Building Stories Contest: Wright Brothers
25 artifacts in this set
Wright Home, Original Site, Dayton, Ohio, circa 1900
Photographic print
Though Milton and Susan Wright moved their family several times, sons Wilbur and Orville always considered this house, at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio, to be home. Orville was born here in 1871, and sister Katharine in 1874. Wilbur died here in 1912. It was in this house that the Wright brothers began their studies in aviation.
Wilbur and Orville Wright at Home in Dayton, Ohio, circa 1910
Photographic print
Wilbur and Orville Wright pose on the porch of the Wright family home in Dayton, Ohio. Neither of the brothers married or had children, and both continued to live with their father, Milton, and sister, Katharine. Without families of their own, the Wright brothers were free to devote increasing amounts of time and money to their aviation experiments.
Wright Home Parlor Decorated for Christmas, Original Site, Dayton, Ohio, circa 1900
Photographic print
Christmas was a special time in the Wright home. Neither Wilbur, Orville, nor Katharine had children, but older brother Lorin lived nearby with his youngsters. The Wright family's tree overflowed with presents for nieces and nephews. Certainly, no Christmas was as exciting as that of 1903, which came just eight days after the Wrights' first airplane flights in North Carolina.
Portrait of Katharine Wright as a Young Girl, circa 1881
Carte-de-visite (Card photograph)
Katharine Wright was born on August 19, 1874, in the family house in Dayton, Ohio. She was the only one of the five Wright children to finish college, graduating from Oberlin in 1898. Katharine returned to Dayton to teach high school. She provided invaluable support to her brothers, Wilbur and Orville, in their efforts to build a successful airplane.
Wright Cycle Shop, Original Site, Dayton, Ohio, circa 1910
Photographic print
The Wright brothers moved their bicycle business to five different Dayton, Ohio, locations from 1892 to 1908. They occupied this building, at 1127 West Third Street, from 1897 to 1908. It was here that the brothers conducted their first serious aviation experiments and built their gliders and the 1903 Wright Flyer -- the first successful heavier-than-air powered aircraft.
Wright Home
House
Though the Wright family moved around, brothers Wilbur and Orville always thought of this house, originally located at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio, as home. Orville was born here in 1871, and Wilbur died here in 1912. It was also here that the brothers began their serious studies in aviation -- work that led to their successful 1903 Wright Flyer.
St. Clair Bicycle Made by the Wright Brothers, 1897-1901
Bicycle
After their 1901 glider didn't perform as expected, Wilbur and Orville Wright modified a bicycle to test the data used to shape their wings. Riding the bike generated a breeze that simulated the air pressure against a wing in flight. Although this St. Clair bicycle was built by the Wrights, it is not the actual bike used in their experiments.
Experimental Wright Glider Flying, 1900
Photographic print
Before the Wright brothers' famous first flight in a powered, heavier-than-air craft, they experimented with piloted gliders. This image of their first design in flight-testing as a kite is one of only three existing photographs of the 1900 glider. Kiting the glider provided valuable performance information that could be incorporated into redesign and helped the brothers prepare for piloted flight.
Wilbur Wright Piloting the 1901 Glider, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, July 1901
Photographic print
Before the Wright brothers' famous first flight in a powered, heavier-than-air craft, they experimented with piloted gliders. Here, Wilbur Wright pilots the second glider at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Though the brothers achieved glides of more than 300 feet with this glider, the craft was problematic. Major issues with lift and control sent them back to the drawing board.
Wilbur Wright Piloting the 1902 Glider, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, October 10, 1902
Photographic print
Before the Wright brothers' famous first flight in a powered, heavier-than-air craft, they experimented with piloted gliders. Combining previous designs with data from wind tunnel and model wing testing, the Wrights built their third glider in 1902. Here, Wilbur Wright pilots the craft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The brothers had created the world's first fully controllable aircraft.
First Flight of Wright 1903 Flyer at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, December 17, 1903
Photographic print
When John T. Daniels snapped the shutter on Orville Wright's camera, he captured one of the most significant images ever taken. The photo not only shows the moment of liftoff during the Wright brothers' first flight, but also the instant that heavier-than-air flight began. Daniels, a crewman at the Kill Devil Hills Life-Saving Station, had never used a camera before.
Wilbur Wright and Passenger during a Flight over Camp D'Avours, near Le Mans, France, 1908-1909
Negative (Photograph)
The Wright brothers are famous for their first flight in a powered, heavier-than-air craft on December 17, 1903. It was not until August 8, 1908 that they made their first official public demonstration of their unique controllable flyer. This shows Wilbur Wright flying near the ground while taking off at Les Hunandières horse racing track near Le Mans, France.
