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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Museum of Flight (Seattle, Wash.)

 Organization

Staff Only

Biography

In 1964 a small group of aviation enthusiasts realized that important and historic artifacts representing the evolution of flight were being lost or destroyed at an incredible rate. To aid in the preservation of these artifacts, the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation was established with the goal of saving significant aircraft and related artifacts to educate the public about their importance.

It soon became clear that a place to store and exhibit these artifacts was needed, and in 1965 the first official Museum of Flight exhibits were put on display in a 10,000 square-foot space at the Seattle Center, the location of the 1962 World’s Fair.

The concept for The Museum of Flight complex began to take in 1975 when the Port of Seattle leased the land on which the Boeing Red Barn now sits to the Museum for 99 years. The Red Barn, the birthplace of The Boeing Company, was saved from demolition in its original location on the Duwamish River and floated by river barge to its current location. The Red Barn was restored in 1983 and became the first permanent location for The Museum of Flight.

The Red Barn was eventually joined by the Great Gallery in 1987, the Library and Archives Building in 2002 and the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing and Airpark in 2004. The Museum of Flight continues to expand our exhibits, our experiences and our educational programs—paying homage to the history of flight and inspiring the entertainment and education of generations to come.

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:

Robert R. and Canadette Dickson Museum of Flight Scrapbook

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: 2023-00-00-54
Contents of the Collection

The Robert R. and and Canadette Museum of Flight Scrapbook is a single-item collection, created by Robert R. and Canadette Dickson and documents their involvement with The Museum of Flight and related restoration projects from 1978-1987. The scrapbook includes clippings, printed ephemera, and photographs. Topics include the Boeing Model 80A restoration, Pathfinder Awards, and Red Barn. Some pages and materials are quite loose and/or fragile.

Dates: 1978-1987
Found in: The Museum of Flight Archives

Julianne Kumasaka International Taketombo Association Scrapbook

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 2025-06-06
Content Description The Julianne Kumasaka International Taketombo Association Scrapbook is a small collection consisting of one scrapbook created and compiled by Association organizer Julianne Kumasaka with visual and textual materials documenting the activities International Taketombo Association based in in Seattle, Washington in the early 1990s. An exhibit of taketombos and related events at the Museum of Flight are especially well documented by the materials.The scrapbook was a 3-ring "magnetic"...
Dates: 1990-1992
Found in: The Museum of Flight Archives

Samuel Lewis "Lew" Wallick Boeing Test Pilot Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2024-05-08
Overview The Samuel Lewis "Lew" Wallick Boeing Test Pilot Collection documents the career and personal life of test pilot Lew Wallick. The collection contains both visual and textual materials that date from 1928 to 2018, with the bulk from 1954 to 1984. These documents bring to light Wallick’s work testing and demonstrating aircraft for the Boeing Company, with an emphasis on his contributions to Boeing's Model 700 commercial jetliner series. Also present are records on his involvement in the P-12...
Dates: 1928-2018
Found in: The Museum of Flight Archives

The Museum of Flight | 9404 E. Marginal Way South | Seattle WA 98108-4097 | 206-764-5874
Contact us with a research request
curator@museumofflight.org