Glenn Hammond Curtiss Photographs [Lawrence]

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of eight photographs of Glenn Hammond Curtiss flying into Cedar Point resort, Sandusky, Ohio on August 31, 1910. The photos, believed to be taken by Ruth Deike, show Curtiss in the air in his Curtiss Hudson Flyer; Curtiss at the controls with a bicycle inner tube wrapped around him as a life preserver; views of the aircraft on the ground; and some close-up candid shots of Curtiss after he has exited the aircraft. The photographs are black and white and vary in size from approximately 1.5 by 2.75 inches up to approximately 3.5 by 3.5 inches and are borderless, having been trimmed by hand. The photos have been pasted onto black card stock mounts (possibly cut from a larger scrapbook page) with two of the photographs on one and the remaining six on another. One of the pages is labeled in white pencil with "Glen Curtis [sic]" and the slightly incorrect date of Sept. 1910.

Arrangement

Collection is in original order.

Biographical / Historical

On August 31, 1910, Glenn Hammond Curtiss set a record for flight over water by flying from Euclid Beach, Cleveland, Ohio to the Cedar Point resort in Sandusky, Ohio in an hour and fifteen minutes in his Curtiss Hudson Flyer. Cedar Point manager George Boeckling had offered a prize of $15,000 for an aviator to fly there, and Curtiss was the one to complete the challenge. When Curtiss landed that afternoon, he was greeted by Boeckling and thousands of spectators. Curtiss returned to Cleveland via the same route the following day. Ruth Deike was on hand at Cedar Point to witness Curtiss' historic flight.