Paul A. Ludwig Military Aviation Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: 2008-11-06
The Paul A. Ludwig Military Aviation Photograph Collection contains primarily photographic prints and negatives with a very small amount of textual materials collected by Paul A. Ludwig and ranging from the late 1910s through the early 1980s. The bulk and strength of the collection is photographs of World War II-era aircraft and squadrons. The collection is nearly all copy prints from a variety of institutions and dozens of private collections. It has been broken down into two main series, Photographic Materials and Textual materials.
With a total of 1618 prints, 759 negatives, and 5 slides Series I: Photographic Materials has been further divided into three subseries: Aircraft and related, Locations and People and Groups. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically. The prints are a mix of casual snapshots and posed shots. Many of the photographs include captions to provide context such as aircraft type, location, date and names of individuals as well as the source of the original image. Most are black-and-white and 8x10" although some are smaller. Duplication occurs.
The first and largest subseries, Aircraft and related, is dated 1918-1970s and includes 670 prints and 5 slides. It also includes a 650 MB CD-ROM, which is not currently accessible pending digital preservation measures. The prints feature a wide variety of aircraft, but by far, the most well-represented is the North American P-51 Mustang with 331 photographs and 4 negatives. The Supermarine Spitfire is also a stronger area with 72 prints; the remaining aircraft generally have very few prints. Related topics included in this subseries include photographs of aircraft carriers, PT boats, and the Packard Motor Car Company's production of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine which is represented with 73 prints. There are also 711 negatives organized by date, ranging from 1979-1987, and then print number. It is unclear if they all correspond to prints within the collection, but it is likely some do match to prints.
Locations is the smallest subseries within Photographic Materials with just 13 prints from the World War II era. Featured locations include bases in Oakland, California and Pensacola, Florida. Two prints are unidentified but are likely bases. The Mariana Islands are also depicted.
People and Groups is quite sizeable and includes 935 prints and 43 negatives primarily of the World War II era with a focus on various squadrons in the U.S. Army Air Forces. The 52nd Fighter Group is well-represented with photographs for the 2nd, 4th and 5th Squadrons as well as the larger 306th Fighter Wing. In addition the 31st Fighter Group is also a strong focus with images depicting the 307th, 308th and 309th Squadrons. Additional highlights include 163 prints focusing on reconnaissance groups and squadrons and four prints featuring women prisoners of war after liberation by British and Polish troops.
Series II: Textual materials is quite small and includes correspondence and a "wants and disposal" list. It also includes two photcopied items:"Mare Nostrum: A Review of Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force Operations" and an article about pilot and ace Wayne Morris from the Summer 1984 edition of the The Hook.
With a total of 1618 prints, 759 negatives, and 5 slides Series I: Photographic Materials has been further divided into three subseries: Aircraft and related, Locations and People and Groups. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically. The prints are a mix of casual snapshots and posed shots. Many of the photographs include captions to provide context such as aircraft type, location, date and names of individuals as well as the source of the original image. Most are black-and-white and 8x10" although some are smaller. Duplication occurs.
The first and largest subseries, Aircraft and related, is dated 1918-1970s and includes 670 prints and 5 slides. It also includes a 650 MB CD-ROM, which is not currently accessible pending digital preservation measures. The prints feature a wide variety of aircraft, but by far, the most well-represented is the North American P-51 Mustang with 331 photographs and 4 negatives. The Supermarine Spitfire is also a stronger area with 72 prints; the remaining aircraft generally have very few prints. Related topics included in this subseries include photographs of aircraft carriers, PT boats, and the Packard Motor Car Company's production of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine which is represented with 73 prints. There are also 711 negatives organized by date, ranging from 1979-1987, and then print number. It is unclear if they all correspond to prints within the collection, but it is likely some do match to prints.
Locations is the smallest subseries within Photographic Materials with just 13 prints from the World War II era. Featured locations include bases in Oakland, California and Pensacola, Florida. Two prints are unidentified but are likely bases. The Mariana Islands are also depicted.
People and Groups is quite sizeable and includes 935 prints and 43 negatives primarily of the World War II era with a focus on various squadrons in the U.S. Army Air Forces. The 52nd Fighter Group is well-represented with photographs for the 2nd, 4th and 5th Squadrons as well as the larger 306th Fighter Wing. In addition the 31st Fighter Group is also a strong focus with images depicting the 307th, 308th and 309th Squadrons. Additional highlights include 163 prints focusing on reconnaissance groups and squadrons and four prints featuring women prisoners of war after liberation by British and Polish troops.
Series II: Textual materials is quite small and includes correspondence and a "wants and disposal" list. It also includes two photcopied items:"Mare Nostrum: A Review of Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force Operations" and an article about pilot and ace Wayne Morris from the Summer 1984 edition of the The Hook.
Dates
- 1918-1984, undated
- Majority of material found within 1940-1945
Creator
- Ludwig, Paul A. (Former owner, Person)
Language of Materials
All materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. The CD-ROM is not accessible at this time, pending digital preservation measures. For more information contact us.
