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Summary

Early aviation catalogs, photographs, periodicals, class notes, and scrapbooks as well as other materials collected by Javier Arnago detailing the evolution of early aircrafts built before and during World World I.

Biographical / Historical

Javier Arango (1962-2017) was an investment consultant, aircraft collector, avid pilot, and board member of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. Graduating at Harvard University, he studied the history of science and became an authority of World War I aviation focusing on the progression of warplanes. Establishing his Aeroplane Collection with the construction of a triplane in 1980, he began collecting original materials from the 1900s and 1910s. With a passion for understanding and preserving the history of flight, Arango amassed an exemplary study of the evolution of early aviation.

Identifier

NASM.2022.0033

Creator

Arango, Javier, 1962-2017

Date

1900-1955

bulk 1905-1918

Provenance

Javier Arango Living Trust, Gift, 2022, NASM.2022.0033

Extent

0.641 Gigabytes

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of early aviation materials, collected by Javier Arango, pertaining to the development of early 20th century aircrafts. The bulk of the material consists of air meet programs and memorabilia, engine and aeroplane catalogs, articles and periodicals, maps and charts, postcards and correspondence, class notes and technical manuals, scrapbooks and journals, and a variety of photographs. Materials in English, French, German, and Dutch. Aviators pioneers include: the Wright Brothers, Henry Farman, Louis Bleriot, Hubert Latham, Glenn Curtiss, Louis Paulhan, and other French and American pilots. Aircraft manufacturers represented include: Wright Brothers, Curtiss-Wright, Blériot (France), Antoinette (Société Anonyme Antoinette) (France), Deperdussin (France), Farman, Voisin (France), and other American, French, German, and British inventors prior to World War I.

Arrangement note

Collection organized into eight sections by material type. The first three sections 'Aeroplane Catalogs,' 'Engine Catalongs,' and 'Air meet Programs' are in original order, which is alphabetically arranged by company, aircraft, or engine name and thereunder chronologically by year. The 'Periodicals' section is also alphabetically arranged by title and thereunder chronologically by year. 'Additional Text Materials,' 'Scrapbooks and albums,' and 'Class notes and journals' alphabetically arranged by creator's surname or title. The 'Photographs' section is organized by subjects or event, orginially grouped by Arango, and thereunder alphabetically arranged.

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

Javier Arango Early Aviation Collection, NASM.2022.0033, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics

Aeronautics -- Competitions

Aircraft supplies industry

Airplanes -- Design and construction

Airplanes -- Motors

Antoinette Aircraft Family

Bleriot Aircraft Family

Breguet Aircraft Family

Bristol Aircraft Family

Burgess Aircraft Family

Curtiss, General, Aircraft

Deperdussin Aircraft Family

Ford Tri-Motor Family

Gallaudet Type C Military Tractor Biplane Family

Lockheed Aircraft Family

Moisant (Monoplane Co) 1914 Bluebird Monoplane

Nieuport Aircraft Family

Sloane Aircraft Family

SPAD Aircraft Family

Voisin Aircraft Family

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Catalogs

Diaries

Manuals

Maps

Programs

Photographic postcards

Photographs

Scrapbooks