Library of Congress >> Search Finding Aids (full view)

Search/Browse Library of Congress Finding Aids (full view)

PREVIOUS NEXT NEW SEARCH

Outline view | PDF view

L’Aerophile Collection

Finding Aid Prepared By Science, Technology, & Business Division

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/xmlcommon/lcseal.jpg

Science, Technology, & Business Division, Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

September 2006

Encoded by LC EAD Practices Group September 2006

Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/eadgdc.gc006001

Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Key Subjects

Administrative Information

Provenance

Processing History

Location

Access

Restrictions

Electronic Format

Preferred Citation

Background

Scope and Content Note

Series Description

Container List

Publications and Reports

Corporations, 1920s-1940s

Photographs

Types of Aircraft

Motors and Engines

Aviators and Designers

Bibliography

Collection Summary

Call. No.: Unclassed ST&B, TRS
Title: L’Aerophile Collection
Span Dates: 1876-1949
Bulk Dates: (1893-1949)
Contents: 152 boxes; 15,000 items
Repository: Science, Technology, & Business Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Summary: Correspondence, blueprints and manufactures information for early French and foreign aircraft and dirigibles, reports of accidents involving flyers and balloonists, World War I aerial photographs and intelligence reports, a series of French cartoons, drawings, graphs, charts, diagrams of equipment, maps, newspapers, printed material, and photographs. The materials in the collection were evidently assembled by staff of the magazine L’Aerophile which was published by Georges Besançon in collaboration with Union Aérophile de France. Subjects include aeronautics chiefly in Europe and the U.S., aeronautics corporations, air shows, aviators, balloons, bombs and missiles, commercial airlines, dirigibles, gliders, hydroplanes, medical aviation, military aeronautics, model aircraft, parachutes, propellers, record flights, and research and testing of aircraft. Individuals represented include Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, Georges Besançon, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and William "Billy" Mitchell.
Languages: English, French

Key Subjects

Subject terms and names are listed as they appear in the Library of Congress catalog.

Aeronautics--Flights
Air pilots--Biography
Ballooning--History
Women air pilots--Biography
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations

Administrative Information

Provenance

Collection purchased by Library of Congress in 1969.

Processing History

The materials in the collection were evidently assembled by staff of the magazine L’Aerophile which was published by Georges Besançon in collaboration with Union Aérophile de France.

Location

Unclassed ST&B, TRS (Science, Technology, and Business Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.)

Access

Request in Science, Technology, & Business Division reference desk, Adams Building, 5th Floor (ask for Tech Reports 202 707-5655)

Restrictions

Inquire at Science, Technology, & Business Division reference desk, Adams Building, 5th Floor, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Electronic Format

An enhanced Web presentation of the L’Aerophile Collection is available on the Library of Congress Web site at http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/trs/trslaerophile.html.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: The L’Aerophile Collection, Science, Technology, & Business Division, Library of Congress.

Background

In January 1893 the French journalist and balloonist Georges Besançon (1866-1934), in collaboration with the Union Aérophile de France, began publishing a monthly illustrated revue , L'Aerophile (published 1893-1947). Quickly, L'Aerophile became one of the premier journals of the early history of aviation. The first years were devoted to balloonists and the importance of meteorology on ballooning (for example, atmospheric effects on equipment, instruments, and humans). In later years, as artificial wings, gliders, man- and engine-powered planes were developed, the magazine brought their stories to the public. The materials in the collection were evidently assembled by staff of the magazine L’Aerophile.

Scope and Content Note

The fifteen thousand or so items contained in the 152 boxes of the Library of Congress collection include blueprints and manufactures' information of early French and foreign aircraft and dirigibles, reports of accidents involving flyers and balloonists, aerial photographs from World War I, and a series of French cartoons from the period 1909 - 1912 related to aviation. The collection also contains hundreds of photographs of early aviators and designers, including pictures of Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne Morrow being feted in Paris during their European trip of 1933.  A large number of L'Aerophile images appeared in the National Air and Space Museum's major exhibition in 2003 celebrating the centennial of the Wright brothers' first flight, titled the Wright Brothers & the Invention of the Aerial Age.

