MS-398: Wright Company Glass Plate Negative Collection

Transcription

1 Collection Number: MS- 398 MS-398: Wright Company Glass Plate Negative Collection Title: The Wright Company Glass Plate Negative Collection Dates: (bulk 1910-) Creator: Unknown Summary/Abstract: The Wright Company Glass Plate Negative collection consists of 87 glass plate negatives, and 10 negatives relating to the Wright Company, the Wright School of Aviation, flights at Kitty Hawk, N.C., celebrations and aviation events, and a series of unidentified children. Quantity/Physical Description: 2.5 linear feet. The majority of the plates are 5x7 inch glass plates; however, there are ten negatives and five 3x4 inch plates scattered throughout. Language(s): English Repository: (Required) Special Collections and Archives, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, Wright State University, Dayton, OH , (937) Restrictions on Access: There are no restrictions on accessing material in this collection. Restrictions on Use: Copyright restriction may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder. Preferred Citation: (Box Number), (Folder Number), MS-398, The Wright Company Glass Plate Negative Collection, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio Acquisition: Purchased at auction from Cowan s of Cincinnati in June Related Material: MS-1 Wright Brothers Collection MS-152 Dayton-Wright Airplane Company Collection Note: Many of the images are photographs of other photographs. In these instances, the phrase copy of image is used to identify these images. 1

2 Processing Information: These images were identified by comparing the images to images in the Wright Brothers Collection. If the image is a duplicate of an image already in the Wright Brothers Collection, the repository number for the image in the Wright Brothers Collection (Box, File and Item Number) is indicated after the image description. Processed by: Elizabeth K. Morgan, Fall 2009 Arrangement: The collection is arranged in five series: I. Wright Company Factory II. Wright School of Aviation III. Ephemera IV. Children V. Prints from Negatives Biographical/Historical Note: The Wright Company was founded in November 1909 with the financial backing of New York investors who were interested in backing the fledgling aviation industry. In January 1910, the Wright Company set up a factory in Dayton, Ohio, and established a flying field and flight school at Huffman Prairie. The Wright Company rented factory space from the Speedwell Motor Car Company in Dayton, from January 1910 until the Wright Company factory at 2701 Home Road in Dayton was completed in Nov The brothers hired Roy Knabenshue, an experienced balloon and airship pilot, to manage an exhibition flying team. Although the Wrights were not eager to enter the mountebank business, as they referred to stunt flying and exhibitions, they recognized that an exhibition team would add to their income. The Wright exhibition team first performed at Indianapolis, Indiana, in June It stayed in business until November, when the deaths of several team members prompted the Wrights to discontinue it. The Flight School the Wright brothers taught ran at Huffman Prairie from Orville Wright and Charlie Taylor, their longtime mechanic, also set up a flying school in Montgomery, Alabama, from January to May of 1910, where Maxwell Air Force Base would later be located. The summer of 1910 the Wright Company introduced what would become their most popular aircraft the Wright Model B, which was produced from Orville sold the Wright Company in Scope and Content: Series I, The Wright Company Factory, consists of ten images of different stations in the factory, including images of people at work making planes. Most of the images are from the Wright Company Home Road location in Dayton, Ohio. Frank Quim, James Davis, Dan Farrell, Bill Conover, and Ida Holdgrave are labeled in this series. Series II, Wright School of Aviation, consists of nine images. These images contain many posed photographs of men either standing next to or sitting in a Wright airplane. There are also images of Wright airplanes in flight. The following men may be found in this series: Steinway, Harry 2

3 Harold, Arthur L. Welsh, Ralph Johnstone, Archibald Hoxsey, Frank Coffyn, Walter Brookins, Leonard W. Bonney, James W Turpin, and James Davis Series III, Ephemera, consists of 47 images and is divided into two subseries: Subseries I Early Flight, consists of ten images of the first flight, other Kitty Hawk images, and the Wright Flyer in flight. Sub Series II Celebrations and Aviation Events, consists of five images, including Claude Grahame s landing on Executive Avenue in Washington D.C., and the Wright Homecoming Celebration of 1909, as well as a few other unidentified events. There are also images of Max Moorehouse and Roy Knabenshue. Series IV, Children, consists of fourteen images that include images of young people or children. The majority of the images are staged images, but a few appear less formal. All of the children are unidentified. Series V, Prints, consists of 8x10 prints of the 87 glass plates and 10 negatives. They are arranged in order of Series I through IV and are numbered on the reverse of the photograph. Subject Terms: Persons/Families: Wright, Wilbur, Wright, Orville, Crane, Spencer Lambert, Albert, LaChapelle, Duval Organizations/Corporate Names: Wright Company. Wright Flying School Places Dayton (Ohio) Subjects: Aeronautics-United States-History Airplanes-Design and Construction-History Airplanes--History Material Types Glass plate negatives Photographs Film negatives 3

