UCLA Department of Geography Air Photo Archives.

Title: UCLA Department of Geography Air Photo Archives.

Dates: 1918-1972

Collection Number: 001

Creator/Collector: Robert E. Spence; Sherman M. Fairchild; William Cross; Spence Airplane Photos; Fairchild Aerial Surveys.

Extent: 80,000+ prints, 130,000+ negatives; 7,000 lantern slides; approximately 70 linear feet

Repository: UCLA. Department of Geography Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives

Abstract: The Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photos Archives are a collection of aerial photographs—approximately 130,000 negatives on glass and film and over 80,000 prints—that along with other related documents and objects were donated to the UCLA Department of Geography in the 1960s. The archives are comprised of three major collections of oblique, or angled, views (as opposed to straight-down vertical views), covering the years 1918-1972, including images from several national and local aerial survey companies - Fairchild Aerial Surveys (1921-1965), Spence Air Photos (1918-1972), and William Cross Air Photo (1918-1924).

Language of Material: English

Collections are open for research. Viewing time is scheduled by appointment only and fees apply. Patrons may order digital copies of desired photographs.

Please contact the repository for publication information.

UCLA Department of Geography Air Photo Archives.. UCLA. Department of Geography Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives

Donation of the Fairchild Aerial Surveys collection by Aero Service Corporation (formerly Fairchild Aerial Surveys) in 1965; donation of Spence Air Photos by that company in 1972.

The UCLA Department of Geography Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives is comprised of multiple collections of oblique aerial photographs from several local and national companies, including William Cross Air Photo (1918 to 1924), Robert Spence Air Photo (1918 to 1971/72), and Fairchild Aerial Surveys (1921 to 1965). There is extensive coverage of Southern California and New York, as well as limited coverage of other US states and some foreign locales. In addition to 80,000 prints and over 130,000 negatives on glass and film, the Archives also holds 7,000+ unprocessed glass lantern slides used as teaching aids in geography and photogrammetry. The collection is unparalleled in its holdings documents depicting the changes in American landscapes and cityscapes over decades, and is used by researchers in many disciplines and for many purposes in addition to being a resource for historians and geographers.