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In 1924, the US Army Air Service sent four specially-built aircraft, the Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and New Orleans on an around the world flight. This collection consists of six black and white photographs and corresponding negatives relating to a stop at Le Bourget, Paris, France on July 14, 1925 during the flight.
In July 1923, the US Army Air Service disclosed that it intended to attempt a global flight the following year. Four specially-built aircraft were commissioned from the Douglas Aircraft Company. The World Cruisers, as they were called, were christened the Seattle, the Chicago, the Boston, and the New Orleans. The four aircraft departed from Seattle, Washington, in April 1924 to begin their flight. Only the New Orleans and the Chicago completed the arduous 27,553 mi (44,085 km) flight. It took 175 days, with a flying time of 371 hours and 11 minutes.
NASM.2023.0006
July 14, 1924
Tim Wilson, Gift, 2022, NASM.2023.0006.
0.03 Cubic feet (1 folder)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection consists of six 4.5 by 3 inch black and white photographs and corresponding negatives relating to the landing at Le Bourget, Paris, France of the 1924 US Army Around the World Flight on July 14, 1925. Shown in the photographs are the Douglas World Cruiser (DWC) aircraft Chicago (#2), Boston (#3), and New Orleans (#4), as well as some crew members including Leslie P. Arnold and Erik Henning "Swede" Nelson. Charles Nungesser can be seen in the foreground of one of the photographs. The donor purchased these photographs and negatives from the estate of an unidentified person who is believed to have been the photographer.
Each of the prints in this collection had a numberstamped on the reverse, the prints were grouped according to these numbers. Negatives were put in the same order as the prints. Scans in the digital slideshow accompanying this collection record were made from the prints.
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1924 US Army Around the World Flight Photographs and Negatives [Wilson], NASM.2023.0006, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Aeronautics
Douglas World Cruiser (DWC)
Flights around the world
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Black-and-white negatives