4 Collection Inventory Series I The Wright Company Factory Box File Description Date Wire Cutting Department, Frank Quinn and James Davis in workshop of Wright Company factory. Duplicate Superintendent s Office, image of office, Wright Company factory. Duplicate of Frank Quim stands at long work table under windows, of Wright Company factory, probably in the Radiator Department. Duplicate Man in hat and bow tie works on wing of plane, woman sitting in background, at Wright Company factory. 5 Two images: copy of image. Top: man wearing hat sits in pilot s seat of Model B. Bottom: man in bow tie and bowler hat work in Wright Company Factory. Duplicate [C]orner of Wood Working Department, Dan Farrell, Frank M. Quinn, and Bill Conover stand in workroom of Wright Company factory,. Duplicate of Cylinder and Motor Parts Department, four men work at machines in Wright Company factory,. Some orange paper stuck to side. 8 Model B in Wright Company factory, half way covered by sheet. Piles of wood and wheels in foreground. Duplicate of Model B in Wright Company factory, half way covered by sheet. Piles of wood and wheels in foreground. Duplicate of General Machine Shop men stand by machines in Wright Company factory,. Duplicate

5 Series II Wright School of Aviation Box File Description Date Metal Fitting and Motor Assembly, men work by machines in Wright Company factory,. Duplicate Corner of Paint Shop of Wright Company Factory, with Steinway and Harry Harold at work painting. Duplicate Two images; copy of other images. Top: Inside of Wright Company factory,. Bottom: Flyer on cart outside Speedwell Motor Car Company factory, Duplicate NOTE: The Wrights used the Speedwell Motor Car Company factory until the one on Home Road opened in November of Corner of Sewing Department of Wright Company factory. Ida Holdgrave sits at sewing machine. Duplicate One man work on front of Model B, while two others worn on detached wing in Wright Company Factory. Located in the General Assembly area. Propeller and Rib Department of Wright Company factory. Five men in image. Duplicate of General Assembly Department of Wright Company factory. Duplicate of Image of front of the Wright Co. factory. Shot of side, not full front. Orange paper stuck to glass around side. Cloth Cutting Department of Wright Company factory. Man stands working over a template. Max Moorehouse sits in seat of Johnstone s machine, under construction. Negative, not attached to a glass plate. Moorehouse owned a department store which sponsored the November 1910 flight between Dayton and Columbus. ca Two images: Copies of images. Top: close up of engine, with hanger in background. Bottom: close up of rudder. Duplicate of Two men attach a modified Wright 3 Flyer to the rail system to launch. Three men watch in background. Studio Label Tressler s Studio/Montgomery, Ala. Duplicate of ca. 5

6 Copy of photogragh. Spencer Crane and Archibald Hoxsey tightening the nut on the propeller of the Wright Model A Flyer. Duplicate of , Two images: Copies of photographs. R: Spencer Crane and Archibald Hoxsey tightening the nut on the propeller of the Wright Model A Flyer. Deep scratches down center. Duplicate of 2-3, L: Wright Flyer soars in air. Two images: Copy of photographs. Top: Pilot s cranking the propellers on Wright Flyer, duplicate of Studio Label Tressler s Studio/Montgomery, Ala. Bottom: Man stands next to Model B plane. NOTE: negative is coming detached from glass plate. Two images: copy of photographs. Top: Spencer Crane stands on Flyer oiling chain. Duplicate of Studio Label Tressler s Studio/Montgomery, Ala. Bottom: close up of engine and seat of plane. Two men, Orville Wright and Albert B. Lambert (wearing derby hat) sit in Model B. Sims Station, Huffman Prairie. Close up of Man wearing suit and newsboy cap sits in driver s seat of Model B, close up of man and engine. Trees in the background have no leaves. Model B in flight, one man flies plane, underside shown Far image of Model B high in clouds, copy of photograph. Wright Flyer soars above field lined with trees that have leaves, fuzzy Exhibition pilot (wearing hat and maybe a mustache) for the Wright Company sits in the seat of a Model B. Three men in a field watch the Model B soar above field with leafless trees. Two Model B planes soar above a field (lined with leafless trees), tiny car with people in corner Hanger at side, car and men in background, Model B, probably a Flight School image, trees are bare. Small amount of paper stuck to back. Copy of photograph: Orville Wright and five other men stand by Wright 3 Flyer: Duval La Chapelle, Arthur L. Welsh, Orville Wright, James Davis, Ralph Johnstone, and Frank Coffyn. Duplicate of ca