Series Description

The L'Aerophile Collection is arranged in six Series:

Container List

BoxContents
BOX 1-22

Publications and Reports

Early photographs, handbooks, catalogs, newspaper articles, blueprints, intelligence reports, and other publications relating to the early years of aviation, including balloon flight, airplanes and aviators.
Arranged in boxes, folders, and envelopes.
BOX 1Henry H. (Hap) Arnold Collection.
ENVELOPE 1A miscellaneous collection of black and white photos of the first aviation designers, philanthropists, test-pilots and first American aviators - Wilbur and Orville Wright, Thomas DeWitt Milling, Howard Hughes, etc. Pictures of first female aviators - Harriet Quimby, Amelia Earhart are also included. Early pictures of the U.S. Army Air Service (chiefs, pilots, crews and group pictures) and U.S. Army Air Corps in California, with Major Henry H. Arnold.
ENVELOPE 2A New York Times article (1926) about young Henry H. Arnold, who later became the commanding general of the Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II (includes photographs). 1926.
ENVELOPE 3A booklet: "The H. H. Arnold Collection" (3 copies), along with photos of airplanes in the air.
BOX 2Auction catalogs for ballooning-related items; 1934, 1935, 1940.
ENVELOPE 1Collection dite "Au ballon" by M.Leon Bartou, Paris. 8-9-10 Mai 1935.
ENVELOPE 2Aerostation: a catalogue of books and engravings illustrating the evolution of the airship and the aeroplane to 1938. Maggs Bros.Ltd, London. 1940
ENVELOPE 3Aeronautik: auction catalog in German illustrating items such as coins, porcelain, small books, fans, etc., with images related to aviation. Luzern, Schweiz. 26-27 June 1934.
BOX 3Calendars (German aircraft manufacturers) 1926-1935. Includes 12 German sheet calendars with photos.
BOX 4Aerial photographs, worldwide, 1890s to 1940.
ENVELOPE 1France. Aerial landscape photos and parts of Paris. 1930-1940.
ENVELOPE 2France. Photographs taken from a balloon. No date.
ITEM 1Le palais du Bey in Tunis.
ITEM 2Courcelles-Epayelles - a good aerial view of a French village.
ITEM 3Statute of Liberty, New York.
ITEM 4Balloons (aerostats) before launching.
ENVELOPE 3-6German, Italy, and Spain photos. No date.
ITEM 1Flugplatz Johannisthal - Germany's first airfield.
ITEM 2Aerial view of Vienna, Austria.
ENVELOPE 7Balloon View of Girard College, Philadelphia, (Samuel A. King, aeronaut). July 4, 1893.
ENVELOPE 8Balloon View of San Diego City's Harbor. 1923.
ENVELOPE 9-10Aerial view of countryside and cities in France, Germany and Switzerland. 1890-1910.
ENVELOPE 11Worldwide. 1920-1937.
ITEM 1Aerial views ( Versailles, Château de Champlâtreux, Vaux le Vicomte, Rochefort en Yvelines).
ITEM 2Aerial views in Africa: Egyptian pyramids and ruins in Sahara desert; running elephants in Tchad.
ITEM 3Tigre river and Baghdad city. Dubrovnik in Croatia. Pompeii amphitheater in Italy.
BOXES 9- 9APublications, USA: A-E; Publications, USA: F-N.
ITEM 1Liberty Engine Service Bulletins. November, 1918.
ITEM 2Notes on Liberty Engine Ignition System. 1919.
ITEM 3Manual for Balloon Cutters. October, 1918.
ITEM 4History of the 96th Aero Squadron - First American Day Bomb Bardment.
ITEM 5Ercoupe, the instruction manual. June 1946.
ITEM 6The Ambassador, a brochure about the first modern civil aircraft, its features and specifications. Hampshire, England. July, 1948.
ITEM 7Civil Aviation: Industry Studies - Report of the Air coordinating committee, Washington DC. 1947.
ITEM 8Civil Aviation: Industry Studies - Analysis of Air Transportation Industry by Henry Beecken. October, 1942.
BOX 10French intelligence reports on WWI German airplanes, translated into English for US intelligence; Loessel paper (critique).
BOX 11Publications, USA: T-Z.
BOX 12French aeronautical publications (Ae-Av), misc., some prior to WWI.
BOX 13French aeronautical publications (Ae-E), including aviators, balloons, dirigibles, some prior to WWI.
BOX 13AFrench newspapers, 1911; special report on German gliders, 1937; Propeller shafts, French, 1932; Engines, Hispano-Suzia, misc. articles and magazine clippings (E-Mi).
BOX 13BSmall aircraft; transatlantic flights; international flights; Newspapers, French, 1910.
BOX 14Publications from Britain; propellers; automobiles; trains; flight training schools.
BOX 14APublications from Germany, Japan, Italy; parachutes; meteorology; military aviation.
BOX 15Societe du Duralumin.
BOX 16Newspaper clippings: 'Plane News' 1918-1919; Spanish language publications 1912; French publications 1920-1927, 1937.
BOX 17Model building (blueprints).
Blueprints: Allison Eng; Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (1923); Wittemann airliner, 1936; Kite balloons.
BOX 18AMitchell, Billy, Gen., 1879-1936.
BOX 18BEarhart, Amelia.
BOXES 18C - 18DLindbergh, Charles A.
BOX 21Lindbergh, Charles. L'aerophile photographs, newspaper clippings, portraits.
BOX 22Handbook of instructions for airplane designers. 1920-1922.
BOX 23-44

