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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 2 Collections and/or Records:

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...

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.

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