingen Aviation Corporation
1972 -- American Satellite Corporation
1972 -- Fairchild Minnesota, Incorporated
1972 -- Fairchild International Sales Corporation
1979 -- Bunker Ramo Corporation [18.4% interest]
1980 -- American Satellite Company
1980 -- Space Communications Company (Spacecom) [25% interest]
This collection consists of 27 cubic feet of material relating to aerial reconnaissance, including the following types: aerial photography collected by Brugioni; lectures and interviews by Brugioni (on videotape); articles written by Brugioni; and the published secondary sources he collected to write those articles.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 27 cubic feet of material relating to aerial reconnaissance, including the following types: aerial photography collected by Brugioni; lectures and interviews by Brugioni (on videotape); articles written by Brugioni; and the published secondary sources he collected to write those articles. The collection consists of five series. Series 1 consists of the binders created by Brugioni for his aerial reconnaissance research; Series 2 and 3 consists of subject folders relating to aerial reconnaissance; Series 4 consists of 700 scanned images of original photographs retained by Brugioni as well as copies of the following two reports: "The Holocaust Revisited: A Retrospective Analysis of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Extermination Complex," by Dino Brugioni and Robert Poirer, 1979 and "The Tighe Report," 1986; the last series consists of the videotaped lectures and interviews.
Biographical / Historical:
Dino Brugioni (b. 1921) is the former Chief of Information at the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC). He flew a number of reconnaissance missions during World War II over North Africa, Italy and Germany, for which he received the Purple Heart and many other citations. After the war, Brugioni received BA and MA degrees in Foreign Affairs from George Washington University. In 1948, he joined the CIA and became an expert in Soviet industries. In 1955 Brugioni was selected as a member of the newly formed NPIC that would interpret Lockheed U-2, Lockheed SR-71 (Blackbird), and satellite photography. During Brugioni's 35 year career, he helped establish imagery intelligence as an national asset to solve intelligence problems. Brugioni's aerial reconnaissance work played a major role in discerning the US/USSR bomber and missile camps during the Cold War, and provided evidence for the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War and the Yom Kippur War. After retirement, he encouraged the use of declassified photographic intelligence for historical research. Brugioni was one of the first historians to present photographic evidence of Auschwitz in the 1970s when he located film footage from a reconnaissance aircraft photographing a bombing run on a nearby Farben factory. Brugioni is also an authority on contrived or altered photography. He has written numerous books and articles on his field and received numerous citation and recommendations for his role in reconnaissance.
Provenance:
Dino Brugioni, Gift, 2011
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 documents the development and testing of the f/4 achromatic lens system. The material includes test data, photographs, and drawings, as well as correspondence detailing Baker's successful fight to secure a patent on the lens system.
Scope and Contents:
This collection documents the development and testing of the f/4 achromatic lens system. The material includes test data, photographs, and drawings, as well as correspondence detailing Baker's successful fight to secure a patent on the lens system.
Arrangement:
Arrangement: (by type of material) 1) Contract specifications 2) Purchase orders and receipts 3) Correspondence 4) Patent applications 5) Camera operations manual 6) Performance and environmental tests final report 7) Lens drawings 8) Performance analysis printouts and calculations
Biographical / Historical:
In the mid-1950s the Defense Department requested a system for achieving better quality photographic intelligence using smaller and lighter cameras on high-speed aircraft at high altitudes. In response Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation designed the KS-25 High Acuity Camera System, an integrated camera/lens system using a wide-angle 24' focal length lens capable of producing transparencies with resolutions of 140 lines/mm on a high contrast target or 90 lines/mm on a low contrast target. The lens for the KS-25 was designed by Dr. James G. Baker of Spica, Inc. and represented new optics technology to allow wide-angle viewing at daylight illumination on high speed cameras, yet capable of producing a resolution that was effectively diffraction limited.
Provenance:
Don Welzenbach, Gift, 1986, NASM.1986.0028.
