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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Curtiss, Glenn Hammond, 1878-1930

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1878-1930

Biographical Note

Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born on May 21, 1878 in Hammondsport, New York. He was an pioneer in the fields of motorcycling and aviation. Curtiss began manufacturing airship engines in 1904 and in 1908 he joined the Aerial Experiment Association, a research group that united to build flying machines. He bought the rights to flying machine Aerodrome #3 from the group and this was the basis for the Curtiss No. 1.

He received his pilot's license on June 8, 1911. Curtiss had many firsts, including the first long-distance flight in the United States. His contributions in designing and building aircraft led to the formation of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, now part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Glenn Curtiss died on July 23, 1930, due to complications from an appendectomy.

Found in 9 Collections and/or Records:

Biographical Information Files - C

 Sub-Group
Scope and Contents Individuals whose names begin with C: Caidin, Martin [Aviation author] Obituary notice, April 1997 Calvert, Lawrence [President, American Mail Line Ltd.] Resolution of Sympathy on Calvert's death from American Mail Line, 1966 (?) (photocopy) Cameron, John "Jock" A., Captain [Pioneer in commercial use of helicopters in Britain] ...

Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association Photograph Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2018-10-01-B
Abstract 25 photographs of Alexander Graham Bell and other members of the Aerial Experiment Association along with their aerodrome aircraft; souvenir booklet of the association; 2 photomechanical prints signed by J.A. McCurdy.

Founders of American Aerospace Exhibit Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2022-00-00-16
Content Description The Founders of American Aerospace Exhibit Collection consists of archival items dating from 1910-1965 that were acquired by the Museum of Flight for use in the "Founders of American Aerospace" exhibit, formerly on display in the Museum's Red Barn from about 2005-2022. The collection is organized by theme following the layout of the exhibit. Materials include printed ephemera, postcards, correspondence, and sheet music. The items represents early American aircraft manufacturing...

Goodman L. Goodmanson Los Angeles International Air Meet Photograph Album

 Collection
Identifier: 1990-03-13
Abstract Goodman L. Goodmanson (1886-1924) worked as a photographer for the Los Angeles Examiner during the 1910s. The collection is comprised of a photograph album containing sixty-three (63) black-and-white photographs depicting scenes from the Los Angeles International Air Meet of 1910 and a handwritten notecard presenting the album as a gift.

Elizabeth S. Keast Photograph Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2011-00-00-17
Content Description The Elizabeth S. Keast Photograph Collection consists of 77 black-and-white photographs depicting aviation activities, planes, and personalities in the United States and Canada from about 1908-1930, as well as various other subjects.The collection is sub-divided by subject and files have been organized alphabetically. The first folder contains 29 prints of assorted aircraft. Of note are images of The Aerial Experiment Association's Red Wing, Silver Dart, and the Loon; two images of a...

William S. Luckey Aviation Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2007-09-24
Abstract William S. Luckey was an acclaimed Curtiss Flying Team pilot best known as the winner of The New York Times race around Manhattan Island on Oct. 13, 1913. The William S. Luckey Aviation Collection consists of visual and textual materials related to Luckey's aviation career and to his wife, Laura Luckey.

James H. Smith Aviation Photograph Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2023-06-20
Overview James Hamilton Smith (1913-2002) attended the Boeing School of Aeronautics and worked in the field of aviation as a government contractor for the Boeing Company, as well as the Defense Contract Administration Services. This small collection consists primarily of black-and-white photographs that were either taken or collected by Smith during his time at the Boeing School, as well as throughout his career in aviation, which spanned from the early 1930s to the late 1960s.

Orville Wright Letter

 Collection
Identifier: 2018-10-01-D
Abstract 4-page typed letter signed on Wright Company letterhead, dated April 7, 1915, to Frederick Eppelsheimer of the New York Herald, discussing the possibility of using a pendulum to stabilize aircraft, mentioning the death of his brother Wilbur, and referencing fellow aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss. Accompanied by a small matte-finish portrait of Eppelsheimer, dated 1918.

Langley in flight, circa 1900s-1910s

 File — Multiple Containers
Scope and Contents The Early Aviation Photograph Collection is a collection of unknown origins consisting of 328 black-and-white photographic prints and 299 negatives primarily depicting aircraft from the first half of the 20th century. Some airships, airports, pilots, and other subjects are also depicted in the photographs. The collection is arranged into two series: Airplane photographs and Non-airplane photographs. The first series, Airplane Photographs, makes up the bulk of the collection with 156...

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