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Photographic Collections

Browse short descriptions of photographic collections in our holdings.
Most descriptions include a link to a collection's finding aid, which lists the contents of the collection.
Reproduction services are available.

MS-1 WRIGHT BROTHERS COLLECTION.
Papers, Photographs, Journals, 1853-1973. 19 lin. ft., 203 volumes.
A supplement to the main body of Orville and Wilbur Wright's papers located in the Library of Congress, this collection consists of family letters and papers, financial records, school mementos, genealogical material, the church papers and diaries of the Wrights' father (Bishop Milton Wright), notebooks, citations, awards, and the Wright's technical library which includes journals books, and pamphlets covering many aspects of early aeronautics. The collection also includes nearly 4,000 photographs, many of which are original prints taken by the Wrights to document their early flying experiments. In addition, there are extensive photographs of the Wright family and of the Wrights' flying exhibitions in Europe and the United States. Database of Images
MS-145 BAHNSEN, AXEL. (1907-1978).
Photographs and papers, 1935-1977. 10 lin. ft.
Includes photographic prints, negatives, exhibit catalogues, and correspondence for an internationally known Yellow Springs photographer. Finding aid available.
MS-151 REECE, JANE. (1868-1961).
Photographs, 1903-1944. 63 lin. ft.
Consists of the glass plate and film negatives of an internationally known Dayton photographer, an associate of Steiglitz and Steichen, and one of the first professional female photographers in the United States. Collection contains over 10,000 images and is roughly divided into two portions: the portraits, many of prominent individuals, by which Reece made her living; and the creative photographs of her salon. Finding aid available.
MS-152 DAYTON-WRIGHT AIRPLANE COMPANY.
Photographs, 1918. 3 lin. ft.
A collection of 156 large format glass plate negatives showing workers, interior and exterior plant views, airplane assembly, and completed airplanes from a Dayton manufacturer of World War I aircraft. Finding aid available.
MS-166 CHISAM, WILLIAM H. (1894-1965).
Photographs, 1915-1917. .5 lin. ft.
William Chisam learned to fly in civilian schools in Dayton and Augusta, Georgia before joining the Royal Naval Air Service and flying missions in France during World War I. This collection includes photographs of Chisam and his friends in flying school, military aircraft in France, flying squadrons, and war damaged buildings. Finding aid available.
MS-175 WRIGHT BROTHERS PHOTOGRAPH AND POSTCARD COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1895-1967. 63 items.
A collection of images of the Wright Brothers, their shops, family, and flights in Europe. Finding aid available.
MS-185 FULLERTON JANE REECE COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1924-1961. 127 items.
Richard Fullerton was a local photograph historian and collector. His Jane Reece collection consists primarily of images which document the renovation of Reece's home and studio, an old firehouse on 834 Riverside Drive in Dayton, and photographs and information about the surrounding neighborhood. Also included are interior and exterior photographs of Reece's studio and a few examples of her artistic photography. Finding aid available.
MS-192 IDDINGS' WRIGHT BROTHERS HOMECOMING COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1909. 147 items.
Collection consists of 147 photographs, taken by Andrew S. Iddings, of the July 18, 1909 Dayton Homecoming Celebration to honor Orville and Wilbur Wright. Finding aid available.
MS-193 SCHWARZ' JANE REECE COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1912-1937. 89 items.
Collection consists of 89 photographs of Dayton photographer, Jane Reece, owned by Josephine Schwarz. Included are images of Dayton Ballet founders, Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, the Schwarz Family, Reece self-portraits, and nature photographs. Finding aid available.
MS-204 CHARLES LEWIS AVIATION COLLECTION.
Lantern slides and postcards, ca. 1910-1918.
A collection of glass lantern slides and postcards containing images of early aircraft up through World War I. Finding aid available.
MS-213 RICHARD FULLERTON PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION.
Photographs and papers, ca. 1870-1989. 5 lin. ft.
Richard Fullerton was a local collector of historic photographs and materials about the history of photography. His collection contains prints, negatives, tintypes, carte de viste, and cabinet photos. There is also a collection of carte de viste images specifically by Dayton photographers with the name and address of each photographer stamped on the back. In addition, Fullerton collected photographs and other materials related to various local history subjects including Dayton railroad stations and traction lines, street scenes of Dayton, the Montgomery County Courthouse, the Dayton Fire Department, and the 1913 Dayton Flood. Finding aid available.
MS-220 KORN, EDWARD A. (1888-1980).
Papers and photographs, 1908-1979. .5 lin. ft.
