Ronnie (Arthur) collection of Los Angeles aviation photographs

1928 National Air Races - photographic prints 1928 September

Box 1, Folder 2

1928 National Air Races caption sheet and reproduced set of photographs undated

Scope and Contents

Four copies of a caption sheet describing the images accompanied by a small, reproduced set of the photographs, which are numbered and correspond to the caption sheet.

Box 2

1928 National Air Races photographs added to the collection in 2019 November 1928 September

Physical Description: The bulk of the photographs measure 10" x 8". There are also seven aerial photographs of Mines Field during the National Air Races, measuring 9.5" x 7".

Scope and Contents

93 black and white photographs of the 1928 National Air Races held at Mines Field in Los Angeles. The photographs show a variety of airplanes conducting maneuvers, including smoke screens and barrel rolls, as well as a variety of aviation leaders, dignitaries, and Hollywood stars.

Highlights include:

Two images of a wooden framed building, the clipped caption affixed to the verso reads: "construction work on exposition building" and "erecting the exposition building";
An image of a band and officials at a podium with a caption reading: "Mayor Cryer of Los Angeles and members of the executive committee open the great air show";
An image of an airplane with its nose to the ground: "the flying locomotive comes to grief"
Several men gathered around a hot air balloon with a film camera;
Portrait of Lindbergh and Cliff Henderson, manager of the air races;
A group of 19 smaller photographs measuring 3" x 5" which include shots of Lindbergh, as well as pictures of airplane wreckage.

Box 1, Folder 3

Aerial view of Mines Field during the National Air Race 1928

Physical Description: 9 x 7" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 4

Amelia Earhart and Dudley M. Steele, director of the air race 1928

Physical Description: 5 x 7" print has pin holes at corners. 8 x 10" print has soiling on top edge.

Scope and Contents

Two photographic prints.

Box 1, Folder 5

Amelia Earhart and Porter Adams 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print. Two inch repair to upper left corner, light soiling along to lower right edge.

Box 1, Folder 6

Art Goebel being congratulated by race director Dudley M. Steele 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print. Inscribed by Goebel to Arthur Ronnie in 1954.

Box 1, Folder 7

Charles Lindbergh (back to camera) confers with Major General James E. Fechet, Chief of the Air Service 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 8

Charles Lindbergh in Curtiss Pusher 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 9

Charles Lindbergh shakes hands with Cliff Henderson, manager of the races 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 10

Charles Lindbergh views races from the press box 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 1

Correspondence between Arthur Ronnie and various magazine editors 1971-1972

Box 1, Folder 11

Dudley Steele with two unidentified U.S. military officials 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 12

Earl Daugherty and Earl Ovington, aviation pioneers 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 13

Heath "Baby Bullet" airplane flown by Ed Heath 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 14

Lockheed Vega owned by oilman Erle P. Halliburton 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

General

A stamp on verso gives photographic credit to W. J. van Rossem, Hollywood, CA.

Box 1, Folder 15

Movie stunt pilot Al Wilson with Ruth Elder and George W. Haldeman 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

General

Ruth Elder and George W. Haldeman attempted a trans-Atlantic flight in 1927 that was forced down at sea.

Box 1, Folder 16

Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronatics 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

General

Moffett was killed in 1933 when the dirigible Akron went down.

Box 1, Folder 17

Ruth Elder, unidentified person, and Dudley M. Steele 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 18

The Sea Hawks, Navy aerobatic trio: Lieutenants A. P. Storrs, D. W. Tomlinson, and W. V. Davis 1928

Physical Description: 4.75 x 3.75" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 19

The Sea Hawks, Navy aerobatic trio, flying Boeing F2Bs 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 20

Carl "Tooey" Spatz with Dudley Steele 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

General

Spatz signed the photograph in 1955.

Box 1, Folder 21

The Three Musketeers flying Boeing Model 15s with rolling hills and oil wells in background 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 22

The Three Musketeers: Lts. J. A. Woodring and W. L. Cornelius with Charles Lindbergh 1928

Physical Description: 4.75 x 3.75" photographic print.

Box 1, Folder 23

The Three Musketeers: Lts. J. A. Woodring, J. J. Williams, and W. L. Cornelius 1928

Physical Description: 4.75 x 3.75" photographic print.

General

Charles Lindbergh replaced J. J. Williams, the leader, when he was killed during a stunt.

