Archives at The Museum of Flight

Abstract William E. Boeing, Sr. (1881-1956) was an aviation pioneer and founded The Boeing Company in 1916. The collection holds textual materials, such as correspondence, philately, business-related materials, clippings, and ephemera, as well as photographs and illustrations related to his personal and business life, circa 1783-2008. Major areas of interest include family photographs and extensive personal and business-related correspondence.

Contents of the Collection The Donald B. Croly Boeing Concept Art Collection holds 39 pieces of concept art created by Croly, circa 1940s-1970s, during his time as an artist at the Boeing Company. Most are original gouache paintings, although there are three pen and ink and graphite drawings and two photographic reproduction posters. Scenes primarily depict aircraft in a variety of settings, including in flight, parked at terminals and engaged in U.S. Air Force military operations. A small number feature...

Contents of the Collection The Karl Martinez Dash-80 Film consists of one home movie-style film of Boeing Company test pilot Alvin “Tex” Johnston performing a barrel roll of the Boeing 367-80, a prototype of the Boeing 707, over the 1955 Seafair Gold Cup Hydroplane races.The footage begins with scenes of hydroplanes and boats on Lake Washington, spectators on boats, and a U.S. Navy airship with the text "Join the U.S. Naval Air Reserve / Be a Naval Aviation Cadet" on its gasbag. The barrel roll footage begins...