Corporations, 1920s-1940s

Contains guides, studies, drawings, publicity, books, and albums relating to early aviation companies and aviation-related events.
Arranged alphabetically by aviation company.
BOX 23Abrams, Aera, Aerocessories Simonds, Aerodesign, Air France, Airspeed, Am.Armament, Amiot, Antifuite, Argus.
BOX 24Automotive Products, Beechcraft, Bellanca, Ben Jones, Boeing.
BOX 25Bleriot, Bloch, Brequet, Brewster, Bronzavia, Burnelli, Campbell, Caudron-Renault, Cellon, Centre d'Aviation Populaire, Centre d'Information du Nickel, Centro Studi et Esperience per il Volo a Vela, Cessna, Chamoy Chantiers, Le Chimiste, Compteurs Montrouge, Concorde, Consolidated Aircraft, Consolidated Vultee, Controleur ACDFK Corben.
BOX 26Cunliffe-Owen, Curtiss-Wright, Reichsverband der Deutschen Luftafahrt Industrie, Devoitine, Dispostif Cinematique Perfetti, Douglas, Electric Auto-liter, L'Epopee Aerienne, Fairchild.
BOX 27Farman, Fleetwings, Fokker.
BOX 28Gallus, General Aircraft, General Aviation, Glenn L. Martin, Goodrich, Handley Page, De Havailand, Hawker, Hobson, Institute Aerotechnique Deutsch, Jaeger, Karman, Kellett Autogiro, KNILM, Kellner Becherau, Koolhoven.
BOX 29Koolhoven, Labinal, Latecoere, Levasseur, Lignez, Licre & Olivier.
BOX 30Lincoln Arc Welding, Lockheed, Loire Nieuport, Lorenz, Luscombe, Martin, Material Telephonique, Maubousin, Moulet & Cie.
BOX 31Max Holste, Messier, Mojneau, Morane-Saulnier, Mureaux, Nardi, Noordnyn, Normalair, North American, Northrop.
BOX 32Paul Aubert, Phillips & Pain, Phillips & Powis, Piper, Platt – LePage, Porterfield, Potez, Potterat Metalworking, Rear Vin, Rellumit.
BOX 33Renard, Richard, Ryan, Seversky, Short Brothers, Siebee, Sikorsky, SNCA.
BOX 34SNCA (Hanriot), Soc. Aerienne Bordolaise, Son. Anon. Belge, Soc. Constr d'Aviation Legere, Soc. d'Etudes Aeronautiques, Soc. Fran. d'Aviation Nouvelle, Soc. Franc. de Construct. Aeron., Soc. Gen. du Magnesium.
BOX 35Soc. Mecanique generale, Soc. Nat. de Constr. Aeron. du Centre, Soc. Provencale de Constr. Aero., Spartan, Stinson, Taylor, Tecalemit, Timm. Tipsy.
BOX 36TWA, United, VIA, Vickers, Vultee, Waco, Walter, Weick, Weir, Westland, Williamson Photographic.
BOX 37Books
ITEM 1Album: drawings of Montgolfiere-type balloons which ascended from Tarragona (Spain) in 1876.
ITEM 2Variable Pitch propellers Log Book, London: HMSO. 1949.
ITEM 3Instructions on Setting up, Adjusting, and Care of Clerget Rotary Engine, Washington, GPO. 1920.
ITEM 4L'Ecole' d'Ader.
ITEM 5DERULUFT – "German-Russian Aeronautical Company."
ITEM 6Le Spactateur Militaire. Paris. 1887.
BOX 38Books
ITEM 1Les Usines - publications of Hispano-Suiza Corp.
ITEM 2L'Aviation Francaise. Special ed. of L'Illustration Economique et Financiere. 20 Mai 1922.
ITEM 3Two Aerial Voyages of Dr. Jefferies & Mons. Blanchard. London. Reprinted (2 copies.) 1786.
ITEM 4Rallye du Hoggar. 1936.
ITEM 5George H. Dowty: Retractable Undercarriages. 1935.
ITEM 64th Internationales Flugmeeting, Zurich 1937 and other programs.
BOX 39Photo Album: Congresses Int. de Fiat; Germans marching into Paris 1940; liberation of Paris, 1944.
BOX 40Flying events.
FOLDER 1Ads for flying events. 1935.
FOLDER 2Aero Club conference notes. 1924.
FOLDER 3Aerodromes de la Region Parisienne.
FOLDER 4Air shows in Italy, Spain.
FOLDER 5R. Alkan & Cie.
FOLDER 6Anniversary notices for balloonists Charles, Montgolfieres, Duro.
FOLDER 7Aviation events. 1948.
BOX 41
FOLDER 1		Test bombing of ships by U.S. planes. 1921.
FOLDER 2French cartoons.
FOLDER 3Aircraft drawings.
FOLDER 4Austria: dirigibles.
BOX 42
FOLDER 1		Aeronautical articles. 1940.
FOLDER 2L'Ecole Nationale Superieure de L' Aeronautique (program). 1949 (?).
FOLDER 3Gliders (magazine clippings).
FOLDER 4Grand Prix, France, 1912 (maps), 1923 (program).
FOLDER 5Gyroplanes. 1930s.
FOLDER 6"Humorous Aviation." 1908-1912.
FOLDER 7Kites (pre WWI).
FOLDER 8Aeronautical maps (France, Romania).
FOLDER 9McFarland correspondence.
FOLDER 10Military Air Transport (magazine clippings), WWII and after.
BOX 43
FOLDER 1		Miscellaneous aircraft (French) paintings.
FOLDER 2L'Aerophile correspondence.
FOLDER 3McFarland correspondence.
FOLDER 4German model aircraft kits.
FOLDER 5Seaplane design (East Germany).
FOLDER 6The NC702 aircraft (French).
FOLDER 7New aircraft. 1946-1947.
FOLDER 8Records attained by aircraft.
FOLDER 9On-board instruments.
FOLDER 10Organizational chart of the U.S. Bureau of Aircraft Production. 1918.
FOLDER 11Air-Mail pigeons.
BOX 44
FOLDER 1		Radiogoniometers.
FOLDER 2SIPL 250 aircraft (French).
FOLDER 3Societe des Moteurs Gnome & Rhone.
FOLDER 4Aircraft production (Art drawing).
FOLDER 5Technique Heroere.
FOLDER 6Theatre des Champes Elysees: "Gala costes et Le Brix."
FOLDER 7Cathode tube.
FOLDER 8Uniweld machine.
FOLDER 9Flight of birds: studies.
FOLDER 10Wind-tunnel studies.
BOX 45-74