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:
Fairchild KS-25 High Acuity Camera System Search this
This collection consists of two copies of a black and white aerial photograph showing Camp Eagle, Phu Bai, Vietnam (base camp for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division). A large peace sign has been cleared into the countryside near the camp. Some Vietnamese grave sites are also visible. The photograph is an Associated Press photo and was taken on May 8, 1971. Michael Francis Trochan was stationed at Camp Eagle at that time. The prints measure 20 x 30 inches.
Biographical / Historical:
Camp Eagle, Phu Bai, Vietnam was the base camp for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (the "Screaming Eagles"). Michael Francis Trochan was stationed there from 1970-1971.
Provenance:
Michael Francis Trochan, 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
This collection consists of three boxes of 4' and 3' glass slides, dating from the early 1930s. The slides are probably from 1919-1932 when Copland was an instructor and lecturer for Curtiss Flying Service, Inc. There are also seven log books chronicling both Copland's civilian and military flights (1917-1942) and numerous private and commerical pilots, mechanic, and medical licenses mostly from the 1920s-1940s. Lastly, there is a small black binder full of aerial photographs and notes, relating to a number of fields that were used for World War II training. All of the fields were part of the Southeast Army Air Corps, which included a number of civilian contract schools. Included in this notebook are lists of the officers for each school. The following fields and schools are included: Riddle Aero Inst., Florida; Lodwick School of Aero, Florida; Hawthorne School of Aeronautics, South Carolina; Tuskegee Institute, Alabama; Darr Aero Tech, Georgia; Graham Aviation Company, Georgia; Embry-Riddle Company, Florida; Lodwich Aviation Military Academy, Florida; Southeastern Air Service, South Carolina; Southern Aviation School, South Carolina; Clarksdale School of Aviation, Mississippi; South Aviation Training School, Alabama; Raymond-Richardson Aviation Co, Georgia; Helena Aero Tech, Arkansas; and Greenville Aviation School, Florida.
Biographical / Historical:
Harry Depew Copland (1896-1976) was an Early Bird, soloing in a glider in 1909 and in an airplane in 1911. His many achievements include: exhibition flights, (1911); British Blockade Runners, radio officer (1915-1916); Canadian Royal Flying Corps 203rd Squadron, 1st Lieutenant and Flight Commander (1917-1919); District Manager of the New England Flying Service in charge of Curtiss Primary School Flying Operations (1929-1932). During World War II he served at Maxwell Field, AL, and as commanding officer of the 19th AAF Basic Flying Detachment at Greenville, S.C. Copland was also involved with Altantic Airways, Inc., United Air Lines, and was the Director of Florida Aviation Department.
General:
Other materials: Two pouches which had held licenses and log books were transferred to NASM Aeronautics Division.
NASMrev
Provenance:
Harry Copland?, unknown, unknown, XXXX-0439, 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 45 black and white photographs, mostly 6.5 by 8.5 inches or 9 by 11 inches. Most of the photographs are aerial shots of the Washington, DC, area from 1922, including the following sites: Washington Monument (with aircraft exhibited about base); White House; Lincoln Memorial; United States Capitol; Union Station; Mount Vernon; Arlington Cemetery (showing Tomb of the Unknown Soldier); Pan American Building; National Museum Building (now National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian); United States Naval Observatory; and Army War College. Aircraft included are as follows: Martin (Glenn L.) MB-2; Curtiss N-9; and the Curtiss HS-1L. There are also two shots of a gentleman who may be the photographer, as well as a retouched image of a woman in a flying helmet. Many of the photographs are labeled with what appears to be the name of the photographer, H. C. Robinson.
Provenance:
Emmett Apffel, Gift, 1212
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 photographs relating to the work of aerial kite photography pioneer William Abner Eddy (1850 - 1909).