Box 1, Folder 24

Unidentified naval aviator 1928

Physical Description: 8 x 10" photographic print.

General

Stamp on verso credits Art Streib as photographer.

National Air Races scrapbooks 1935-1947

Box 3

1935-1946 National Air Races scrapbook 1935-1946

Scope and Contents

One scrapbook with contents relating to the National Air Races held between 1935 and 1946.

Box 3

1947 National Air Races scrapbook 1947

Glass plate and celluloid negatives 1920-1932

Abstract: A collection of 149 negatives capturing aviation-related events in Los Angeles during the 1920s, along with pioneers in the field including Charles Lindbergh, Frank Hawks, and Emory Rogers, among many others. Notably, ten of the negatives picture the Los Angeles stop of the round-the-world flight (1929) of the Graf Zeppelin. Many of these images have never been published.

Scope and Contents

105 glass plate negatives and 44 celluloid negatives capturing aviation-related events in Los Angeles during the 1920s.

The negatives include ten glass plate negatives of the landing and refueling of the Graf Zeppelin at Mines Field in Los Angeles in August 1929 as part of a three-week around the world flight. Newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst's media empire paid half the cost of the project and arranged for four reporters to take part in the flight. The images in this collection capture preparations for the ship's landing at Mines Field in Los Angeles, completing the first ever nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. There are images of gas lines, moorings, and refueling the Graf, along with loading baggage and the unloading of passengers. The Graf's takeoff from Los Angeles was difficult because of high temperatures and an inversion layer. To lighten the ship, six crew were sent by airplane to the next stop, but the airship still suffered minor damage from a tail strike after barely clearing electricity cables at the edge of the field.

A few of the negatives show Charles Lindbergh and actor Will Rogers on a Maddux airlines flight. Lindbergh was a pilot for the airlines, which operated in California, Arizona, and Mexico in the late 1920s. It later merged and ultimately evolved into TWA airlines. Another group of images show the principals involved and the location of Chaplin Airlines, formed in 1919 by Sid Chaplin, half-brother to Charlie Chaplin. The airline provided the first regularly scheduled passenger service in the United States, shuttling people from the California mainland to Santa Catalina Island, along with bundles of the Los Angeles Examiner. Chaplin Airlines continued its service to Catalina Island until September 1920 when tighter restrictions were passed regarding the licensing of pilots and the implementation of taxes on planes and flights.

Another set of images under this series relate to the planning and events around the Los Angeles Examiner's Rickenbacker Club, named for Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973), the leading American ace of World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient. Originally, membership was extended to the Examiner carriers and corner boys. After its initial success, membership expanded to any child in Los Angeles interested in aviation. The celluloid negatives include a series of images related to the Pacific Electric's Balloon Route -- a day-long trolley trip operated by Pacific Electric to show tourists the sites. The Balloon Route boasted "10 beaches and 8 cities" and "101 miles for 100 cents in 1 day."

Processing Information

USC Libraries acquired the material described under this series in June, 2020.

General

Each negative is housed in a yellow paper negative envelope from the Los Angeles Evening Herald Express, a newspaper which resulted from the merger of two of Los Angeles' oldest newspapers. The Evening Herald merged again in 1962 to become the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, which ceased operations in 1989. The negatives were part of the collection of Art Ronnie, a freelance writer and reporter for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. Each of the negative envelopes contains a typed caption on the front of the sleeve. In addition, each of the images has a caption etched into the emulsion. Each negative measures approximately 5 x 4 inches.

Arrangement

Special Collections preserved the order of the negatives as they were organized when acquired. The arrangement of the subrecords under this series reflects the negatives' physical order. However, the envelopes are not currently labeled with box and folder numbering.

