Today was another exciting day in Special Collections & Archives! Historian David McCullough and a crew from CBS Sunday Morning visited us this morning to film portions of an interview set to air on May 3rd. The segment centers on Mr. McCullough’s forthcoming book, The Wright Brothers, which will be released May 5, 2015. Mr. McCullough visited us last year to conduct research for the book using our world-renowned Wright Brothers Collection.
L-R: Jon Carras (producer), Mike Hill (Mr. McCullough’s research assistant), Ed Chick (sound), Lisa Rickey (archivist), Dawne Dewey (Head of Special Collections & Archives), Chris Wydman (archivist), David McCullough, John Armstrong (archivist), Rita Braver (correspondent), Gino Pasi (archivist), Henry Bautista (cameraman).
During today’s interview, Mr. McCullough discussed several items from our Wright Brothers Collection and the significance of the events they depict, in addition to telling stories and reading short passages from his book The Wright Brothers. He emphasized the importance of photographs as valuable (yet often overlooked) sources of information for historical research.
McCullough discusses a photo with correspondent Rita Braver. Also pictured: producer Jon Carras and cameraman Henry Bautista.
In addition to visiting us, CBS Sunday Morning has filmed McCullough at a number of other Wright Brothers sites in Dayton and elsewhere for this segment. While the content of the interview itself is certainly captivating, it was also fascinating to see first-hand how such a program is created. We are very much looking forward to seeing the finished production on May 3rd!
We were grateful that the CBS Sunday Morning crew was kind enough to allow us to take photographs during the process, and we hope that you enjoy this sneak peek at Mr. McCullough’s interview:
Dawne Dewey, Head of Special Collections & Archives, “sits in” for David McCullough before he arrives, during the equipment setup and testing.
Archivist and amateur film-maker Gino Pasi was invited to take a peek at the CBS camera equipment. Producer Jon Carras (left) and archivist John Armstrong are in the foreground; in the background are Amanda Wright Lane (left) and Dawne Dewey, Head of Special Collections & Archives.
Our new life-size photos of Orville (left) and Wilbur Wright oversaw the proceedings. (The cutouts are from MS-1, photo # 23_1_22 of the Wright Brothers at Bollee Gardens, 1909.)
Dawne Dewey, Head of Special Collections & Archives, discusses with David McCullough some of the Wright materials laid out for the interview.
David McCullough, center, reviews materials, as cameraman Henry Bautista (left) and correspondent Rita Braver look on.
Watching the action unfold on the monitor.
Amanda Wright Lane (left), great-grandniece of the Wright Brothers, and Dawne Dewey, Head of Special Collections & Archives. Amanda stopped by to say hello to Mr. McCullough and wish him well in today’s interview.
Archivists Dawne Dewey and John Armstrong show David McCullough our display of the Wright Brothers’ medals.
One of the many equipment cases: it really says “CBS News”! (Not that we had any doubt!)
It was so lovely to have Mr. McCullough and the CBS crew visit us! We hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek at the forthcoming CBS Sunday Morning interview and that you’ll tune in on May 3, 2015, to see the full program. We certainly will!