Wright Family Writing Desk, 1890-1900
Slant-front desk
This ladies' writing desk is the starting point for a transportation revolution. On May 30, 1899, a Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop owner named Wilbur Wright sat down at his sister's desk and wrote a letter to the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Wilbur's letter sparked a series of events that led to the world's first powered airplane flight in 1903.
Wright Cycle Shop
Store
Wilbur and Orville Wright operated their bicycle business in this building from 1897 to 1908 in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers sold and repaired bikes, and they even produced models under their own brands. It was also in this shop that the Wright brothers built their earliest flying machines, including the 1903 Flyer that became the first successful heavier-than-air, powered, controlled aircraft.
Orville Wright and Henry Ford Inspecting Wright Cycle Shop, Dayton, Ohio, 1936
Photographic print
Henry Ford admired brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. They were all sons of the Midwest (Ford from Michigan, the Wrights from Ohio) who achieved great success in the early 20th century. After Ford purchased the Wrights' home and cycle shop in 1936, Orville Wright helped him locate original family furnishings, books, and equipment to outfit the buildings.
Henry Ford and Orville Wright at Wright Home, Dayton, Ohio, 1936
Photographic print
Henry Ford admired brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. They were all sons of the Midwest (Ford from Michigan, the Wrights from Ohio) who achieved great success in the early 20th century. After Ford purchased the Wrights' home and cycle shop in 1936, Orville Wright helped him locate original family furnishings, books, and equipment to outfit the buildings.
Portrait of Orville Wright as a Boy, 1878
Carte-de-visite (Card photograph)
Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871, in the family house in Dayton, Ohio. In 1878 his father, a bishop who traveled frequently on church business, brought home a toy helicopter for Orville and his brother Wilbur. The Wright brothers later credited the toy with sparking their earliest interest in aviation.
Portrait of Wilbur Wright as a Boy, 1878
Carte-de-visite (Card photograph)
Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was a strong student until an ice hockey accident as a teenager sunk him into a depression. Ironically, his mother's failing health brought Wilbur out of his melancholy as he cared for her in her final years. Instead of college, Wilbur educated himself through his father's extensive library.
Aviator Frank Coffyn at Wright Brothers' Home and Shop Mural, Ford Exposition, New York World's Fair, 1939
Photographic print
Ford Motor Company poured resources into the 1939-40 New York World's Fair, spending more than $5 million to construct and maintain its elaborate and well-attended exhibition space. Special guests numbered among Ford's 15 million reported exposition visitors. This photograph shows Frank Coffyn near a mural showing the home of fellow aviation pioneers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village.
Neil Armstrong outside Wright Family Home in Greenfield Village, August 16, 1979
Negative (Photograph)
Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, posed near the Wright brothers' home during a 1979 visit to The Henry Ford. Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crewmates took pieces of the 1903 Wright Flyer on their 1969 mission -- to emphasize the incredible progress made in the 66 years between the Wrights' first flight and the lunar landing.
Pamphlet, "Experiments and Observations in Soaring Flight," Wilbur Wright, 1903
Book
Theories and research on aviation were shared widely through professional journals. While conducting their experiments, Wilbur and Orville Wright read almost everything they could find, and Wilbur contributed his own articles on the brothers' work. This August 1903 article, based on Wilbur's June 1903 presentation to the Western Society of Engineers, describes their successful glider flights of 1902.
Engraving Tools Given to Orville Wright From Wilbur Wright, 1883
Graver
Wilbur Wright gave eight of these engraving tools to his brother, Orville, for Christmas in 1883. Two others were made by Orville, and another by Wilbur. At the time, the Wrights lived in Richmond, Indiana, and Wilbur earned spending money assisting with their father's newspaper, the Richmond Star. The Wrights moved back to Dayton, Ohio, in June 1884.
Wood and Fabric Sample from the 1903 Wright Flyer
Sample
Orville Wright presented these samples of fabric and wood, from the 1903 Wright Flyer, to Henry Ford in 1936. Ford was in the process of acquiring the Wright brothers' home and bicycle shop for Greenfield Village. Pieces of the Wright Flyer became important symbols. The Apollo 11 astronauts carried some during the first manned Moon landing in 1969.
Teletype Message with Wire Service News Coverage of John F. Kennedy Assassination, November 22, 1963
Dispatch
In the routine course of business, Ford Motor Company received a steady flow of news and financial reports from the Wall Street Journal. These dispatches came over the teletype machine on November 22, 1963 describing events from the arrival of President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline in Dallas through the official report of his death several hours later.
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