Just Added to Our Digital Collections: Wright Brothers Images

September 1, 2015 Archive Insight

Though the Wright Brothers first successfully flew their heavier-than-air flyer in 1903, it wasn’t until August 8, 1908, that Wilbur Wright offered the first official public demonstration of their creation. In a series of flights between August and the end of the year, Wright quashed many skeptics by showing the flyer’s maneuverability. Images of those flights remain today in the archives of The Henry Ford in a series of glass plate negatives in the Bollée Collection, named after Leon Bollée, a French automaker and aviation enthusiast. We’ve just digitized all of these glass plate negatives, including documentary images of the flyer before, during, and after these flights, as well as many images covering the personal and business interests of Leon Bollée.  The fascinating image shown here depicts the Wright Flyer being transported along a narrow road in France—an endeavor that must have had its challenges. View over 150 more newly-digitized Bollée images by visiting our Digital Collections.

Additional Readings:

• The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation: Wright Brothers
  
• Just Added to Our Digital Collections: Lillian Boyer Photographs
  
• Reliability Tours Land Public Trust
  
• 1939 Douglas DC-3 Airplane

Europe, 20th century, Wright Brothers, inventors, flying, digital collections, by Ellice Engdahl, aviators, airplanes