National Air and Space Museum Archives

We Saw It Happen Film Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.0637
Creators:
United Aircraft Corporation
Dates:
1952-1953
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
57.84 Cubic feet
457 film cans and 24 Betacam-Sp videos.
Repository:
This collection includes a copy of the finished film,
We Saw It Happen
, as well as interviews and stock footage outtakes. Altogether this collection contains 481 black and white; silent and sound; 16 mm and 35 mm (mostly 35 mm) films covering a variety of aviation topics.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection includes a copy of the finished film as well as interviews and stock footage outtakes. Altogether this collection contains 481 black and white; silent and sound; 16 mm and 35 mm (mostly 35 mm) films covering a variety of aviation topics. This collection encompasses numerous interviews including those with: Wellwood E. Beall, Lawrence D. "Larry" Bell, William Boeing, William Bridgeman, Frank Caldwell, Clarence Chamberlin, James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, Donald W. Douglas, Ira C. Eaker, Oliver P. Echols, Earl Findley, Benjamin D. Foulois, Robert Gross, Carrie Grunbach, Sam Herron, Leonard S. "Luke" Hobbs, H. Mansfield Horner, Jerome Hunsaker, Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston, James H. "Dutch" Kindleberger, Frank P. Lahm, Glenn L. Martin, Thomas DeWitt Milling, Mundy I. Peale, Dewitt D. Ramsey, Frederick B. Rentschler, Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker, Igor Sikorsky, Carl A. "Tooey" Spaatz, Charlie Taylor, John H. Towers, Roscoe Turner, and Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Film items are individually described in film database and stored by size of film can.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The United Aircraft Corporation produced
We Saw It Happen
, a 1953 documentary in honor of the 50th anniversary of flight. We Saw It Happen is a historic film concerning all aspects of aviation from the Wright brothers to 1953. Newsreel film is used to illustrate significant developments in flying and aircraft production as well as historic world events. Statements are made by important aviation figures who reminisce on aeronautic areas of their interest.

Administration

Author
Patti Williams
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Unknown, Gift?, Unknown (found in collection), NASM.XXXX.0637
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 2020.

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
We Saw It Happen
Film Collection, NASM.XXXX.0637, 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
Motion picture film Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aircraft Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Air and Space Museum Archives
14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA 20151
NASMRefDesk@si.edu