Schweizer Aircraft Corporation Negatives [Smith]

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of approximately 209 images taken by C. Hadley Smith pertaining to Schweizer Aircraft Corporation. The images are in negative format, and are 4 by 5 inches or smaller. They are a mix of black and white and color. The collection also contains a few color transparencies. The negatives are in individually numbered envelopes with a number scheme applied by Smith which is comprised of the date (year-month-day) and a shot number from that day. Some of the envelopes contain duplicate negatives or contact prints, and some contain two separate images. The images show Schweizer aircraft (including many air to air shots), as well as some shots of ephemera such as illustrations, magazine spreads, and advertising materials. Aircraft shown in the collection include the Schweizer SGS 1-26B; Schweizer SGS 1-26C; Schweizer SGS 1-26E; Schweizer SGS 1-23H; Schweizer SGU 2-22E; Schweizer SGS 2-32 (including tail number N2477W, marked as the 1000th Schweizer Sailplane); Schweizer SGS 1-34; Schweizer SGS 2-33; Schweizer TSC-1A1 Teal Amphibian; and the Schweizer SGS 1-35.

Arrangement

This collection is in original order using the numbers that were applied by the creator.

Biographical / Historical

Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was formed in 1939 by brothers Paul, William, and Ernest Schweizer in Elmira, New York. The Schweizer brothers built their first glider in 1930 and went on to produce numerous models of gliders, helicopters, and small agricultural aircraft. Schweizer was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 2004 and operated as a subsidiary until ceasing operations in 2012.

C. Hadley Smith (1910-2004) began taking photographs at age five and received formal training in photography at the Patuxent River Naval Air Base where he served as a Photographer's Mate First Class during World War II. After the war, he began his career as a commercial photographer in Ithaca, New York. One of his clients was Schweizer Aircraft Corporation.