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Edward A. Korn was an early aviator and mentor to Paul Flohn, a naval aviator. This collection consists of photographic materials given to Flohn by Korn on the occasion of Flohn's 100th carrier landing in August 1955 including a photo album and a calendar containing color lithographs of various aviators.
Edward A. Korn, a native of Shelby County, Ohio, was an early aviator who, along with his brother Milton, built and flew Benoist Type XII #32. Edward and Milton completed work on their aircraft in May 1912 and made numerous exhibition flights over the course of the following year. On August 13, 1913, the aircraft, piloted by Edward with Milton as a passenger, crashed while flying near their grandfather's farm in Montra, Ohio. Milton died shortly thereafter from injuries he sustained. Edward was also badly injured, but recovered. Edward left aviation in 1916 and became a chiropractor. Paul Flohn was a patient of Dr. Korn's as a child. The two shared a love of flying and became lifelong friends. Korn acted as a mentor and an inspiration to Flohn, who became a naval aviator. During his time in the US Navy, Flohn made a total of 115 carrier landings, 29 of which were night landings, before retiring in 1956 as a Lieutenant (junior grade).
NASM.2015.0042
Circa 1910s to 1955
Paul Flohn, Gift, 2015, NASM.2015.0042
0.36 Cubic feet (1 flatbox)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection consists of photographic materials given to Paul Flohn by Edward A. Korn on the occasion of Flohn's 100th carrier landing in August 1955. The materials consist of an album, prefaced by a letter from Korn to Flohn, containing fourteen 8 x 10 inch black and white photographs of Edward and Milton Korn and various aircraft including a Farman type biplane; the Korn Brothers 1910 Monoplane (Benoist Type XII); a Wright (Co) Model B; and the Benoist Type XII #32. George W. Beatty can also be seen in one of the photographs. All the photos have been captioned by Korn. The collection also contains a 1956 Thompson Products calendar (measuring approximately 17 x 15 inches) devoted to the Early Birds and featuring color lithographs (artwork by Charles H. Hubbell) devoted to a different aviator for each month. Featured aviators are Henry W. Walden; Frank T. Coffyn; Paul Studenski; Blanche Stuart Scott; Walter E. Johnson; Katherine (Otero) Stinson; Arthur O. and Albert S. Heinrich; Clifford Lawrence Webster; Beckwith Havens and John Bayard Rodgers Verplank; Cecil M. Peoli; Ernest Craft Hall; and Edward A. Korn. Korn's lithograph has been removed from the calendar for framing. Also included in the collection is a color lithograph (approximately 14 x 12 inches), also taken from a calendar, that shows a United Airlines Douglas DC-3 in flight and is inscribed with a Christmas greeting from Korn to Paul Flohn. The final item in this collection is a copy of a US Navy photograph showing Flohn in the cockpit of a Vought F4U Corsair aboard the USS Antietam (CV-36) after his 100th carrier landing.
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Edward A. Korn Photographic Material [Flohn], NASM.2015.0042, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Korn Brothers 1910 Monoplane (Benoist Type XII)
Aeronautics
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Calendars