National Air and Space Museum Archives

Otto Lilienthal Photographs

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.1093
Dates:
circa 1894
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.05 Cubic feet
1 folder
Repository:
One of the most significant pre-Wright brothers aeronautical experimenters was the German glider pioneer Otto Lilienthal. This collection consists of three photographs of him.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of three black and white photographs of Otto Lilienthal. The first is a 2.5 by 3.5 inch (matted to 8.5 by 10 inches) formal head and shoulders portrait of Lilienthal, wearing a suit and tie, and is signed by Lilienthal. The other two prints, both measure 10.5 by 7 inches and are backed with cardboard, show Lilienthal in flight in a glider near Berlin in 1894.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is in original order.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
One of the most significant pre-Wright brothers aeronautical experimenters was the German glider pioneer Otto Lilienthal. Between 1891 and 1896, he built and flew a series of highly successful full-size gliders. During this period, Lilienthal made close to 2,000 brief flights in 16 different designs based on aerodynamic research he conducted in the 1870s and 1880s. Most of the gliders were monoplanes with stabilizing tail surfaces mounted at the rear and control was achieved by shifting body weight fore-and-aft and from side-to-side. Beyond his technical contributions, Lilienthal sparked aeronautical advancement from a psychological point of view, as well by unquestionably demonstrating that gliding flight was possible. He was a great inspiration to the Wright brothers in particular. They adopted his approach of glider experimentation and used his aerodynamic data as a starting point in their own research.

Administration

Author
Jessamyn Lloyd
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Unknown, NASM.XXXX.1093
Processing Information
Arranged and described (2011) and encoded (2020) by Jessamyn Lloyd.

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
Otto Lilienthal Photographs, NASM.XXXX.1093, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Gliders (Aeronautics) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics -- Germany Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gliding and soaring Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lilienthal, Otto Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Air and Space Museum Archives
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