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- Wilbur Wright, circa 1880 - Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was a strong student until an ice hockey accident as a teenager sunk him into a depression. Ironically, his mother's failing health brought Wilbur out of his melancholy as he cared for her in her final years. Instead of college, Wilbur educated himself through his father's extensive library.
- circa 1880
- Collections - Artifact
Wilbur Wright, circa 1880
Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was a strong student until an ice hockey accident as a teenager sunk him into a depression. Ironically, his mother's failing health brought Wilbur out of his melancholy as he cared for her in her final years. Instead of college, Wilbur educated himself through his father's extensive library.
- Orville Wright, Katharine Wright and Wilbur Wright in France, 1909 - Orville Wright and Katharine Wright joined their brother, Wilbur, in France in early 1909. Wilbur had completed a series of impressive demonstration flights the previous fall, and the three siblings were celebrated throughout the country as heroes. Despite all the attention from monarchs, politicians, and business titans, the Wrights remained unaffectedly true to their Midwestern modesty.
- January 01, 1909
- Collections - Artifact
Orville Wright, Katharine Wright and Wilbur Wright in France, 1909
Orville Wright and Katharine Wright joined their brother, Wilbur, in France in early 1909. Wilbur had completed a series of impressive demonstration flights the previous fall, and the three siblings were celebrated throughout the country as heroes. Despite all the attention from monarchs, politicians, and business titans, the Wrights remained unaffectedly true to their Midwestern modesty.
- Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909 - Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- 1908-1909
- Collections - Artifact
Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909
Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909 - Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- 1908-1909
- Collections - Artifact
Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909
Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909 - Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- 1908-1909
- Collections - Artifact
Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909
Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- Wilbur Wright Preparing the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909 - Wilbur Wright was a cautious pilot who never took unnecessary risks. During his demonstration flights in France in 1908-1909, Wilbur made a thorough, personal inspection of his airplane before each takeoff. The danger was real. Orville Wright was seriously injured, and passenger Thomas Selfridge was killed, in a crash at Fort Myer, Virginia, caused by a split propeller in 1908.
- 1908-1909
- Collections - Artifact
Wilbur Wright Preparing the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909
Wilbur Wright was a cautious pilot who never took unnecessary risks. During his demonstration flights in France in 1908-1909, Wilbur made a thorough, personal inspection of his airplane before each takeoff. The danger was real. Orville Wright was seriously injured, and passenger Thomas Selfridge was killed, in a crash at Fort Myer, Virginia, caused by a split propeller in 1908.
- Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909 - Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- 1908-1909
- Collections - Artifact
Wilbur Wright Piloting the Wright Flyer, France, 1908-1909
Worried that rivals would steal their yet-to-be patented designs, the Wright brothers stopped flying publicly for nearly three years in late 1905. People began to doubt that the Wrights had ever flown. Skeptics were silenced in August 1908 when Wilbur Wright made a series of spectacular demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, achieving more distance and control than anyone else.
- Portrait of Wilbur Wright as a Boy, 1878 - Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was a strong student until an ice hockey accident as a teenager sunk him into a depression. Ironically, his mother's failing health brought Wilbur out of his melancholy as he cared for her in her final years. Instead of college, Wilbur educated himself through his father's extensive library.
- 1878
- Collections - Artifact
Portrait of Wilbur Wright as a Boy, 1878
Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana. He was a strong student until an ice hockey accident as a teenager sunk him into a depression. Ironically, his mother's failing health brought Wilbur out of his melancholy as he cared for her in her final years. Instead of college, Wilbur educated himself through his father's extensive library.
- Engraving Tools Given to Orville Wright From Wilbur Wright, 1883 - Wilbur Wright gave eight of these engraving tools to his brother, Orville, for Christmas in 1883. Two others were made by Orville, and another by Wilbur. At the time, the Wrights lived in Richmond, Indiana, and Wilbur earned spending money assisting with their father's newspaper, the <em>Richmond Star</em>. The Wrights moved back to Dayton, Ohio, in June 1884.
- 1883
- Collections - Artifact
Engraving Tools Given to Orville Wright From Wilbur Wright, 1883
Wilbur Wright gave eight of these engraving tools to his brother, Orville, for Christmas in 1883. Two others were made by Orville, and another by Wilbur. At the time, the Wrights lived in Richmond, Indiana, and Wilbur earned spending money assisting with their father's newspaper, the Richmond Star. The Wrights moved back to Dayton, Ohio, in June 1884.
- Pamphlet, "Some Aeronautical Experiments," Wilbur Wright, 1901 - In 1901, aviation pioneer and Wright brothers mentor Octave Chanute invited Wilbur Wright to address the Western Society of Engineers in Chicago, Illinois. Wilbur described the brothers' glider experiments near Kitty Hawk in 1900 and 1901. The speech questioned accepted data on wing design, and it established the Wrights' aeronautical work as some of the most advanced in the field.
- September 18, 1901
- Collections - Artifact
Pamphlet, "Some Aeronautical Experiments," Wilbur Wright, 1901
In 1901, aviation pioneer and Wright brothers mentor Octave Chanute invited Wilbur Wright to address the Western Society of Engineers in Chicago, Illinois. Wilbur described the brothers' glider experiments near Kitty Hawk in 1900 and 1901. The speech questioned accepted data on wing design, and it established the Wrights' aeronautical work as some of the most advanced in the field.