Photographs

Photographs, drawings, and charts pertaining to early aviation in the first half of the twentieth century.
Arrangement generally by type of material, arranged alphabetically within type.
BOX 45Aircraft accidents.
BOX 46Commercial airlines (various countries, inc. Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, U.S.).
BOX 47Air Mail.
BOX 48Air Maneuvers, military, various countries, prior to WWII.
BOX 49Personalities (post-WWI).
BOX 50Air shows/Exhibits. 1909-1930.
BOX 51Air Shows/Exhibits. 1931-1948.
BOX 52Receptions, festivals, banquets prior to WWII: A-C.
BOX 53Receptions, festivals, banquets prior to WWII: D-Z.
BOX 54Coupes (spherical balloons): Gordon Bennett (1906-1913), Schneider, Deutsch.
BOX 55Aeronautical equipment.
BOX 56Meetings, Conferences.
BOX 57Aerobatics, aerodromes, airports.
BOX 58Automobiles, including electric, Avion Laboratoire, challenges de tourisme, cinema, circuits.
BOX 59Courses (routes), destroyed aircraft, eclipse 1905, factories, floating islands, ground lighting, hangers, human-powered flight, inventions, Laboratoire Eiffel, memorial services, monuments.
BOX 60Monuments, indignia, museums, observatories, medical experiments, polar flights, refueling in air, saloons.
BOX 61Schools for aviators, sports, Wellman Polar Expedition, wind tunnels, wings (experimental designs).
BOX 62Misc. Photos by country.
BOX 63Parachutes.
BOX 64Propellers.
BOX 65Record Flights.
BOX 66Research/Testing.
BOX 67New Technology.
BOX 68Commercial, medical and military-medical aviation.
BOX 69Alaska Flight 1934 (U.S.); Army-Air generals (U.S.).
BOX 70Bombs and missiles: Atomic Bomb, V1, civil air defense, guided missiles, Pearl Harbor, war photos (WWII).
BOX 71Drawings: "Aviation made popular." 1940.
BOX 72Drawings: "Aviation made popular." 1940-1944.
BOX 73Graphs, charts, diagrams of equipment.
BOX 74Misc. Apparatus: radiocompass, photography, stroboscopy, etc.
BOX 75-117