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a cabinet card portrait photograph of William Eddy taken in 1886; three photographs of Eddy kites made by photographer William Snell in a studio at Bayonne, New Jersey, on July 23, 1892 (featuring children Margaret D. Eddy and Henry Wood Shelton); and three 3.5 x 3.5 inch aerial kite photographs of Washington, DC, including two of the Capitol Building, taken in September 1897 by Eddy with the assistance of Edward Herbert Young, an aviation writer and member of the Aero Scientific Club of Washington, DC. Also included in the collection is a round blue cardboard badge, with string, issued to Edward Young for the Aeronautical Trials of the Wright Military Flyer held at Fort Myer, Virginia, in 1908.
Arrangement:
Materials are arranged chronologically within a single folder.
Biographical / Historical:
William Abner Eddy (January 28, 1850 - December 26, 1909) developed the diamond-shaped kite that bears his name and was a pioneer in kite aerial photography. On May 30, 1895, Eddy took the first mid-air kite photograph in the Western Hemisphere, lifting a 9 x 9 cm format camera using a train of his dihedral diamond kites.
Provenance:
Edward Herbert Young, Gift, 1958, XXXX.0752
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.
Photography, Methods & Techniques, Aerial, Kites, Eddy (William A.) Kites (1897); Young, Edward Herbert
Extent:
1 Photographic print
Container:
Folder 1, Item 5
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Photographic prints
Date:
September 1897
Scope and Contents:
Compliments of William A. Eddy for Edward Herbert Young, who helped him take mid air kite photographs in September 1897. This is the roof from which the kites were sent out, taken from a camera sustained in mid air by Eddy Kites. Oblique aerial photograph taken somewhere on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.; Eddy and Young can be seen standing on top of the building at left, with several kites laid flat on the roof around them.
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.
Photography, Methods & Techniques, Aerial, Kites, Eddy (William A.) Kites (1897); Young, Edward Herbert
Extent:
1 Photographic print
Container:
Folder 1, Item 6
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Photographic prints
Date:
September 1897
Scope and Contents:
Compliments of William A. Eddy to Mr. Edward Herbert Young, who helped him to take this mid air kite photograph in Sept. 1897. Taken from a camera sustained in mid air by nine Eddy Kites in tandem. (Signed) William A. Eddy. Oblique aerial photograph of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., from a point over the south side of the US Capitol Grounds looking roughly northwest over the south end of the United States Capitol building (east facade at right).
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.
Photography, Methods & Techniques, Aerial, Kites, Eddy (William A.) Kites (1897); Young, Edward Herbert
Extent:
1 Photographic print
Container:
Folder 1, Item 7
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Photographic prints
Date:
September 1897
Scope and Contents:
Compliments of William A. Eddy to Mr. Edward Herbert Young, who helped him to take this mid air photograph from a tandem line of nine Eddy Kites in September 1897. Oblique aerial photograph of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., from a point over the south side of the US Capitol Grounds looking north; the east facade of the United States Capitol building is seen at left, with North Capitol Street extending toward the center horizon in the background.
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.
This collection consists of two scrapbooks containing aerial views of the New York City area with related newspaper clippings.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two scrapbooks containing aerial views of the New York City area with related newspaper clippings. The aerial views, which were taken by Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. and reproduced in an unidentified publication, showcase prominent city locations. The photographs are numerically arranged as if in a feature series, and each photograph has the caption "Around New York in an Airplane," followed by the location and a textual description of that area. The first scrapbook contains entries 1-100 and the second scrapbook has entries 101-154 (some numbers are not included). The second scrapbook also contains additional clippings that show other views of the New York City area.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
The Fairchild group of companies grew out of the aerial photography interests of Sherman M. Fairchild. Fairchild developed the first synchronized camera shutter and flash in 1916 and in 1919 developed a specialized camera for the purpose of aerial photography that featured a between-the-lens shutter. By 1924, Fairchild had established Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. which secured contracts to photo-map various areas, including New York City. The photography produced by Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. was used for a variety of applications including city planning, tax appraisal work, and geological surveys, and the company also introduced many types of equipment pertaining to aerial photography. Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. went out of business in 1965.
