First Flight
John T. Daniels (d. 1948)
First Flight, December 17, 1903
Modern gelatin silver print
from glass negative
Prints & Photographs Division
Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Telegram to Bishop Milton Wright,
December 17, 1903
Manuscript Division
Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Receipt of petition, U.S. Patent Office,
March 14, 1903
Manuscript Division
Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Diary
Page 1 - Page
2 - Page 3 - Page
4
Page 5 - Page
6 - Page 7 - Page
8
November 5 - December 19,1903
Manuscript Division (136.10)
Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Diary
Page 2 - Page
3
September 23 - October 6,1903
Manuscript Division
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In 1900, Wilbur Wright wrote to his father expressing the hope
of "achieving fame and fortune" from his and brother Orville's experiments
in flight. Three years later, the brothers accomplished their first
successful flight. As part of their systematic practice of photographing
every prototype and test of their various flying machines, the Wrights
persuaded an attendant from a nearby lifesaving station to snap
Orville in full flight. After making three longer flights that day,
the Wrights sent this telegram to their father, instructing him
to "inform press." In his diary, seen here, Orville kept a thorough
account of their experiments. This entry details their second successful
flight.
Orville and Wilbur Wright (1871-1948) requested a patent application
for a "flying machine" nine months before their successful flight
in December 1903, which Orville recorded in his diary. The craft
soared to an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet, and landed
12 seconds after takeoff. After making two longer flights that day,
the Wrights sent this telegram to their father, instructing him
to "inform press."
Earlier, in 1900, Wilbur Wright wrote to French aviation pioneer
Octave Chanute (1832-1910) and expressed the belief that "flight
is possible to man...[and] I feel that it will soon cost me an increased
amount of money if not my life".
The papers of Wilbur (1867-1912) and Orville (1871-1948) Wright
were given to the Library in 1949 by the executors of Orville Wright's
estate. Over the years the Library has received additional materials
through gifts and transfers, and altogether the collection comprises
diaries and notebooks, family papers, general correspondence, subject
files, scrapbooks, and over 1,100 photographic images, including
300 original glass plate negatives.
Wilbur Wright (1867-1912)
to Octave Chanute
Page 2
Holograph letter, May 13, 1900
Manuscript Division
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