Box 4, envelope 1

Major Bong and his wife visiting Warner Bros. Studios

General

Includes International News Photos Press Release

Box 4, envelope 2

Lindbergh and Earle Ovington at Santa Barbara 1928-04-03

Box 4, envelope 3

Earle Ovington cranking Lindbergh's ship at Santa Barbara 1928-04-03

Box 4, envelope 4

Gas Lines for Graf #3 1929-08-26

Box 4, envelope 5

Lindy at Vail Field #1 1928-04-10

Box 4, envelope 6

Lindy at Vail Field #2 1928-04-10

General

Western Air Express, U.S. Air mail plane

Box 4, envelope 7

Lindy at Vail Field #3 1928-04-10

Box 4, envelope 8

Chaplin Air Service Christening #2

General

Female pilot handing over package. Accompanied by small print

Box 4, envelope 9

Graf Mooring Mast #3 1929-08-19

Box 4, envelope 10

Graf Mooring Mast #2 1929-08-19

Box 4, envelope 11

Graf Zeppelin mooring mast at Mines Field #1 1929-08-19

Box 4, envelope 12

Refueling Graf #1 1929-08-26

Box 4, envelope 13

Refueling Graf #2

Box 4, envelope 14

Refueling Graf #4

Box 4, envelope 15

Gas lines for Graf Zeppelin at Mines Field 1929-08-26

Box 4, envelope 16

Refueling Graf #3

Box 4, envelope 17

Loading baggage on Graf at Mines Field 1929-08-26

Box 4, envelope 18

Lindy at Vail Field #4

Box 4, envelope 19

Rickenbacker Club Third Prize #20

General

broken, loss

Box 4, envelope 20

Captain Frank Hawks and his Plane 1929-06-22

Box 4, envelope 21

Aeroplane Stunt Catching Bandits #9

Box 4, envelope 22

Aeroplane Stunt Catching Bandits #8

Box 4, envelope 23

Aeroplane Stunt Catching Bandits #7

Box 4, envelope 24

Captain Frank Hawks Transcontinental Plane 1929-06-22

Box 4, envelope 25

Armless Aviator at DeMille Field #1 Lorla C. Thornton

General

scratches

Box 4, envelope 26

Armless Aviator at DeMille Field #2 Lorla C. Thornton

Box 4, envelope 27

Rickenbacker Day Entrants and Model Planes #5

Box 4, envelope 28

Rickenbacker Day Entrants #7

General

etched in plate: ready for the flight, Chaplin Field, Jan. 17 (26)

Box 4, envelope 29

Viola Dana and Friends

General

l.t.r. gladys brockwell 7 myrtle stedman 1-8-25

Box 4, envelope 30

Captain Frank Hawks and his Plane 1929-06-22

Box 4, envelope 31

Captain Frank Hawks Plane 1929-06-22

General

Close up of tail

Box 4, envelope 32

Captain Frank Hawks 1929-06-22

General

Portrait

Box 4, envelope 33

Syd Chaplin, Emery Rogers and Jim Webster Planning Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Day 1920-01-17

Box 4, envelope 34

Syd Chaplin, Emery Rogers and Jim Webster Planning Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Day 1920-01-17

Box 4, envelope 35

Syd Chaplin, Emery Rogers and Jim Webster Planning Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Day 1920-01-17

Box 4, envelope 36

McClellan and Goebel #9

Box 4, envelope 37

Balloon Route Excursions

General

Kodak Safety Film

Box 4, envelope 38

Chaplin Air Service Christening #3

Box 4, envelope 39

Start New Catalina Airline 1931-06-05

Box 4, envelope 40

Start New Catalina Airline 1931-06-05

Box 4, envelope 41

Start New Catalina Airline 1931-06-05

Box 4, envelope 42

Rickenbacker Day Entrants #6

Box 4, envelope 43

Captain Frank Hawks Transcontinental Plane 1929-06-22

Box 4, envelope 44

Passengers leaving Graf Zeppelin 1929-08-20

Box 4, envelope 45

Refueling Captain Frank Hawks Plane 1929-06-27

Box 4, envelope 46

Catalina Chaplin Air Service Christening Seagull with Lt. Emery Rogers, Edna Purviance, J.C. Hubble

