Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection
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Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection Kate Igoe 1996 National Air and Space Museum Archives 14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway Chantilly, VA 20151 [email protected] https://airandspace.si.edu/archives Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 3 Biographical / Historical.................................................................................................... 3 Arrangement note............................................................................................................ 4 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 4 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 5 Series I: Core Documents of Early Birds Organization............................................ 5 Series II: Organizational Correspondence and Records.......................................... 7 Series III: Publications............................................................................................ 14 Series IV: Events.................................................................................................... 20 Series V: Individual Members................................................................................ 26 Series VI: Miscellaneous and Oversize Materials.................................................. 45 Series VII: Scrapbooks........................................................................................... 46 Series : Appendix I: Officers of the Early Birds of Aviation, Inc.............................. 47 Series : Appendix II: Membership List................................................................... 50 Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection NASM.XXXX.0566 Collection Overview Repository: National Air and Space Museum Archives Title: Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection Identifier: NASM.XXXX.0566 Date: 1928-circa 1980s Creator: Early Birds of Aviation (Organization). Extent: 22.05 Cubic feet (49 Boxes) Language: English . Summary: This collection consists of the records and historical materials of the Early Bird organization, including correspondence; photographs; the organization's newsletter, Chirp; financial records; reunion memorabilia; biographical material of members; and membership lists. This material was donated to the Museum after the National Air Museum was designated as the official repository for Early Bird records. Administrative Information Acquisition Information Early Birds of Aviation, Inc., gift, 1960s-1980s, XXXX-0566, NASM Related Collections in NASM's Holdings NOTES FOR STAFF Name Material Accession Number Lawrence M. Allison Biographical 1988-0021 material Charles A. Arens Scrapbooks XXXX-0016 Ralph S. Barnaby Personal Papers 1987-0048 Carl T. Batts Collection 1992-0048 George W. Beatty Collection 1989-0013/1991-0069 Lucielle A. Belmont Exhibition XXXX-0078 Advertisement Edward R. Boland Memorabilia XXXX-0063 Frank T. Coffyn Scrapbook XXXX-0065 Harry D. Copland Slide Collection XXXX-0439 H. Paul Culver Scrapbook XXXX-0401 H.P. Culver Airmail Scrapbook & XXXX-0401 Invoices Glenn Curtiss Scrapbook XXXX-0320 Glenn H. Curtiss Collection XXXX-0053 Charles H. Day Scrapbook XXXX-0028 Curtiss LaQ. Day Scrapbook XXXX-0292 Page 1 of 61 Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection NASM.XXXX.0566 Name Material Accession Number William Carl Diehl Collection XXXX-0469 Early Aviation Scrapbooks XXXX-0404 ('06-'10) Early Aviation (ca. Scrapbooks XXXX-0299 '10) Early Aviation Photograph XXXX-0322 Scrapbook Early Aviation Photograph XXXX-0048 Scrapbook Early Aviation Scrapbook XXXX-0291 "Early Birds" Reunion XXXX-0124 Autographs Luis DeFlorez Scrapbook/ XXXX-0069 Memorabilia Paul E. Garber Scrapbook XXXX-0246 Thomas Foster Collection 1989-0129 Hamilton Edward Holterman Scrapbook XXXX-0223 S. Jerwan/Moisant Scrapbook XXXX-0231 Walter E. Johnson Scrapbook 1987-0068 Ernest Jones AeronauticalCollection XXXX-0096 Roy Knabenshue Autobiography XXXX-0136 Manuscript Frank P. Lahm Collection 1984-0044 Lahm Airport Scrapbook S-118 XXXX-0268 Memorial& Dedication R.F. MacFie Scrapbook XXXX-0296 Glenn L. Martin Scrapbook XXXX-0018 James V. Martin Scrapbook XXXX-0236 Thomas deWitt Personal Papers XXXX-0133 Milling Harold E. "Flying Pioneers" XXXX-0450 Morehouse Biographies George A. Page Collection XXXX-0126 Evan J. Parker Scrapbook XXXX-0348 Fred Parker Scrapbook XXXX-0224 Edwin C. Parsons Scrapbook XXXX-0308 Roland Rohlfs Scrapbook XXXX-0278 Martin F. Scanlon Scrapbooks XXXX-0037 Blanche Stuart Scott Memorabilia XXXX-0062 William H. Sheahan Early Aviation XXXX-0523 