Trophy Presented to Earle Lewis Ovington, 1911

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THF46255 / Trophy Presented to Earle Lewis Ovington, 1911
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Artifact Overview

Earle Ovington piloted the first U.S. Air Mail flight operated by the United States Post Office Department. On September 23, 1911, Ovington flew over Long Island in a Bleriot XI airplane with a sack of mail tucked into the cockpit. He carried the letters just three miles, but it was enough to earn Ovington the designation "Air Mail Pilot No. 1."

Artifact Details

Artifact

Trophy (Object)

Date Made

1911

Subject Date

29 April 1911

Creators

Place of Creation

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Heroes of the Sky

Object ID

36.33.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of P.G. Morriss

Material

Zinc alloy
Brass (Alloy)

Dimensions

Height: 48.5 in
Width: 23 in
Length: 16.5 in

Inscriptions

Marked in zinc below feet: LE TRIOMPHE. Also marked in zinc: LOUIS MOREAU/SALON BEAUX-ARTS. Left section marked: PRESIDENTED BY / HONORABLE TIMOTHY L. WOODRUFF / TO / EARLE L. OVINGTON / TO COMMORATE HIS FLIGHT FROM / BELMONT PARK TO GARDEN CITY ESTATES, / HE BEING THE FIRST AMERICAN AVIATOR / TO FILL A DINNER ENGAGEMENT / IN A AEROPLANE. OCCASION; OPENING OF THE NEW AERO CLUB / APRIL 29, 1911.
Keywords
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    In 1910, while attending the first international aviation meet held in the United States, Earle Ovington (1879-1936) decided to become a pilot. During his short but successful career as an exhibition flyer, Ovington achieved an impressive string of aviation firsts – most notably, piloting the first U.S. Air Mail flight operated by the Post Office Department.
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