First Page of a Letter From Wilbur Wright to the Smithsonian Institution, May 30, 1899
THF112411 / First Page of a Letter From Wilbur Wright to the Smithsonian Institution, May 30, 1899
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Artifact Overview
On May 30, 1899, Wilbur Wright wrote to the Smithsonian Institution for recommended readings on the problem of human flight. Wright noted that he was "not a crank" but genuinely interested. That simple letter, and the response he received, set Wilbur and his brother Orville on an inventive journey that led to their first flight at Kill Devil Hills in 1903.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
30 May 1899
Place of Creation
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
P.B.83325.B
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 8.125 in
Width: 10 in
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Related Content
SetWright Cycle Company
- 32 Artifacts
When Wilbur and Orville Wright established Wright Cycle Company in 1892, they joined a booming business. Americans loved bicycles. By 1895, over 300 manufacturers produced a combined 1.2 million bikes each year. The Wrights sold and repaired cycles and accessories. For a time, they even built bikes under their own brands. Bicycles gave the brothers the skills and resources to pursue loftier goals, and they closed Wright Cycle Company in 1908.