The photographs and papers in this collection document the flying careers of two pioneer aviators, Milton and Edward Korn. The Korn Brothers first flew in 1911 in a monoplane they designed and built on their father's farm in Shelby County, Ohio. They later flew for the Benoist Airplane Company and for the Air Mail Service. The 102 photographs, which cover the years 1908-1916, include images of the Korn Brothers and their family, early airfields and aviators, Benoist aircraft, hydroplanes, and aerial photographs. Miscellaneous papers include newspaper and journal articles about the Korn's and scattered correspondence. Finding aid available.
MS-223 WILLIAM F. YEAGER AVIATION COLLECTION.
Papers and photographs, 1938-1989. 69.2 lin. ft.
Collection consists of primarily of photographs of aircraft. There is also a small amount of personal papers and correspondence relating to Yeager's career as a civilian and military pilot. Finding aid available.
MS-224 PHILIP EID AVIATION COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1918-1967. 55 items.
Collection consists of early photographs of Dayton-area flying fields. Included are photographs of McCook Field taken between 1918 and 1927, Wright Field between 1918-1931, Patterson Field for the period 1940-1967, and Fairfield Air Depot Reservation from 1923-1940. Finding aid available.
MS-227 CURTISS, GLENN. (1878-1930).
Photographs, 1910-1924. 299 items.
Collection contains photographs once belonging to Glenn Curtiss, world famous aviator and early aircraft designer. The photographs document Curtiss' early aviation involvements and include images of Curtiss and other aviators of the period, aircraft he designed and built, hydroplane experiments, and photographs of the Curtiss factory in Hammondsport, New York. Finding aid available.
MS-269 WILLIAM PRESTON MAYFIELD / CAPORALE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION.
Photographs, ca. 1880-1979.
Contains 356 photographs collected by Michael Caporale. The collection is close in provenance to MS 271, the Peerless Mayfield Collection. The collection consists of three series contained in three boxes. Inclusive dates are approximately 1880 to 1979. Finding aid available.
MS-271 PEERLESS MAYFIELD COLLECTION. (1896-1974)
Papers, 1913-1979. 3 lin.ft.
William Preston Mayfield's primary interests were in aerial and aviation related photography and this collection includes many excellent images of early Dayton and surrounding communitites viewed from a variety of angles all altitudes up to about 20,000 feet. The majority of the aerial images are from a low oblique angle, taken at an altitude of under 1000 feet. They are therefore excellent for close detail of urban industrial and commercial districts. Also included in this collection are photos of Dayton are homes and businesses, advertising art, and various people. Finding aid available.
MS-274 GEORG GUNNERMAN COLLECTION
Photographs, 1918-1936. .5 lin.ft.
The Collection consists of one photographic album that depicts Georg Gunnerman’s early flying career, from flight school to barnstorming. Finding aid available.
MS-293 91ST OBSERVATION SQUADRON, AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, PHOTOGRAPHS.
Photographs, 1918-1919.
Contains photographs of the 91st Squadron, hangars and airfields, aerial views of German and French cities and fields, and the banner image of the 91st Squadron. This collection depicts the airmen and operations of the Squadron during the end of World War I and the months following. Finding aid available.
MS-299 ROBERT CAVANAGH BOEING P-12 PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1928-1940. 2 lin.ft.
Robert Cavanagh was a well-known aviation historian and authority on aircrafts of the First World War and the 1920s. The collection is comprised of photographs and operational histories of various Boeing airplane models. Finding aid available.
MS-311 CURTISS DAY COLLECTION.
Papers, 1910s-1960s. .5 lin.ft.
Curtiss La Q. Day, an early American aviator, obtained his pilots license at the Wright Brothers School in 1914. He was a flight instructor at several flight schools, including the Wright Flying School at Hempstead Plains, New York. Day was also a member of the Early Birds and his name appears on the Wright Memorial Plaque in Dayton. The collection consists of 79 photographs, 2 letters and a postcard. Finding aid available.
MS-316 TRISSELL, EDMUND.
Collection, 1940-1995. 3.5 lin.ft.
The Edmund Trissell Collection chronicles the life of Dayton photographer Edmund William Trissell through negatives, photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence from Mr. Trissell’s daily life and photographic assignments. Finding aid available.
MS-321 ISAP II PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION.
photographs, ca. 2000. 37 photographs
The International Symposium of Aviation Photographers 3rd Annual Meeting (ISAP II) Photograph Collection is a collection of aviation photographs taken by twelve members of the International Society of Aviation Photographers. The photographs document a variety of subjects including wing walking, World War II aircraft, modern military aircraft, modern commercial aircraft, and missiles. Finding aid available.
MS-326 INA BICKNELL COLLECTION. (1933-1947)
Papers, 1933-1947. .5 lin.ft.
