Wright Cycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio, circa 1910

THF236856 / Wright Cycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio, circa 1910
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Artifact Overview

The Wright brothers operated their bicycle business at six different Dayton, Ohio, locations from 1892 to 1908. They occupied this building, at 1127 West Third Street, from 1897 to 1908. It was here that the brothers conducted their first serious aviation experiments and built their gliders and the 1903 Wright Flyer -- the first successful heavier-than-air powered aircraft.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

circa 1910

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

EI.1929.P.188.16081

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Inscriptions

Typing on print back reads: No. 3 -- This is the front of the building in which the Wrights had their original bicycle shop. If you use a magnifying glass you can read the sign 'Wright Cycle Company' over the lower windows at the left. The lower half at the right was occupied by an undertaking parlor. The Wright Brothers occupied the entire upper floor with their drawing boards, wind tunnel and other equipment. This photo shows the building substantially as it would appear in Greenfield Village.
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    Wright Cycle Shop

    Wilbur and Orville Wright operated their bicycle business in this building from 1897 to 1908 in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers sold and repaired bikes, and they even produced models under their own brands. It was also in this shop that the Wright brothers built their earliest flying machines, including the 1903 Flyer that became the first successful heavier-than-air, powered, controlled aircraft.
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Wright Cycle Shop in Dayton, Ohio, circa 1910