The Descriptive Finding Guide for the John Underwood Photographic Collection SDASM.SC.10146
AR
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
6/2016
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: John Underwood Photographic Collection
source:
Underwood, John
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10146
Physical Description:
.25 Cubic Feet
It is a photographic collection, but it also contains a newspaper photograph, a post card, and a letter. There are two folders
– one for the fifty-six photographs in alphabetical order by surname, and one for the other documents. The period covered
is from the earliest days of flight until the 1960s.
Two of the original fifty-eight photographs are missing.
There is one oversized photograph in the Oversized Materials Special Collection, Box OSMC_00001. It is labeled as Underwood_01.
This is a one box collection with dimensions 12 ¼” x 10 ½” x 2 ½” inches.
Date (bulk): bulk
Abstract: John Underwood grew up in Los Angeles, and his interest in aviation began at seven years old. He personally experienced the
development of the aviation industry as an aviation technical writer. These photographs are part of Underwood’s personal
collection and document famous women in aviation.
John Underwood grew up in Los Angeles, and his interest in aviation began at seven years old. He personally experienced the
development of the aviation industry as an aviation technical writer. His career choice and location amongst the bustling
industries granted him access to dozens of aviation celebrities. Today, Underwood is a noted aviation historian and author
with over ten books to his credit, and several aviation articles. He has an extensive collection of aviation material and
thousands of photographs documenting aviation development and important aviation individuals. These photographs are part of
Underwood’s personal collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials in this collection were donated to the San Diego Air & Space Museum in September 9, 1980. The collection was
donated with the restriction that the photographs were for display in the Women in Aviation Exhibit. The collection has been
processed and is open for research for education purposes only. They may not be duplicated for publication without appropriate
permission from Mr. Underwood.
These photos may not be reproduced or published without permission from Mr. Underwood.
This is a one box collection with dimensions 12 ¼” x 10 ½” x 2 ½” inches. It is a photographic collection, but it also contains
a newspaper photograph, a post card, and a letter. There are two folders – one for the fifty-six photographs in alphabetical
order by surname, and one for the other documents. The period covered is from the earliest days of flight until the 1960s.
Two of the original fifty-eight photographs are missing.
There is one oversized photograph in the Oversized Materials Special Collection, Box OSMC_00001. It is labeled as Underwood_01.
The Papers of Helen Richey
Jacqueline Cochran Special Collection
Luqueer Photo Album
Women of Flight Collection
Autograph Special Collection
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Women in aeronautics
Underwood, John
Earhart, Amelia
Cochran, Jacqueline
Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus)
Lindbergh, Ann Morrow
Barnes, Florence "Pancho"
Quimby, Harriet
Box 1 of 1
Series I: Documents
Physical Description: 1. Postcard from John Underwood to Mrs. Sandy Clary; Mr. Underwood is inquiring whether Mrs. Clary has any newspaper accounts
or photographs of a crash at Lindbergh Field.
2. Newspaper picture of female aviators including Blanche Noyes, Helen Richey, Helen McCloskey, and Louise Thaden.
3. Letter from John Underwood to Col. Owen Clarke regarding Mr. Underwood’s interest in providing some photographs for the
Women in Aviation exhibit.
Series II: Photographs
Physical Description: 1. Barnes, Florence “Pancho.”
2. Bowen, Marion, Newspaper woman, aviation columnist with an Aeromarine Klemm and a Ford Model A, 1929.
3. Clark, Julia in San Diego, Curtiss School, 1912.
4. Clark. Julia over North Island, 1912.
5. Cobb, Jerri.
6. Cochran, Jackie and Alex de Seversky, 1938.
7. Cochran, Jackie and Alex de Seversky.
8. Cochran, Jackie and Alex de Seversky, 1938.
9. Cochran, Jackie in the F-104, 1961-1962 Records.
10. Cochran, Jackie.
11. Conatser, Rosemary in No. Am. F-86H.
12. Conatser, Rosemary.
13. Crosson, Marvel, August, 1929 (Killed 2nd Day of the First Powder Puff Derby.
14. Crosson, Marvel.
15. Davis, Arlene, First Female Rated 4-Engine, 1938 or 1939.
16. Dietrich Twins, Marion (lower) and Jan.
17. Drag, Joellen, Second pilot of Navy Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 3, checking a Ch-46 Sea Knight Helicopter, 1975.
18. Drinkwater, Winifred, 4/33; 2nd woman in western world hired on a full-time basis as an airline pilot. She flew co-pilot
of a Fokker Trimotor, London-Glasgow service.
