"Reynolds Bombshell" Photography

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Two negatives created by Duane Ronald Chicoine depict the Douglas A 26 (B-26) Invader "Reynolds Bombshell" at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York in 1947 during its publicity tour after its record-breaking round-the-world flight.

In 1947, to advertise his ballpoint pen company, aviator and entrepreneur Milton Reynolds designed the "Reynold's Bombshell" from a modified Douglas A-26 Invader. Painted with bold graphics, the twin-engine attack bomber began its promotional campaign with a round-the-world flight. After beating the previous record by over 12 hours, Reynolds started a nationwide tour across the United States, showcasing the aircraft and promoting his product. Duane Ronald Chicoine (1926-2011), a 1946 graduated from Columbia University's V-12 program, had a proclivity for both mathematics and mechanics which drew him to this technological spectacle. With his soon-to-be wife Beatrice DeNardis, he visited Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York to view the record-breaking plane. These images photographed by Chicoine capture the Bombshell during its publicity tour.

Identifier

NASM.2025.0032

Date

1947

Provenance

Stephen Chicoine, Gift, 2025, NASM.2025.0032

Extent

.0265 Gigabytes

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of two (2) 2 x 3 inch negatives created by Duane Ronald Chicoine depicting the Douglas A 26 (B-26) Invader "Reynolds Bombshell" at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York in 1947. Two (2) digital image files, surrogates of the negatives, were also donated.

Arrangement note

Itemized.

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

"Reynolds Bombshell" Photography, NASM.2025.0032, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics
Douglas A-26B (B-26B) Invader

Type

Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Digital images
Negatives

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