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The years before World War I were spent in patent litigation for aviation pioneers Glenn Curtiss and Orville and Wilbur Wright.
NASM.1987.0029
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
1906-1947
Curtiss-Wright Corporation, gift, 1987.
9 Cubic feet (18 document boxes)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation Archives - Patent Files collection consists primarily of materials relating to patents issued to and maintained by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation and its subsidiaries from the 1910s to the 1950s, though the bulk of the materials pre-date World War II. The majority of the collection is original patent certificates. Other materials include records of litigation proceedings, correspondence, memoranda, aircraft drawings and blueprints, reports, sales brochures, meeting minutes, and annual reports.
The collection is arranged in four series: Patents, Patent File Wrappers, Patent Litigation, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation Records. Series I contains original patents and related materials issued or assigned to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation and related organizations. Covering the years between 1911 and 1939, the series is further divided into two subseries: United States Patents and International Patents. Series II consists of file wrappers prepared by the United States Patent Office, containing a complete record of the patent's history. The third series includes materials from Curtiss-Wright's numerous litigation proceedings in defense of its patents. The fourth series contains business records created by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation including photocopies of historic patent and stock documents, division minutes, and reports for the U.S. Navy Department. Series I - Patents, 1911-1939 Subseries I - United States Patents, 1911-1939 Subseries II - International Patents, 1916-1935 Series II - Patent File Wrappers, 1916-1930 Series III - Patent Litigation, 1916-1947 Series IV - Curtiss-Wright Corporation Records, 1906-1945
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Curtiss-Wright Corporation Archives - Patent Files, Acc. 1987-0029, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Patent suits
Aeronautics
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States
Aircraft industry
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Financial records
Drawings