Lillian Boyer Performing a Stunt, Transferring from Moving Car to Airplane in Flight, 1922-1927
THF111430 / Lillian Boyer Performing a Stunt, Transferring from Moving Car to Airplane in Flight, 1922-1927
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Artifact Overview
Would you climb out on the wing of an airplane? In 1921, Lillian Boyer did after only her second time in the air. This fearless decision led her to become a wing walker, performing death-defying aerial feats. She hung by her teeth, ankles, and toes. She balanced on her head. She even changed planes in midair. Her stunts garnered headlines wherever she performed.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
1922-1927
Subject Date
1922-1927
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
68.160.1.35
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Harry Schlee
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 3 in
Width: 3.75 in
Inscriptions
Autographed in blue ink in the lower right hand corner: Sincerely Yours, Lillian Boyer
Handwritten on verso in red pencil: 9 Photos Return to Piersol
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Related Content
SetBarnstormers
- 20 Artifacts
Barnstorming aerial performers thrilled audiences in the 1920s with death-defying "aerobatic" stunts. Equipped with war-surplus airplanes and steely nerves, they toured the country giving many Americans their first in-person experiences with aviation. Most barnstormers barely eked out a living, but a few found wealth and fame. By decade's end, aging aircraft, fading novelty, and growing government regulation largely ended the barnstorming era.
articleJust Added to Our Digital Collections: Lillian Boyer Photographs
Aerial stunt performer Lillian Boyer (1901–89) performed stunts including wing walking, parachuting, and transferring herself from moving automobiles to flying planes. We’ve just added a selection of photos of Boyer to our Digital Collections.