Box 4, envelope 47

Captain Frank Hawks 1929-06-22

Box 4, envelope 48

Col. Charles Lindbergh and Will Rogers in Maddux Airline Tri-Motor 1927-09-21

Box 4, envelope 49

Wing Control and Motorcyle Throttle Joy Stick on Merrill Type Plane 1928-09-06

Box 4, envelope 50

Merrill Type Plane at Kelly Field 1928-09-06

Box 4, envelope 51

Merrill Type Plane 1928-08-26

Box 4, envelope 52

Lindbergh before leaving for San Diego 1927-09-21

Box 4, envelope 53

Art Goebel and Charles Lindbergh at Coliseum 1927-09-20

Box 4, envelope 54

Charles Lindbergh at Coliseum 1927-09-20

Box 4, envelope 55

Aeroplane Stunt (Catching bandits) #5

Box 4, envelope 56

Aeroplane Stunt (Catching bandits) #6

Box 4, envelope 57

Aeroplane Stunt (Catching bandits) #3

Box 4, envelope 58

Aeroplane Stunt (Catching bandits) #2

Box 4, envelope 59

Aeroplane Stunt (Catching bandits) #4

General

scratches

Box 4, envelope 60

Armless Aviator #3

General

paperclip mark

Box 4, envelope 61

Girl and Rickenbacker Day Third Prize #18

Box 4, envelope 62

Girl and Rickenbacker Day Third Prize #19

General

3rd prize Riel's Club

Box 4, envelope 63

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb

General

old label remnant along one edge

Box 4, envelope 64

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb 1931-02-01

Box 4, envelope 65

Balloon Route Excursions

Box 4, envelope 66

Balloon Route Excursions

General

C.M. Pierce, Founder Balloon Route Excursions

Box 4, envelope 67

Captain Frank Hawks

Box 4, envelope 68

Balloon Route Excursions

Box 4, envelope 69

Balloon Route Excursions

General

Pierce

Box 4, envelope 70

Captain Frank Hawks 1929-06-22

Box 4, envelope 71

Refueling Captain Frank Hawks Plane 1929-06-27

Box 4, envelope 72

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb 1929-01-08

Box 4, envelope 73

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb 1929-01-08

Box 4, envelope 74

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb 1929-01-08

Box 4, envelope 75

Douglas Corrigan

General

five negatives

Box 5, envelope 1

Syd Chaplin, Emery Rogers and Jim Webster Planning Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Day #3 1920-01-17

Box 5, envelope 2

Akron Over Camp Kearney 1932-05-11

General

blimp

Box 5, envelope 3

Viola Dana and Friends

General

l.t.r. gladys brockwell 7 myrtle stedman 1-8-25

Box 5, envelope 4

Los Angeles Aerial View 1929-08-30

General

1/2 emulsion loss along edge

Box 5, envelope 5

Lindbergh and First Load in Maddux Airline Tri-Motor 1927-09-22

Box 5, envelope 6

Col. Charles Lindbergh & Will Rogers 1927-09-22

General

scratch

Box 5, envelope 7

Group on train - Lincoln Stedman, Gladys Brockwell, Viola Dana, Myrtle Stedman, Dorothy Mackail 1925-01-08

Box 5, envelope 8

Floyd Parsons transferring from speeding boat to airplane piloted by Frank Scheltz 1924-07-22

Box 5, envelope 9

Gas Lines for Graf #2

Box 5, envelope 10

National Air Races Mines Field 1928 Trophies Presented to the Fliers 1928-09-10

Box 5, envelope 11

Aeroplane Stunt (Catching bandits) #1

Box 5, envelope 12

Chaplin Air Plane Corp. San Pedro

Box 5, envelope 13

Catalina

General

five images, one with an extensive caption written on verso 1919

Box 5, envelope 14

Chaplin Air Plane Corp. San Pedro

General

chip

Box 5, envelope 15

Chaplin Air Plane Corp. San Pedro

Box 5, envelope 16

Chaplin Air Plane Corp. San Pedro

Box 5, envelope 17

Chaplin Air Plane Corp. San Pedro

Box 5, envelope 18

Sea Plane wedding - Arthur Q. Hagerman & Mrs. Dominic Redfern 1920-10-17

Box 5, envelope 19

Japanese Flyer

General

types caption printed along edge of negative - 1962

Box 5, envelope 20

Sea Plane wedding - Arthur Q. Hagerman & Mrs. Dominic Redfern 1920-10-17

Box 5, envelope 21

sea Plane wedding - Arthur Q. Hagerman & Mrs. Dominic Redfern 1920-10-17

Box 5, envelope 22

Midnight breakfast tended Frank Hawks and father 1929-06-28

Box 5, envelope 23

Boat to plane change #3 1924-07-22

General

Floyd Parsons transferring from speeding boat to airplane 7-22-24

Box 5, envelope 24

Boat to plane change #2 1924-07-22

General

photo of two people posing

Box 5, envelope 25

Floyd Parsons transferring from speeding boat to airplane piloted by Frank Scheltz 1924-07-22