19. Earhart, Amelia with Ruth Nichols and Louise Thaden, NAR, 1936.
20. Earhart, Amelia with Neta Snook.
21. Earhart, Amelia signing autographs at Los Angeles in front of a Beechnut plane, 1931.
22. Earhart, Amelia in Al Wilson’s Pusher at the National Air Races, Los Angeles, 1928.
23. Earhart, Amelia at National Air Races, 1936.
24. Elder, Ruth with her Swallow J5 at the Powder Puff Derby, 1929.
25. Elder, Ruth at the Powder Puff Derby, 1929.
26. Haizlip, Mary (Mae) with Mary the Duchess of Bedford next to a Cessna C-34 at the Lympne International Air Show, c.1936.
27. Ingle, Gladys next to Art Goebel’s JN-4D.
28. Law, Ruth took Mrs. Robert Goelet of NYC for a twenty minute flight in her Model Wright B.
29. Lindbergh, Amy M. and Charles A., June, 1929.
30. Lindbergh, Amy M. and Charles A., September, 1929.
31. Lindbergh, Amy M. and Charles A., with Mrs. Helene Maddux, co-founder of Maddux Airlines (later TAT then TWA), herself
a pilot in the 1929 National Air Races.
32. Lindbergh, Amy M. and Charles A., with Mr. Louis Greve and Cliff Henderson at the 1929 National Air Races in Cleveland.
33. Lindbergh, Amy M. and Charles A., at Glendale, April, 1930.
34. Lindbergh, Amy M. taking a lesson in her own Bird BK with Charles in the front cockpit, 1930.
35. Morgan, Mildred with a friend in the 1932 Powder Puff Derby (Previously finished the 1930 Powder Puff Derby in 2nd place.
36. Neuffer, Judith Ann inspecting the wheel well of a WP-3A Orion Weather Reconnaissance aircraft, 1974.
37. Neuffer, Judith Ann, a personnel officer for Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four in Jacksonville, Florida, 1974.
38. O’Donnell, Gladys in the 1930 Powder Puff in Waco CTO (#7); she finished first.
39. O’Donnell, Gladys, winner of Aerol Trophy Race – speed dash for women pilots.
40. O’Donnel, Gladys, Waco Taperwing, Winner of the Los Angeles Race, October, 1931.
41. Omlie, Phoebe at the Powder Puff Derby starting line in a Monocoupe, August, 1929; she finished first, B. class.
42. Peyre, Andree was the first woman to achieve fame as a wing-walker. She became an accomplished pilot in 1920-1921. She
raced with Amelia Earhart at the opening of Glendale Airport, 1923.
43. Quimby, Harriet is the Dramatic Editor of Leslie’s Weekly, and is a pupil in the Moisant Aviation School at Garden City,
Long Island. She is the first woman monoplanist and the first American woman to try for her pilot’s license.
44. Rasche, Thea, first Powder Puff Derby, August, 1929.
45. De la Roche, Baroness, first woman to earn a pilot’s license, 1911.
46. De Seversky, Evelyn and Alex in first SEV-1. She was an accomplished flier and played a vital role in the success of Seversky
(later “Republic”) Company.
47. Smith, Elinor with Bobbie Trout (sleeping) in a Richfield Sunbeam plane, attempting an endurance record in 1929.
48. Smith, Elinor, and Bobbie Trout.
49. Stinson, Katherine with Fairbanks Sr., in either San Diego or San Francisco, 1917.
50. Stinson, Katherine at the recruiting drive in San Francisco, 1917.
51. Stinson, Katherine and Miss Thornton (actress) and Oscar A. Brindley (Curtiss Pilot) in San Diego California, c.1915.
52. Strother, Dr. Dora Dougherty, Helicopter Records; as a former WASP member, she flew B-29s in 1944.
53. Thaden, Louise, August, 1929.
54. Walker, Vera Dawn and Lou Goldsmith, Pickwick Airways Inaugural Flight.
55. Waterman, Waldo and Lady Mary Heath, 1929.
Oversized Material
Physical Description: 1. First Women’s Transcontinental Air Race; Take off, Santa Monica, August 19, 1929. Twelve planes (Rasche, Trout, Foltz,
Crosson, Noyes, Barnes, Thaden, Kunz, Earhart, Cooper, Nichols, V. Mach). Placed in the Oversized Materials Special Collection
Box OSMC_00001. It is labeled as Underwood_01.