Types of Aircraft

Aircraft information arranged by country of origin and specific type of aircraft.
Generally arranged by country of origin, and by type (balloons, dirigibles, gliders, hydroplanes, and model aircraft).
BOX 75Czechoslovakia.
BOXES 76-78AEngland.
BOXES 79-83France.
BOXES 84-91France, Pre-WWI.
BOX 92Germany.
BOXES 93-94AItaly.
BOXES 95-101United States.
BOX 102Unidentified countries.
BOX 103Austria-Germany.
BOX 104Holland.
BOX 105Russia-Yugoslavia.
BOXES 106-106AMisc. Aircraft and parts.
BOX 107Balloons, France, pre-WWI.
BOXES 108-109Balloons, misc.
BOXES 110-113Dirigibles, misc. countries.
BOX 114Gliders.
BOXES 115-116Hydroplanes.
BOX 117Model aircraft.
BOX 120-129

Motors and Engines

Information on companies that produced aircraft motors and engine.
Alphabetically, by company.
BOXES 120-129Companies, alphabetical.
BOX 130-150

Aviators and Designers

Photographs and publications on aviators and aircraft designers.
Arranged alphabetically, by nationality.
BOXES 130-141France.
BOX 142America-Australia.
BOX 143Austria-England.
BOX 144England-International.
BOX 145Italy-Russia.
BOX 146South Africa-Yugoslavia.
BOX 147Misc. Aircraft.
BOX 148Aviators, articles.
BOXES 149-150Group photos.

Bibliography

L'Aerophile . Paris: Blondel la Rougery, Vol. 1 - Vol. 54 (1893-1947). LC CALL NUMBER: TL502 A16

The Aeronautical journal . London : Aeronautical Society of Great Britain, Vol. 1 - Vol. 26 (1897-1922).
LC CALL NUMBER: TL501 .R7

Chambe, Rene. Histoire De L'Aviation . France: Flammarion, 1958. 521 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL515 .C37 1958

Chant, Christopher. Aviation: An Illustrated History . London: Orbis Publishing Limited, 1983. 352 p.
CALL NUMBER: TL515 .C383 1983b

Deutsche Zeitschrift für Luftschiffahrt . Berlin: Vereingte Verlagsanstalten Gustav Braunbeck & Gutenberg-Druckerei Aktiengesellschaft, 1908 - 1919.
LC CALL NUMBER: Microfilm 27692

Flight: A Journal Devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport . London: St. Martin's Lane, Vol 1 - Vol. 9 (1909-1917).
LC CALL NUMBER: TL501 .F5

Jackson, Robert. Fighter pilots of World War I . New York : St. Martin's Press, 1977. 152 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: D600 .J33 1977

Lindbergh, Charles A. " We": the famous flier's own story of his life and his transatlantic flight, together with his views on the future of aviation . New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1927. 308 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL540.L5 A3 1927c

Lomax, Judy. Women of the air . New York, N.Y. : Dodd, Mead, 1987. 216 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL539 .L55 1987

Mouillard, Louis Pierre. L'Empire De L'Air: Essai D'Ornithologie Appliquèe A L'Aviation . Paris: G. Masson, 1881.
284 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL575 .M6 (Rare Book Collection)

Matthews, Hart. Pioneer aviators of the world : a biographical dictionary of the first pilots of 100 countries . Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2003. 208 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL539 .M3235 2003

Rolt, L.T.C. The Aeronauts: A History of Ballooning - 1783-1903 . New York: Walker and Company, 1966. 267 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL616 .R63 1966

Smith-Gibbs, C. H. A History of Flying . New York: Walker and Company, 1966. 267 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL616 .R63 1966

Villard, Henry Serrano. Contact! : the story of the early aviators . Mineola, N.Y. : Dover Publications, 2002. 277 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL670.3 .V55 2002

Wohl, Robert. A Passion For Wings: aviation and the Western imagination, 1908-1918 . New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1994. 320 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL526.E85 W65 1994

Wragg, David W. Flight before Flying . New York: Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc., 1974. 191 p.
LC CALL NUMBER: TL515 .W7 1974

PREVIOUS NEXT NEW SEARCH

EAD Finding Aids at the Library of Congress | EAD DTD Official Web Site

The Library of Congress >> Search Finding Aids (full view)

Contact Us