National Air and Space Museum Archives

Fokker C-2, Civil America Christening Album

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.0076
Dates:
1927
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.35 Cubic feet
1 flat box
Repository:
The Fokker C-2, Civil
America
was intended to be a contender for the $25,000 prize offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic between New York and Paris. The aircraft was sponsored by Rodman Wanamaker and the crew consisted of Richard Evelyn Byrd, Bertrand Blanchard "Bert" Acosta, George Otto Noville, and Bernt Balchen. This album contains photos and authenticating information relating to the christening of the aircraft.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This album contains photos and authenticating information relating to the christening of the Fokker C-2, Civil
America
. The photographs show the bottle of water from the Delaware River used to christen the aircraft; a portrait of Anne Balderson, descendent of Betsy Ross; pictures of pieces of cloth used by Betsy Ross; and the American flag sewn by another Ross descendant, Edna Randolph Worrell. Also reproduced in the album are a letter to Rodman Wanamaker concerning preparation for the christening ceremony and affidavits concerning the authenticity of the water and cloth. The album itself measures 15 by 11 inches and includes an embossed gold reproduction of Rodman Wanamaker's signature on the front cover. Note: Blank pages in the album have not been digitally reproduced in the slideshow. Any gaps in numbering are due to their omission. Images have been rotated to the orientation of the page content for easier viewing.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is a single item.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The Fokker C-2, Civil
America
was intended to be a contender for the $25,000 prize offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly an aircraft directly across the Atlantic between New York and Paris. The aircraft was sponsored by Rodman Wanamaker and the crew consisted of Richard Evelyn Byrd, Bertrand Blanchard "Bert" Acosta, George Otto Noville, and Bernt Balchen.
America
was damaged during an unsuccessful test flight in April 1927 which delayed the flight attempt.
America
was christened at a public ceremony on May 21, 1927, the same day Charles Augustus Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history in his Ryan NYP
Spirit of St. Louis
, and thereby won the Orteig Prize.
America
was christened by Wanamaker's daughters with water taken from the Delaware River at the point of George Washington's crossing. Wanamaker also obtained pieces of cloth used by Betsy Ross and an American flag sewn by her descendant, Edna Randolph Worrell, to be carried onboard
America
. The transatlantic flight was finally attempted on June 29, 1927 but was unsuccessful, with
America
landing in the sea at Ver-sur-mer, France on July 1, 1927 in heavy fog.

Administration

Author
Jessamyn Lloyd
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Rodman A. Heeren, Gift, 1969, NASM.XXXX.0076.
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd, 2022.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
Fokker C-2, Civil America Christening Album, NASM.XXXX.0076, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Airplanes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photograph albums Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wanamaker, Rodman, 1863-1928 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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