Box 5, envelope 26

Boat to plane change #6 1924-07-22

General

markings on negative

Box 5, envelope 27

Earl Daugherty

Box 5, envelope 28

Earl Daugherty

Box 5, envelope 29

Major Richard Bong and Capt. Don Gentile

Box 5, envelope 30

Major Bong and wife visiting Warner Bros. Studio

Box 5, envelope 31

L to R Casey Jones, the cat, Capt. James Townsend 1921-05-18

Box 5, envelope 32

Archbishop John Cantwell

Box 5, envelope 33

Balloon Ascent - 1783 (copy)

Box 5, envelope 34

McClellan and Goebel #8

Box 5, envelope 35

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb 1929-01-08

Box 5, envelope 36

Midnight breakfast tended Frank Hawks and father 1929-06-28

Box 5, envelope 37

Capt. Frank Hawks transcontinental plane 1929-06-22

Box 5, envelope 38

U.S. Army bombing plane 1929-02-06

Box 5, envelope 39

Frank Hawks and father, Charles Hawks 1931-09-15

General

golfing

Box 5, envelope 40

Palmer Nichols and Emery Rogers

Box 5, envelope 41

Akron Over Camp Kearney 1932-05-11

Box 5, envelope 42

Akron Over Camp Kearney 1932-05-11

General

U.S. Navy blimp

Box 5, envelope 43

Akron Moored at Camp Kearney 1932-05-11

Box 5, envelope 44

U.S. Army Free balloon

Box 5, envelope 45

Boat to plane change #4 1924-07-22

Box 5, envelope 46

Captain Frank Hawks and father, Charles Hawks 1931-09-15

Box 5, envelope 47

Captain Frank Hawks and father, Charles Hawks 1931-09-15

Box 5, envelope 48

Captain Frank Hawks and father, Charles Hawks 1931-09-15

Box 5, envelope 49

Captain Frank Hawks and father, Charles Hawks 1931-09-15

Box 5, envelope 50

Captain Frank Hawks and father, Charles Hawks 1931-09-15

Box 5, envelope 51

Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb 1929-01-08

Box 5, envelope 52

Rickenbacker Club members leaving Examiner building at 12th and Hill for Chaplin Field 1920-01-17

Box 5, envelope 53

Rickenbacker Day Entrants #8

Box 5, envelope 54

Syd Chaplin congratulates Johnny Reid Rickenbacker Day

Box 5, envelope 55

Syd Chaplin and Johnny Reid Rickenbacker Day #11

Box 5, envelope 56

McClellan and Goebel #7 1925-02-26

Box 5, envelope 57

McClellan after jump #6 1925-02-26

Box 5, envelope 58

McClellan after jump #5 1925-02-26

Box 5, envelope 59

McClellan and Goebel #4 1925-02-26

General

Heard McClellan lighting on water after parachute jump 2-26-25

Box 5, envelope 60

McClellan and Goebel #3 1925-02-26

General

Heard McClellan jumping from plane 4-26-25 (sic)

Box 5, envelope 61

McClellan and Goebel #2 1925-02-26

General

Heard McClellan jumping from plane 2-26-25

Box 5, envelope 62

Heard McClellan and Art Goebel Heard Parachutes from plane into water 1925-02-26

Box 5, envelope 63

Map of University of the Air Curtis Flying Field Aircraft Distributing Headquarters Los Angeles Municipal Airport

Box 5, envelope 64

Group looking over plans for new Curtis flying field, Cliff Henderson, James A. Perry, Arthur Alber, C.C. Moseley, Casey Jones, Peirson Hall 1929-01-29

Box 5, envelope 65

Captain Frank Hawks plane 1929-06-22

Box 5, envelope 66

Group on train - Myrtle Stedman, Lincoln Stedman, Gladys Brockwell, Viola Dana, Dorothy Mackail 1925-01-08

Box 5, envelope 67

Refueling Frank Hawks transcontinental plane 1929-06-27

Box 5, envelope 68

Rickenbacker Club Third Prize #17

Box 5, envelope 69

Rickenbacker Club Cups #16

Box 5, envelope 70

Juanita Sands and Octoplane #14

Box 5, envelope 71

Juanita Sands and model Octoplane Rickenbacker Day #13

Box 5, envelope 72

Rickenbacker Club Cups #15

Box 5, envelope 73

Syd Chaplin awarding 3rd prize to Oiiver Coatis Rickenbacker Day #12

Box 5, envelope 74

Capt. Frank Hawks in plane bound for New York flight 1929-06-26