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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Aviation Artwork Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2022-00-00-86

Contents of the Collection

The Aviation Artwork Collection contains original artworks on paper and reprints of artwork with themes related to air travel, aircraft, air battles, and other aviation topics. This is an artificial collection that brings together materials from a variety of sources. Numerous media and techniques are present, including acrylic, watercolor, gouache, etching, and graphite, but the collection is primarily made up of lithographic and poster reprints. The collection is organized alphabetically by artist with more than 140 artists represented.

Each series within the collection consists of works by an individual artist, with works by unidentified artists grouped together. Some notable artists include George Akimoto, John Amendola, Chesley Bonestell, Robert Carlin, Donald Croly, James Dietz, Uwe Feist, Richard Hunt, Mike Machat, Robert Parks, Stan Stokes, and Fred Takasumi. Some limited-edition series of artworks are also present, such as the Gathering of Eagles collection by Jay Ashurst from the 1980s and 1990s which commemorate famous aviators. Prints in traditional Kwa-Gulth style by indigenous artits Jim Johnny and Richard Hunt are also present.

Common subjects in the collection include commercial, military, and civil aircraft with Boeing aircraft especially well represented; military air skirmishes; historic flights; portraits of pilots; and some landscape scenes.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1920s-1990s

Language of Materials

Most of the materials are visual, but the limited text that is present is all 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

19.5 Cubic Feet (69 oversize folders (30x40" and 35x47"), 2 oversize boxes (16" x 20" x 3"); 3 oversize boxes (20" x 24" x 3"); 4 oversize boxes (24" x 32" x 3"))

Additional Description

Abstract

The Aviation Artwork Collection contains original works on paper and lithographic reprints of artwork related to aviation. The collection contains a wide variety of aviation-related artwork with themes of travel, war, innovation, and history.

Other Finding Aids

A spreadsheet inventory is available upon request.

Custodial History

As an artificial collection, these materials were collected and acquired through a variety of sources. Provenance information has not been maintained for all items.

Accruals

This collection is expected to grow.

Related Materials

This collection is not comprehensive of all artworks in the holding at the Museum of Flight. Within archival holdings, space-related artwork can be found in the Space Exploration Collection; works that have the intention of showing the construction or technical makeup of a machine or aircraft can be found in the Aviation Blueprints and Technical Drawings Collection; individual accessions may also include artworks. Framed artwork, primarily original paintings, and 3-D artworks can be found in the Museum's object collection.

Processing Information

Processing work done prior to 2024 by archives staff included adding some materials to acid-free folders. In 2024, the archives staff began a review to bring the collection up to current best practices and to bring various artificial collections and "found-in-collection" items together. Materials were placed in acid-free folders, separated by acid-free buffered archival tissue paper, and arranged in order by artist.

Related Names

Subject

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Aviation Artwork Collection
Status
Completed Level 1
Author
Carly Stewart, Jake Sheets, Nicole Davis
Date
2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
1st Edition

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