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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Kress G. Drew World War I Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2025-08-01

Content Description

The Kress G. Drew World War I Collection consists primarily of visual materials documenting the World War I military service of Kress Gregg Drew.

The bulk of the collection is made up of visual materials, comprised of 74 loose photographs, 2 digital images, 2 postcards, and 54 prints affixed to documents. Of particular note are the 57 photographs and accompanying notes related to sighting planes. Two 11x15-inch presentation boards with 1.25x2-inch photos affixed to them were possibly used for training. One titled, "Positions of Planes in Ring Sight at Various Angles of Approach From 'Dead On' to 90°" has 19 prints showing positions of planes in ring sights. The second board is titled "Method of Marking Films to Show Errors in Deflection and Elevation" and includes eight images of planes in various positions in ring sights. One loose 4.25x6-inch print repdroduces this board and two other 9x13 cm prints also have images of planes in ring sights. Additionally, a notebook with both handwritten and typed notes and 27 1.25x2-inch prints affixed, includes additional information on sighting planes.

In addition to the gunnery sighting photographs are 71 snapshots and two digital images, some possibly taken by Drew but many likely collected from other sources. A portrait of Drew depicts him in flight gear shortly after he had begun his training. This print is a modern reprint, but a digital scan taken from the original vintage print is also present, as is a scan of a group portrait of the squadron football team. Twelve photographs depict various aircraft and four images show guns and tools. Thirty-three images show candid scenes of soldiers and military encampments, including soldiers at leisure and marching, and scenes of wartime desctruction. One of these images includes a few Black soldiers. Note that two images include graphic depictions of bones and skulls. Three prints are "living insignia" portraits of the Second Aviation Instruction Center. An additional 18 photographs and two postcards show scenes from France, including towns and street scenes, cathedrals, and châteaux. A portrait of a French nurse is also included. ASide from the portrait of Drew, none of the photos has captions or identifications of the people depicts.

Relatively few textual materials are present in the collection, but they consist of a few memos, military orders, and documents relating to aerial gunning and the Hythe Mark III gun camera from 1918. An employment application from 1936 provides additional biographical information on Drew.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1917-1919

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. Digital images are not accessible pending digital preservation procedures. 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.

Biographical Note: Kress G. Drew

Kress G. Drew likely served as a gunner or gun camera operator with the 34th Aero Squadron during World War I.

Kress Gregg Drew was born on June 24, 1894 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania to Gilbert P. and Flora (Reed) Drew. He enlisted with the U.S. military on May 10, 1917. He served overseas starting on August 23, 1917. He trained in Wendover, England with the Royal Air Force learning gun camera operations, and then was assigned to the 34th Aero squadron, flying missions over France and Germany. He also played football on the squadron's team. He rose to the rank of Sargeant first class. He returned stateside on May 26, 1919 and was formally discharged on June 4, 1919 at Mitchell Field, Long Island, New York.

After his service with the military, Drew worked in office settings, handling audit, accounting and timekeeping duties. Drew married Maebelle Louise Satterlee on November 5, 1927 in Long Beach, California. They eventually had three children. Drew and his wife owned and managed the Hotel Rose in Long Beach from 1926-1932. They lost the hotel during the Great Depression. Following that, Drew worked for the Westminster Memorial Park cemetery in Long Beach, where both Kress and Maebelle would eventually be buried. He started out selling plots and eventually became general manager.

Kress G. Drew died on January 23, 1963.

Biographical note derived from donor and collection informatinon.

Full Extent

.25 Cubic Feet (1 letter size 2-inch document box, 1 oversize folder (16x20"))

Language

English

Arrangement

The collection had no original order, so the archivist grouped materials by format and subject and arranged them alphabetically.

Custodial History

The materials were passed from the creator to his children and then grandchildren who then donated them to the Museum.

Separated Materials

One leather flight cap and three circular silver metal dog tags were separated from the archival component of the collection and transferred to the Object collection. One book, The Aviation Pocketbook, by R. Borlase Matthews, 1917, was transferred to the Library.

Title
Guide to the Kress G. Drew World War I Collection
Status
Completed Level 3
Author
Nicole Davis
Date
2025
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
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
206-764-5874


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