Provenance:
No donor information, unknown, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0043
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 photographs relating to the 1st Aero Squadron during World War I.
Scope and Contents:
This scrapbook with a brown suede cover contains photographs relating to the 1st Aero Squadron during World War I. The images include the following: aircraft; engines; trucks and equipment; graves; trenches; French buildings and landscapes; 1st Aero personnel; aerial photographs; and airfields. This collection also contains a series of French postcards with images of Strasbourg, Nancy, and Metz. There is also a booklet entitled, 'Paris Monumental Metropolitan,' which is a guidebook to attractions in Paris.
Arrangement:
Photo album, folder of postcards, and booklet.
Biographical / Historical:
Russell Watson was a mechanic for the 1st Aero Squadron during World War I. The 1st Aero Squadron was organized in Texas during March of 1913 and served under Brig. General John J. Pershing during the Mexico Punitive Expedition, 1916. During World War I, the 1st Aero Squadron was part of the 1st Corps Observation Group organized in April 1918, and it accomplished successful photographic missions.
Provenance:
Guy E. Watson, Gift, 1994, NASM.1995.0002
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 follows Mountain's aviation career.
Scope and Contents:
This collection follows Joseph Mountain's aviation career and includes photographic negatives and prints, diaries and flight log books, reports, and maps. Mountain's photographs from his service in Saudi Arabia are of particular interest --taken not long before the great oil discoveries at Dammam in 1938, they capture the desert kingdom at the very edge of the tremendous changes that the oil economy brought to the Gulf. The images are a fascinating record of traditional Saudi Arabian life, crafts and architecture. Highlights include portraits of dancers at Eid al-Fitr celebrations, market scenes in Hufuf and the Old Town of Al Jubail, camel caravans, Saudi hunters with their hawks, and pearl fishermen and their dhows. Mountain also extensively photographed members of the CASOC team at work and interacting with their Saudi workers and acquaintances.
Joseph Mountain's negatives are stored in the Archive Division's cold vault and are not available to researchers. Scans of the negatives may be viewed in the Archives Division reading room, or through the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) web site at http://bit.ly/dL2zDs.
Arrangement:
No series - arranged by materials: Documents, oversize and images
Biographical/Historical note:
Joseph Dunlap Mountain was born on October 24, 1902 in Cherryvale, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army Air Service in 1919; he was awarded his wings and commissioned a second lieutenant in 1921. Mountain continued to fly after leaving the Air Service and also took up photography.
In 1928, Mountain was employed by the Continental Air Map Company in the aerial mapping of the state of California. In 1934-1935, he served as a pilot, aerial photographer, darkroom technician and mechanic for the California-Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC; in 1944 renamed the Arabian American Oil Company --Aramco, now Saudi Aramco) expedition to Saudi Arabia; Mountain logged over 221 hours of reconnaissance and mapping flights for CASOC. In 1936-1937, Mountain contracted with the Saudi Arabia Mining Syndicate to make an aerial survey of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
From 1937-1947, Mountain was a pilot for Trans World Airlines. During World War II, Mountain returned to active duty with the U.S. Army Air Forces as a training officer in the Air Transport Command. He was awarded the Bronze Star while serving in the China-Burma-India Theater and supervising supply missions over "The Hump" --the dangerous air route over the Himalaya Range. In 1945 he was promoted to full Colonel and appointed executive officer of the Committee for Air Navigation and Traffic Control.
In 1947, Mountain entered the computer industry with International Telephone and Telegraph. Later, he founded Mountain Systems, a digital computer manufacturing company, and Mountain Datasystem, a data processing firm. During the Korean War, he served as an Air Force liaison officer with the Bell Telephone Laboratories. After the war, he returned to civilian life and continued to work in the computer industry. Joseph Mountain died on November 25, 1970 at the age of 68.
Provenance:
Isabel Mountain, gift, 1991, 1991-0079, 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 http://airandspace.si.edu/permissions
Topic:
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States Search this