7 2 17 Two images: copy of photographs; Arthur L. Welsh wears a newsboy hat, sitting in Model B. Man with corded sweater and buttons, wearing a hat and goggles sits in Model B. 18 Two images: Top; Flyer soars above field with leafed trees, bottom; two Model B planes soar in the air x4 plate. Plane on ground in distance. Trees and power lines in the distance. 20 Two mustached men sit in the Model B. One man is chubby and wears a suit; the other is diminutive and wears a buttoned coat. 21 Negative, no glass plate. Image of engine of plane. Damaged in center. 22 Aeroboat on water, water/smoke billowing behind, along the Little Miami River. Negative, 3 ½ x Aeroboat on Little Miami River, front shot. Negative 3 ½ x 5 24 Side view of Aeroboat taking off of Little Miami River. Negative, 3 ½ x Aeroboat on Little Miami River, Orville and other man stand knee deep in water behind the plane. Negative, 3 ½ x 5. Duplicate of Two men attach a modified Wright 3 Flyer to the rail system to launch. Three men watch in background. Studio Label Tressler s Studio/Montgomery, Ala. Negative 3 ½ x 5. Duplicate of Two images; copy of images. Top: duplicate , six men stand around the Model B. Bottom: Model B sit in field with farmhouse in background. Duplicate of Model B in field, car in background. Duplicate of 3-1. ca Possibly two men fly in Model B a little off the ground over a field with leafed trees. Fuzzy image. 4 Copy of image. Man wearing hat and corded sweater sits in Model B. Duplicate of Model B soars above fields with leafless trees. 6 Model B just taking off. Farmhouse in background, trees leafless, two men in airplane. Duplicate of Model B just taking off, two men in plane, farmhouse in background, trees leafless, duplicate of One man soars above field in modified Model A. Ten plus men stand as spectators, copied in Copy of image (thumbtacks showing) eight plus men watch the Flyer soar above the field. 3x4 plate. 7

8 3 10 Copy of image. Men wearing corded and buttoned sweater sits in pilot s seat of Model B. Duplicate of Man wearing large hat sits in pilot s seat of Model B plane. Wright Model B sits in field lined with leafless trees. Eleven men stand in front of the Model B, including a portly man (center) and a man with a large beard. Trees are leafless. Big spot in center. Duplicate of Eleven men stand in front of the Model B, including a portly man (center), and a man with a large squared off beard. Trees are leafless. Duplicate of Two images: Copies of images. Right: seat and engine of Model A. Left: side of engine of Model A. Two men in Model B, Spectators include a woman, man, and child on one side. Very blurry. Man behind plane on opposite side, trees leafless. Model B flies above the field lined with power lines, nearby is street car stop known as Simms Station. Trees leafless Two images: Copy of images. Right: Model A soars above field, trees have leaves. Left: image half-way off plate, of glider at Kitty Hawk. Wright Flyer in air. Copy of image. Duplicate of Wright Flyer in air. Copy of image. Duplicate of Two Model B planes soar above field with leafless trees. 5 6 Copy of image. Archibald Hoxsey pouring water into the radiator of the Wright Model A Flyer while bracing himself on the Flyer and the shoulder of Walter Brookins. Spencer Crane is standing nearby. Duplicate of Wright Flyer in air flying over a field with trees that have leaves. 7 8 Model B in air, underside showing. Model B soars above field; man crouches down in the ca. 9 distance-trees have leaves. 3x4 plate Two images: Copy of images. Right image: Flyer in air, bottom showing, deep scratches in the center. Left: Rudder and elevator of Model B. 8