Photographs Thomas Steptoe Scrapbook XXXX-0229 Paul R. Stockton World War I Aviation XXXX-0283 Scrapbook Paul Studenski Collection 1989-0012 Henry Toncray Scrapbook 1989-0012 John H. Towers World War I Aviation XXXX-0033 Scrapbook Page 2 of 61 Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection NASM.XXXX.0566 Name Material Accession Number Victor Vernon Scrapbook XXXX-0221 John B.R. Verplanck Scrapbook XXXX-0012 Clifford L. Webster Collection XXXX-0559 Elling D. Weeks Early Aviation 1984-0004, (E.D. "Hud" Weeks) Collection 1984-0006 Bernard L. Whelan Photographs 1992-0055 Orville & Wilbur Memorabilia XXXX-0079 Wright Other Finding Aids http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/arch/findaids/eb/eb_frames.html Other Finding Aids http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/arch/findaids/pdf/E_BIRDS_AID_Public.pdf Restrictions No restrictions on access Biographical / Historical Founded after the National Air Races of 1928, the Early Birds (later to be known as the Early Birds of Aviation, Inc.) consisted of pioneer aviators banded together for the purposes of preserving aviation history, advancing interest in aeronautics and the enjoyment of good fellowship. Membership in the group necessitated documentary evidence of solo flight in heavier- or lighter-than-air craft before December 17, 1916. This date was of some significance to the Early Birds, being the thirteenth anniversary (that number being considered propitious) of the first sustained, powered, heavier-than-air flight by the Wrights at Kitty Hawk. Those interested in flying in this pre-World War I period were often required to build their own craft and instruct themselves in the necessary skills to pilot it and members took great pride in this evidence of initiative. (For nationals of countries other than the United States which were engaged in the War the conditional date was set at August 4, 1914.) As an organization, the Early Birds was responsible for the preservation of aircraft and records, the erection of numerous markers and monuments and the education of the public on the importance of aviation. With members including Glenn Curtiss, Blanche Stuart Scott, Matilde Moisant, Grover Loening, Roy Knabenshue, Sir Thomas Sopwith, Katherine Stinson, Marjorie Stinson, Earle Ovington, Matty Laird, Anthony Fokker and Giuseppe Bellanca, their contributions as individuals were incalculable. Numbering nearly 600 members at its peak, the Early Birds was conceived of as a "last man's club" whose existence would cease with the passing of its last surviving member. Scope and Contents The Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection (acc. XXXX-0566) contains approximately 18 cubic feet of material relating to this group of early pilots. The material includes correspondence, financial records, periodicals, photographic material, published materials and various other media containing information on the organization and its individual members. The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) was designated by the Early Birds as the official repository for the organization in 1960 and the Museum has obtained materials at different times from various members. Much of the material in the collection is comprised of the records and memorabilia of the organization's Page 3 of 61 Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. Collection NASM.XXXX.0566 officers, including Paul Garber, past President as well as Archivist/Historian for the group. In addition to the records contained in this collection, members have donated to NASM aircraft, plaques and other items of historical interest. Some preliminary processing work had been done on this collection by 1996, but much of the material remained without obvious order. Original order, when identified, has been maintained. Material was added from the Museum's Archives' Technical Files on organizations but researchers seeking information on individual members may wish to cross-reference the biographical section of the Technical Files located in NASM's Archives downtown which includes folders for most of the Early Birds. Some members of the Early Birds remained quite active with the organization until the late 1980s. The material in the collection therefore spans over eighty years. Arrangement Container List: Series I: Core organizational documents; Series II: Organizational correspondence and records; Series III: Publications; Series IV: Events; Series V: Individual members; Series VI: Miscellaneous; Series VII: Scrapbooks Appendices. Appendix I: Chronological List of Officers Appendix II: Membership list Related collections in NASM's holdings Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online