Conditions Governing Use
The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Extent
2.81 Cubic Feet (6 full-width letter size document boxes, 1 half-width legal size document box, 2 card boxes )
.65 Gigabytes : 1 CD-ROM
Abstract
The Paul A. Ludwig Military Aviation Photograph Collection contains 2382 photographic prints and negatives with a very small amount of textual materials collected by Paul A. Ludwig and ranging from the late 1910s through the early 1980s. The bulk and strength of the collection is photographs of World War II-era aircraft and squadrons. The collection is nearly all copy prints from a variety of institutions and dozens of private collections.
Arrangement
The collection arrived lightly sorted into groups by donor, most often by topic but at times by source of material. Some materials were not as clearly grouped. After surveying the collection the Processing Archivist inferred from the original order that the collection should be sorted into two main series based on format: Photographic materials and Textual materials. Due to its size, Photographic materials was further divided into three subseries: Aircraft and related, Locations, and People and Groups. The Processing Archivist imposed physical order where necessary to develop groups of related records arranged according to function or theme.
- Series I: Photographic materials
- Subseries A: Aircraft and related
- Subseries B: Locations
- Subseries C: People and Groups
- Series II: Textual materials
Custodial History
These photographs are copy prints from images held at the Canadian Science and Tech Museum, Detroit Public Library, National Archives and Records Administration, National Museum of the Air Force, Rockwell Corporation (formerly North American Aviation) and the Smithsonian Institution, among others, including private collections often identified only by a first or last name. Paul A. Ludwig obtained copies from those organizations and people and then donated his collection of copies to The Museum of Flight.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing Information
It is unclear how the materials were originally housed. Upon arrival at The Museum, photographs were placed into protective enclosures. Negatives were removed from non-archival sleeves and placed into acid-free enclosures. Original labels were copied onto the new sleeves. Original titles were maintained when clear and are enclosed in quotation marks in the inventory list. All other titles were derived by the Processing Archivist.
- Aerial reconnaissance
- Africa, North
- Air pilots, Military
- Airplanes -- Cockpits
- Aviation ground crews
- Bell P-39 Airacobra Family
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Family
- Boeing Model 314 Clipper Family
- Curtiss Hawk 75R
- Curtiss O-52 Owl (Model 85)
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk Family
- Curtiss P-6 Hawk Family
- Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Family
- Curtiss SOC Seagull Family
- Detroit (Mich.)
- Dewoitine D.520
- Douglas A-24 Dauntless Family
- Douglas AD (A-1, BT2D) Skyraider Family
- Douglas B-18 Family
- Douglas B-66 Destroyer Family
- Douglas XB-19 (XBLR-2)
- England
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Family
- Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Kurier (Courier) & Condor Family
- Germany
- Great Britain. Royal Air Force
- Grumman F7F Tigercat Family
- Hawker Tempest Family
- IAR 80
- Italy
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning Family
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Macchi M.C.205V Veltro (Greyhound) Family
- Martin (Glenn L.) MB-1/MB-2 Family
- McCook Field (Ohio)
- McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Family
- McDonnell XF-85 (XP-85) Goblin
- Messerschmitt Bf 109 Family
- Messerschmitt Bf 110 Family
- MiG MiG-15 Fagot Family
- National Archives and Records Administration (U.S.)
- National Museum of the United States Air Force
- North American A-36A Apache (Invader, Mustang)
- North American B-25 Mitchell Family
- North American F-86 Sabre Family
- North American O-47 Family
- North American P-51 Mustang Family
- North American P-82, F-82 Twin Mustang Family
- North American SNJ Texan Family
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Northrop F-5 Family
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow Family
- Nose art
- Prisoners of war
- Republic P-47 (F-47) Thunderbolt Family
- Rolls-Royce engines
- Supermarine Seafire F.Mk.XV
- Supermarine Spitfire Family
- Supermarine Walrus (N-1, N-2, Seagull Mk.V)
- Torpedo-boats
- Twining, Nathan F. (Nathan Farragut), 1897-1982
- United States. Army Air Forces
- United States. Army Air Forces. Fighter Group, 31st
- United States. Army Air Forces. Fighter Group, 52nd
- United States. Army Air Forces. Photographic Reconnaissance Group, 7th
- United States. Army Air Forces. Reconnaissance Squadron, 109th
- Vultee Vengeance Mk.IV, A-35
- World War, 1939-1945
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
- aerial photographs
- correspondence
- de Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito Family
- negatives (photographs)
- photographic prints
- receipts (financial records)
- slides (photographs)
Creator
- Ludwig, Paul A. (Former owner, Person)
- Title
- Paul A. Ludwig Military Aviation Photograph Collection
- Status
- Completed - Level 3
- Author
- Jenn Parent
- Date
- February 2023
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Edition statement
- 1st edition
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org