Collection Guide
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Williams (C.W.) collection of early ballooning and parachuting
mssWilliams
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: C.W. Williams collection of early ballooning and parachuting
Creator:
Williams, C. W.
Identifier/Call Number: mssWilliams
Physical Description:
1.3 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1880-1892
Abstract: Material related to C.W. Williams, a member of Williams & Young, a prominent 19th century ballooning and parachuting duo.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. C.W. Williams collection of early ballooning and parachuting, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from brian cassidy, bookseller, March 2018.
C.W. Williams was part of Williams & Young, a prominent 19th century ballooning and parachuting duo. They were most active
from the early 1880s through the early 1890s (when Young perished in a ballooning accident). They were best known for their
"Parachute Jump for Life," in which Williams ascended to 5000 feet and parachuted to safety below. The duo were also purported
to have the largest hot air balloon in the world at the time, some 50 feet high and 70 feet in diameter. They worked throughout
the United States and on both sides of the Atlantic.
The collection contains printed and manuscript material compiled by C.W. Williams related to aeronautics and parachuting in
the late 19th century. Contents include: newspaper clippings, several about falls and deaths of aeronauts, promotional broadsides/advertisements
for Williams & Young's air show, a letter, pencil sketches of a parachute ascent and descent (probably done by Williams),
a scrapbook, and other ephemera and printed items. There is also a 7-page manuscript entitled: "Biography of the World famed
aeronaut C.W. Williams...." The scrapbook contains clippings about aeronauts, ballooning, and parachuting; it is in fragile
condition and many items are loose.
Processed by Brooke M. Black in July 2018. In October 2023, she created the finding aid.
Organized in two series: Series 1. Papers; Series 2: Scrapbook.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Aeronautics -- History
Ballooning -- History
Parachuting -- History
broadsheet (format)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Fliers (printed matter)
Letters (correspondence)
Manuscripts
Scrapbooks
Williams & Young