9 Series III Ephemera Box File Description Date Subseries I- Early Flight 4 10 Two images: copies of images. Top: Orville flies ca glider just above the ground at Kitty Hawk. Written on side Bottom: Orville soars in glider with Kitty Hawk dunes behind. 11 Copy of image. Orville soars in glider at Kitty Hawk. ca Handwritten on side. 12 Two images: copy of images. Top: side view of Flyer ca at Kitty Hawk, duplicate b. Bottom: Copy of First Flight image, duplicate of Two images: copy of images. Flyer flies above field ca trees leafless. Bottom: 1900 Glider flying as a kite, duplicate of Handwritten on side Copy of Image: 1900 Glider flying as a kite. ca Duplicate of Silhouette of Wilber Wright. 16 Image of the Model B being flown off of a ship, with another ship in the background. Fuzzy. 17 Copy of image. Model A just taking off or landing, trees in field have no leaves. Negative. 18 Copy of image. Negative. Left front view of Wilbur ca Wright piloting the Wright 1902 glider off of Big Kill Devil Hill. Duplicate of The Wright Model B Flyer in flight over Dayton, Ohio. On the original the photograph is annotated on the front and back by Orville Wright as a fake. Duplicate of Sub Series II Celebrations and Aviation Events 5 1 Two images, copy of images (thumbtacks showing). ca Both of the Homecoming Celebration on June 18 th and 19 th, Top: American flag made of school children, duplicate of MS Bottom: The Court of Honor at the Wright Brothers Homecoming Celebration parade, duplicate Copy of image (thumbtacks showing). Parade scene, ca maybe of the Homecoming Celebration. 3 Claude Grahame-White lands his Farman airplane on Execution Avenue. Duplicate of

10 Box File Description Date 5 4 Copy of Image. Max Moorehouse and Roy Knabenshue sit in Johnstone s machine, under construction. They are holding a sign labeled #29 Morehouse-Martens Co./ Columbus Ohio Moorehouse owned a department store which sponsored the November 1910 flight between Dayton and Columbus. 5 Model B soars above field; sign along horizon reads Aviator Event Studio name on corner reads 5646 Clemens Ave. St. Louis. Side of plate is chipped. ca Series IV Children Box File Description Date Fifteen boys positioned in front of bushes, with woman standing off to the side. Looks like school picture, as they are wearing matching uniforms. 3x4 plate. Young man stands in front of shrubs, wearing the same outfit as those in File x4 plate. Baby boy sits in chair on table, holding pipe in mouth. Hand written on back Hermes. Same boy as MS through MS Unhappy baby boy seated, dropping tobacco pipe and almost stepping on hat. Another pipe stuck in front pocket. Same boy as MS 5-10 through MS Baby boy with hat stands next to table, one hand is blurry. Hand written on back Hermes. Same boy as 5-10 through Baby boy wearing hat looks down at pipe in hand, standing in front of table. Hand written on back Hermes. Same boy as 5-10 through Baby boy wearing hat leans on table, which holds a bottle. Hand written on back Hermes. Same boy as 5-10 through Large chip on side. Baby boy in hat stands next to table, holding tobacco pipe in mouth. Hand written on back Hermes. Same boy as 5-10 through Blue substance on plate near center. 14 Baby boy in hat leans on a low table, which holds a bottle. Hand written on back Hermes. Same boy as 5-10 through

11 5 15 Baby in large gown seated on edge of table, 1 shoed foot hanging off the edge. Same boy as 5-10 through Four young people in an automobile. People walking in street in background. 3x4 plate. 18 Little boy stands, wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy suit holding a straw hat with streamers and a cane (with a duck s head). Same little boy as in 6-2 to Little boy wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit stands holding a straw hat with streamers and a cane (with a duck s head), different angle from 6-2. Same little boy as in 6-2 to Little boy wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit sits, holding straw hat and duck s head cane. Same boy as in 6-2 through 6-3. Series V Prints from Images Box File Description Date 6 1 Prints Box 1 ca Prints Box 2 ca Prints Box 3 ca Prints Box 4 ca Prints Box 5 ca