The Ina Bicknell collection consists of photographs relating to aviation. The photographs in this collection relate to topics such as pilots, airplanes, naval ships, and military personnel around the time of World War II. The collection also contains aerial photographs of city landscapes and of the 1937 flood in southwest Ohio and Kentucky. Finding aid available.
MS-336 THE LOWE BROTHERS COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION.
Lantern Slides & Glass Plate Negatives, ca. 1900-1920. .5 lin. ft.
The collection includes 2 boxes of 20 lantern slides and 13 glass negatives. The lantern slides generally depict scenes of life with in the Lowe Brothers factory and date to the early twentieth century. The glass negatives depict an unidentified family of the same period. Finding aid available.
MS-338 HARVARD-BOSTON AERO MEET COLLECTION.
Collection, 1910-1997. 6 lin.ft.
The collection consist of glass plate negatives, lantern slides, and photographs of pictures taken by Anthony Philpott editor of the Boston Globe. Of particular interest are copies of newspaper clippings from 1910 and 1911 about the meets, as well as pictures of Wilbur Wright, Boston Mayor John F. Fitzgerald, President William H. Taft, Claude Grahame-White, Glenn Curtiss, and other distinguished people from that time period. Finding aid available.
MS-348 WILLIAM PRESTON MAYFIELD PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION – EGBERT.
Photographs, 1910-1960.
Contains approximately 1638 photographs, post cards, and first days. The photographs consist of photos of the Wright Brothers first flights, other first pilots, early planes and helicopters, photos taken by F. Hermes, photos of Dayton area businesses, homes, churches, and monuments, as well as aerial shots of the Miami valley, downtown Columbus, and the Ohio State University. Postcards are of early flights, the Wright Flyer, The Wright Brothers Celebration, flights in Europe, other early pilots, European postcards, advertisements, museum exhibits, and Wright Brothers monuments. First Days are from all over the world. The collection also contains an oversized photograph of the Wright Flyer and a drawing of the flyer which are housed in the archives map case. Finding aid available.
MS-355 CHARLES WALD.
Collection, 1910-1916. 6 lin.ft.
This collection documents the training of an early American aviator at the Wright School of aviation, as well as the Wright Company’s early involvement in water-based aviation. The collection includes a flight diary and logs written by Charles Wald in 1912 and negatives taken by Wald. Finding aid available.
MS-359 K.S. "SLIM" LINDSAY "QUIET BIRDMEN" COLLECTION.
Collection, 1930s-2007. 1 lin.ft.
The collection consists of one leather-bound book containing 640 photographs of “Quiet Birdmen” members. Included are photographs of such pilots as H.H. “Jimmie” Doolittle, E. E. “Pop” Cleveland, Roscoe Turner, Walter R. Brookins, Wiley Post, E.V. “Eddie” Rickenbacker, and C.A. “Slim” Lindbergh. Also in the collection are several photographs and biographical information about Mr. Lindsay. Finding aid available.
MS-365 P.H. RICHARDSON - WRIGHT FIELD PHOTOGRAPHS.
Collection, 1945. 1 lin.ft. (172 photographs)
The P.H. Richardson Wright Field Photograph Collection features numerous black and white photos of aircraft and aircraft engines that were featured on display for the Armed Forces Day Celebration at Wright Field in October, 1945. Included are several detailed photos of the only Fairchild Ranger powered XAT-6 E built and several photographs pertaining to Luftwaffe aircraft that were captured in Operation Lusty and brought to Wright Field for testing. Finding aid available.
SC-49 WRIGHT, SUSAN KOERNER (1831-1889).
Photograph, undated. 1 item.
An original tintype of Susan K. Wright, mother of the Wright Brothers. 
SC-75 COLEMAN, BESSIE.
Photographs, ca. 1920. 2 items.
Consists of 2 photographs of Bessie Coleman, an early Black woman who was an aviator.
SC-78 RANDOLPH, EDWARD.
Photographs, ca. 1910. 10 items.
Photographs of Randolph and several other students who were taking flying lessons at the Wright Flying School in Dayton. Six images are original prints.
SC-119 LEBAUDY AIRSHIP.
Records, 1903. 1 folder.
This small collection consists of 26 different black and white, photographic postcards documenting the several flights of the "Lebaudy" airship in and around the Champ de Mars, Paris in November, 1903. The airship was moored in the hall of machinery building left over from the 1900 Paris Exposition at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower. There is thus considerable visual documentation of the grounds of the Exposition. The pilot, M. Juchmes, and mechanic, M. Rey, are also pictured. Finding aid available.
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