Wilson Aero Corp. photograph album
Content Description
Photograph album with 24 photographs depicting Wilson Aero Corp.'s motion picture work. Photographs include on the set images of Dawn Patrol (1930), the comedy short Plane Crazy (1930), and Paul Sloane's War Correspondent (1932) starring Jack Holt. The album documents much of the activity of the Wilson Aero Corp. and may have functioned as a sales tool--glamourous images of film shoots, various planes, and photographs of the turret camera mount that allowed for 360 degree in-air tracking shots. The cover of the album reads "Jimmie Clark/Wilson Aero Corp.,/The Home of Aerial Movies./Burbank, California". Some of the planes highlighed are a Thomas Morse, a Speedwing Travelair, a Fiske with a 180 H.P. Hispana Suiza engine, and a Special C-3-B Stearman.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1932
Creator
- Wilson Aero Corp. (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Historical note
The Wilson Aero Corp. was founded by brothers Tave and Roy Wilson, two of the biggest names in early stunt aviation. The Wilson brothers owned the only airport ever licensed exclusively for motion picture work. Tave Wilson was a camera pilot and his younger brother Roy was a stunt pilot. Roy's career took off after his work on Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels (1930) at which point he and Tave were able to open their airfield. Roy Wilson died during the filming of War Correspondence (1932) while attempting a stunt flight. Tave Wilson quit flying shortly thereafter and sold the airfield in 1937.
Extent
1.29 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from The Bookshop, March 20, 2017.
Subject
- Wilson Aero Corp. -- Photographs (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Finding aid for the Wilson Aero Corp. photograph album
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sue Luftschein
- Date
- 2017 March
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States
specol@usc.edu