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Archives at The Museum of Flight


LeRoy Milliren National Air Races Photograph Album

 Collection
Identifier: 2014-00-00-29
The LeRoy Milliren National Air Races Photograph Album primarily relates to the 1932 Cleveland Air Races and is comprised of a photograph album containing one hundred ninety-eight (198) black-and-white photographs, likely collected by Milliren, of assorted aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s.

The black cloth album is titled "Snapshots." On the inside front cover is a red and blue decal featuring the Cleveland Air Races logo with the text "Aug. 27 to Sept. 5 1932 National Air Races Cleveland [Ohio]." Only one (1) image is loose. The remaining one hundred ninety-seven (197) are affixed to the pages, usually four (4) photographs to a page. The photographs are 2.75 x 4.5" and include very brief captions which identify the aircraft model and/or manufacturer, including aircraft by Curtiss, Boeing, Douglas, Grumman, Fokker, Morane-Saulnier, and many more.

Some captions also include a location, most of which are labeled as "Cleveland," although some list "Akron" and "Dayton" (Ohio). Additionally, captions often note which military branch the aircraft is associated with, most being the United States Army, but there are also references to the U.S. Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Very few images include visible people and only three (3) images even list names; "B. Orlinski," "Capt. Shearer," and "Brig. Gen. Pratt."

Two (2) images are captioned as "International Balloon Races 1930 – Cleveland," though they feature Boeing P-12Bs in flight. The last page of the album features three (3) snapshots of obscured U.S. Army aircraft displaying the insignia of three different units: the 1st Pursuit Group, the 94th Pursuit Squadron, and the 17th Pursuit Squadron.

Finally, on the inside back cover of the album is an undated, handwritten note that has been taped to the cover. "LeRoy Milliren" is inscribed on the cover above the note. The note, written by the donor, Milt Meyer, explains how he was given the album by LeRoy Milliren's widow, Frances.

Dates

  • 1930-1932

Creator

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. 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

0.2 Cubic Feet (1 flat box)

Additional Description

Abstract

LeRoy Milliren (1919-1997) was a Major in the United States Army during World War II. The collection primarily relates to the 1932 Cleveland Air Races and is comprised of a photograph album containing one hundred ninety-eight (198) black-and-white photographs of assorted aircraft.

Historical Note: National Air Races

The National Air Races are a series of cross-country and pylon races that began in 1920. The races were a thrilling show for the public, but also inspired innovations in commercial and military aviation. Most of the events were hosted by the Cleveland (Ohio) Municipal Airport. The races went into hiatus during World War II, resuming briefly after the war. However, in 1949, pilot Bill Odom lost control of his aircraft, which crashed into a residence, killing the two people within and Odom. Due to this event, the races went into hiatus again. The annual event resumed in 1964 as the National Championship Air Races, which continue today.

Sources and Further Reading:

About Us-Why We Fly. National Championship Air Races. Accessed on May 18, 2018. http://airrace.org/about-us/

Matowitz, Thomas G. Cleveland's National Air Races. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2005.

Official Program Twelfth Annual National Air Races: Cleveland Airport, Cleveland, Ohio August 27 to September 5 1932. [Cleveland, Ohio: National Air Races of Cleveland?, 1932.]
Biographical Note: LeRoy Milliren LeRoy Lester Milliren was born in 1913. Milliren served in the United States Army as a pilot during World War II, earning the rank of Major. Milliren passed away in 1997, survived by his wife, Frances (Hughes) Milliren.

No further biographical information is known.

Source:

Biography derived from collection materials, donor information, and Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7020941/leroy-lester-milliren).

Custodial History

This collection was donated by Milt Meyer. Meyer was given the album in 1997 by Mrs. Frances Milliren, widow of LeRoy Milliren.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Existence and Location of Copies

Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections.

Related Archival Materials at Other Institutions

Clifford W. Henderson Collection on the National Air Races, 1928-1936. Purdue University Libraries, Archives, and Special Collections, West Lafayette, Indiana.

Online finding aid at http://www4.lib.purdue.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid
Related Archival Materials at The Museum of Flight The following collections at The Museum of Flight also have to do with 20th Century air racing:

Army Air Corps Photographs (Accession 1993-12-02). The collection is comprised of fifty-nine (59) black-and-white photographs primarily depicting the 1923 Pulitzer Air Race with nine (9) snapshots featuring the Sacramento Air Depot in 1940.

Bob Moore Thompson Trophy Race Photographs (Accession 1989-12-19). The collection is comprised of twenty-one (21) photographs of an early Thompson Trophy Race including Gee Bee racer, Goodyear Blimp, Boeing P12-Es, Keystone bombers,Douglas Gull-wing bombers, and casual snapshots of the crowds.

Joseph Glass Photograph Album of Pacific Northwest Aviation (Accession 1987-08-24). The collection is comprised of a scrapbook containing two hundred twenty-three (223) aircraft photographs by numerous manufacturers, including aircraft with racing numbers.

Mark Smith Photograph Collection (Accession 2005-05-16). This small collection includes photographs of the Wright (Co) Model R "Baby Wright" Racer, Long Span and a Blériot at the Belmont (New York) racetrack.

Subjects

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the LeRoy Milliren National Air Races Photograph Album
Status
Completed - Level 3
Author
L. Zaborowski, J. Parent
Date
2014
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
English
Edition statement
2nd Edition

Revision Statements

  • 2018: This finding aid has been revised to reflect updated DACS and Museum of Flight standards.
  • November 2018: Finding aid migrated to ArchivesSpace.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository

http://www.museumofflight.org
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874


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