Barnstorming
Subject
Subject Source: Local sources
Scope Note: Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed aerial acrobatics, such as the barrel roll and loop the loops. Some barnstormers specialized as aerialists, performing daredevil feats while aloft. Such feats included wing-walking, mid-air plane transfers, and stunt parachuting, among others. Barnstormers performed both individually or in groups called flying circuses. Barnstorming was unique in that it was not just male or white. In fact, many women and people of color gained fame, including Bessie Coleman, Katherine Stinson, and the Five Blackbirds (an all-Black stunt pilot group). It was most popular during most of the 1920s, prior to safety regulations passed in 1927. Many notable pilots were barnstormers, including Tex Johnston, Charles Lindbergh, and Harriet Quimby.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Charles E. Selge Pilot Collection
Collection
Identifier: 2021-12-06-A
Overview
The Charles E. Selge Pilot Collection is a small collection of textual and photographic materials dating from 1932-2021. The materials are related to Selge’s pilot career, most notably his time as an early aerobatic pilot with the Art (Arthur) Davis School of Aviation, Lansing, Michigan. In addition, there are a small number of documents illustrating Selge's continued intrest in planes and his aircraft restoration projets.
Dates:
1932-2021
Found in:
The Museum of Flight Archives