Air Pilot Louise McPhetridge Thaden, Holder of the Women's Altitude Record, 1928

Summary

Louise Thaden earned her pilot's license in 1928 while working in sales for Travel Air Corporation. Thaden set the women's altitude record that December at 20,260 feet. She won the inaugural Women's Air Derby in 1929. At the 1936 Bendix Transcontinental Race -- the first in which women were allowed to compete against men -- Thaden and co-pilot Blanche Noyes took first place.

Louise Thaden earned her pilot's license in 1928 while working in sales for Travel Air Corporation. Thaden set the women's altitude record that December at 20,260 feet. She won the inaugural Women's Air Derby in 1929. At the 1936 Bendix Transcontinental Race -- the first in which women were allowed to compete against men -- Thaden and co-pilot Blanche Noyes took first place.

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

1929

Subject Date

December 1928

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1629.151

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 10 in

Width: 8 in

Inscriptions

typed paper at bottom border of image: UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD / 819R129 MRS. THADEN 4 / HOLDS WOMEN'S ALTITUDE RECORD- MRS. LOUISE / THADEN CLIMBS TO HEIGHT OF 20,270 FEET / OVER OAKLAND / OAKLAND, Cal.- PHOTO SHOWS: MRS. LOUISE THADEN / ATTRACTIVE AIRWOMAN, WHO ESTABLISHED THE WOMEN'S / ALTITUDE RECORD BY CLIMBING TO A HEIGHT OF / 20,270 FEET OVER THE AIRPORT HERE. SHE IS FROM SAN FRANCISCO.

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