First Regular Flight on Overnight Air Mail Route from New York to Chicago, July 1, 1925

01

Artifact Overview

In 1924, with the success of experimental night operations and increasing business interest in next-day mail, the U.S. Air Mail Service announced plans to establish regular overnight flights between New York and Chicago. Preparations included mounting floodlights and searchlights at airfields and constructing a series of routing beacons and emergency landing fields along the route. The first official flights departed from both terminal cities on July 1, 1925.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

01 July 1925

Subject Date

01 July 1925

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1629.205

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 6.5 in
Width: 8.5 in

Inscriptions

attached press release: WATCH YOUR CREDIT---N 90340 "P & A PHOTO" / (Photo shows Pilot D.C. Smith being bid goodbye by L to R Percy D. Kirkman, Field Manager, Pilot J. D. Hill and Howard D. Ingalls, Field Sup't, Hadley Field, N.J.) / FIRST NIGHT AIR MAIL IN FLYING START / [...] as he was ready / to start his overnight flight to / Chicago, Wed July 1st in official / opening of overnight air mail service / route bewteen New York and Chicago. / NY & E 7-2-25