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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Alfred Goldberg Photograph Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2007-06-11
The Alfred Goldberg Photograph Collection contains photographs and a small number of textual materials that mostly pertain to aircraft construction and maintenance in the 1940s-1950s. It is likely the photographs were collected by Goldberg during his career at Bedek Aviation Company in an unknown position and as Superintendent of Maintenance at Flying Tiger Line. The collection has been broken down into two series: Photographs and Textual materials, which are both arranged alphabetically.

Series I: Photographs forms the bulk of the collection and holds 171 photographs. The photographs have been grouped by topic and while most folders in this section include only a few prints the groups of prints on aircraft construction and maintenance, Bedek Aviation Company (BDA) and Flying Tiger Line are the highlights of the collection.

There are 37 prints in the aircraft construction and maintenance folder. It is likely the images in this folder may be either BDA or Flying Tiger Line. In cases where the image cannot be definitively identified as one company or the other, the prints remain grouped together under assorted aircraft construction and maintenance. Thirty-seven prints also depict aircraft in a BDA hangar or workspace undergoing construction or maintenance by unidentified male personnel. Some images include BDA signage in Hebrew and English. Thirty-two prints feature Flying Tiger Line aircraft, most often parked on the tarmac and obscured. Some images include views of buildings, vehicles, and people, including Goldberg.

The rest of the photographs also depict various aircraft undergoing maintenance or in service. Aircraft are often obscured so it is difficult to identify models. Identified manufacturers include Budd, Douglas and Stearman. There are also three prints of the U.S. Navy Lockheed R60-1 Constitution. The remainder of the prints show parts, workspaces, buildings and unidentified personnel.

The photographs are in black-and-white and vary in size, from 4x5 inches to 12x15 inches. Many appear to be posed or publicity shots, though some are more casual. A small amount include stamps on reverse, including "Flying Tiger Line," "Simon Nathan," and "Lloyd Sherman." However, the bulk of the photographs do not include any contextual information, such as name, dates, or location. Duplication occurs.

Series II: Textual materials is small with a few personal documents, including Goldberg's student pilot license, medical certificate, and assorted membership cards, including one for the Tailhook Association. Of note is an October 29, 1956, letter to Goldberg from the American Embassy in Tel Aviv that advises all Americans to leave Israel immediately due to heightened tensions in the Middle East. There is also assorted ephemera, including a TWA trip pass and clippings about Flying Tiger Line as well as correspondence and flight covers from the November 8-December 3, 1968, transpolar flight by Modern Air Transport, Inc in a Convair 990 Coronado.

Dates

  • 1929-1992, undated
  • Majority of material found within 1940-1959

Creator

Language of Materials

Some photographs depict signage in Hebrew and English. All other 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

.30 Cubic Feet (1 half-width legal size document box, 1 15 x 22 inch flat box)

Biographical Note: Alfred Goldberg

Alfred Goldberg (1917-1991) was Superintendent of Maintenance for the Flying Tiger Line in the late 1950s.

Alfred Goldberg was born on April 4, 1917 in New York state to Isaac and Fanny (Wald) Goldberg. In 1949 he obtained a student pilot certificate. Circa 1953-1958, he worked for Bedek Aviation Company in Israel, although his job title is unknown. After he left Israel, Goldberg joined the Flying Tiger Line where he was Superintendent of Maintenance, circa late 1950s-1960s. Further career information is not known.

Goldberg married Alice Ann Sternheim (1922-2000) on June 8, 1941. The couple had two children. Alfred Goldberg died on June 1, 1991 in San Francisco, California.

Source:

Biography derived from collection materials and records on Ancestry.com.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.
Title
Alfred Goldberg Photograph Collection
Status
Completed - Level 2
Author
Jenn Parent
Date
2023 May
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


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