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This accession is a collection of military records, including orders, travel papers, memos, equipment lists, and other correspondence concerning Don Swann while he was stationed in Paris in 1918.
Samuel Donovan "Don" Swann (1899–1954) was a World War I aviator and an American artist. Fascinated by aviation from the time he was 17, Swann attended St. John's College in Annapolis as a cadet. In November 1917, Swann was sent to Kelly Field, Texas, to attend Ground Officer's Training School, where he graduated as a first lieutenant. During World War I Swann was an officer in the Signal Reserves Corps, Aviation Section, until January 1918, at which point he was assigned to the 62nd Squadron with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. During his service overseas, Swann was placed in charge of supplying Air Service material for all aviation training schools in France. As he was interested in flying, he petitioned to be switched over to piloting and by the beginning of October 1918, he received dispensation to be allowed to make flights. After his discharge at the end of the war, Swann was employed as the superintendent of the American Propeller Manufacturing Company of Baltimore which was a primary source of aeronautical propeller supplies. He later also worked at the Monumental Aircraft Company at College Park, Maryland, which consisted entirely of aeronautical supplies. As an artist, Swann studied in Germany and Italy, and was known for historic Americana; his art was exhibited in many United States cities and is part of many permanent collections, including the Metropolitan Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.
NASM.1987.0062
United States. Army. Signal Corps
1910-1942
bulk August 31, 1917 to December 31, 1918
Mr. S. Donovan Swann, Jr., Gift, 1987, NASM.1987.0062
.25 Cubic feet (One slim legal document case)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This accession is a collection of military records, including orders, travel papers, memos, equipment lists, and other correspondence concerning Don Swann while he was stationed in Paris in 1918. Also included are: a souvenir program from the International Jacques Schneider Cup Races, dated October 24, 1925, and annotated by Swann with notes about the pilots of the day; an American Expeditionary Forces Headquarters Tentative Equipment Manual for Supply Squadron; April 20, 1918 propaganda leaflets in German regarding President Wilson's speech; and miscellaneous notes by Swann written about early aviation in Baltimore, MD, his hometown.
Materials in this collection are grouped into two series by type: Documents (Series 1) and Photographs (Series 2). In 1998, the six photographs in this collection were reproduced on the second side (Side B) of National Air and Space Museum Archival Videodisc 7, a LaserDisc CAV format 12-inch (30 cm) optical disc published by the Smithsonian Institution. Print numbers applied during videodisc production are used as item-level image numbers (print numbers NASM 7B06404 to NASM 7B06409, videodisc frame capture numbers VD-7B06404 to VD-7B06404) and the images are stored in videodisc number order.
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Samuel Donovan "Don" Swann Collection, NASM.1987.0062, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Aeronautics
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces
Military records -- 20th century -- United States
Collection descriptions
Archival materials