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 Summary

Rear Admiral Albert C. Read (1887-1967) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1907 and became Naval Aviator #24 in July 1915. In 1919, Read was the commander of the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic. The NC-4 covered 2150 nautical miles, from Nova Scotia to the Azores. The NC-4 was joined in the flight by the Curtiss NC-1 and Curtiss NC-3, but both the NC-1 and NC-3 were forced to land in the open sea. This collection consists of the following: black scrapbook containing photographs with US Navy numbers; newspaper front pages; reports; cable grams; signals and dispatches; the NC-4 log; biography of Read; and correspondence.

 Biographical / Historical

Rear Admiral Albert C. Read (1887-1967) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1907 and became Naval Aviator #24 in July 1915. In 1919, Read was the commander of the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic. The NC-4 covered 2150 nautical miles, from Nova Scotia to the Azores. The NC-4 was joined in the flight by the Curtiss NC-1 and Curtiss NC-3, but both the NC-1 and NC-3 were forced to land in the open sea.

 Identifier

NASM.XXXX.0391

Creator

Read, A. C. (Albert Cushing), 1887-1967

Date

1919-1946

bulk May 1919 to June 1919

Provenance

Rear Admiral Albert C. Read, gift, 1962, XXXX.0391, NASM

Extent

1.74 Cubic feet (1 legal document box, three oversized boxes)

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the following: black scrapbook containing photographs with US Navy numbers; newspaper front pages; reports; cable grams; signals and dispatches; the NC-4 log; biography of Read; and correspondence in both Portuguese (with English translations) and English.

Arrangement note

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Rights

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Restrictions

No restrictions on access

Citation

Admiral Albert C. Read, USN (Curtiss NC-4) Collection, Acc. XXXX.0391, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics

Transatlantic flights

Curtiss NC-1 (P2N-1)

Aeronautics -- Records

Seaplanes

Curtiss NC-4 (P2N-1)

Curtiss NC-Boat Family

Aeronautics, Military

Air pilots

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Biographies

Clippings

Reports

Scrapbooks

Logs (records)

Correspondence

Photographs