We had the pleasure last week of hosting a special visitor from Le Mans, France, to see materials from our world-famous Wright Brothers Collection.
Marc Denoueix is a businessman and the former President of the Le Mans Sarthe Wright Centennial Committee, the committee which took charge of the Centennial events in honor of the Wright Brothers’ first public flights, which occurred in Le Mans, France in 1908.
Denoueix and some friends were especially interested in materials focusing on the Wrights’ activities in France. It was fun learning more about those events from a subject expert such as Denoueix!
Marc Denoueix (right) with archivist Chris Wydman and the Michelin Trophy, which Wilbur Wright won in 1908 for the longest flight of the year (at Le Mans France).
Additional photos from Denoueix’s visit can be viewed in the gallery below. Click on an image to enlarge it:
One hundred years ago this month – on October 20, 1922 – Lt. Harold R. Harris, a test pilot at McCook Field in Dayton, became the first person to successfully use a ripcord parachute to save himself during a real aviation emergency, when his Loening monoplane malfunctioned and crash landed in the Old North Dayton area, not far from McCook Field.
When Harris realized what was happening and that there was no saving the plane, he pulled the ripcord to save himself, bailing out and landing in a grape arbor in the backyard of a home at 335 Troy Street, while his plane crash landed a block or so away at 409 Valley Street.
Many years later, on November 18, 1981, Brig. Gen. Harold Harris returned to Dayton to present a framed photograph of the parachute, in the backyard at 335 Troy Street, to the home’s current owners.
Learn more about the life and career of Harold R. Harris in MS-214: Harold R. Harris Papers, and more about “the first bail-out” in the photos and newspaper articles below.
Dayton Daily News, Oct 20, 1922, pg 1Dayton Daily News, Oct 20, 1922, pg 1Dayton Daily News, Oct 20, 1922, pg 1Dayton Daily News, Oct 20, 1922, pg 2Sanborn Map showing landing locations of Harris and his planeDayton Daily News, Oct 21, 1922, pg 7“The First Bail-Out” Lithograph (SC-314)Brig. Gen. Harold R. Harris, Aug 19, 1981 (MS-458)Dayton Daily News, Aug 20, 1981, pg 1Dr. Joseph Meyer (left) and Brig. Gen. Harold R. Harris, Nov 18, 1981 (MS-458)Brig. Gen. Harold R. Harris, Nov 18, 1981 (MS-458)Brig. Gen. Harold R. Harris, Nov 18, 1981 (SC-314)Dayton Journal Herald, Nov 18, 1981, pg 3Brig. Gen. Harold R. Harris, Nov 20, 1981 (MS-458)
We’ve seen some of the preservation concerns that crop up in scrapbooks—now let’s explore some of the artistic highlights of the Montgomery County Medical Society Alliance’s scrapbooks (MS-686). Through this artistry, the open-endedness and individuality of scrapbooks takes flight. MCMSA’s scrapbooks (AKA “historians’ notebooks”) were assembled by whichever member was serving as historian at the time. Each historian brought her own twist to the scrapbook, resulting in a wide range of artistic styles.
Cover art from the 1974-1975 MCMSA scrapbook, featuring soaring birds. In the 1970s, the MCMSA was known as the ‘Women’s Auxiliary to the Montgomery County Medical Society,’ or WAMCMS. (MS-686)
Illustrations
One scrapbook from the late 1950s and early 1960s is sprinkled with hand-drawn illustrations.
An illustration decorates a flyer for the Ohio State Medical Association Auxiliary’s 1958 conference. (MS-686)
This advertisement for the MCMSA’s January 1963 “Bridge in Orbit” event was one of my favorites. At first glance, I thought it was illustrated with salt and pepper shakers. Instead of flying tableware, though, they’re stylized versions of the Mercury program capsules that put John Glenn and others into orbit in 1962 and early 1963. It was a great juxtaposition—nothing says ‘space age’ like a space-themed bridge party!
Mercury-esque space capsules on an advertisement for the MCMSA’s January 1963 “Bridge in Orbit” event. (MS-686)
Patchwork Nametag
Nametags from MCMSA events are scattered throughout the scrapbooks—for example, this satchel-shaped nametag worn by early MCMSA president, Mrs. John Groff, to a centennial celebration for the Montgomery County Medical Society.
Mrs. John Groff (at left in the newspaper photo) can be seen wearing the satchel-shaped nametag that was preserved in the scrapbook. (MS-686)
However, this one—from a dance hosted in 1950—is probably the most colorful. Scraps of fabrics were stitched together, creating a patchwork quilt effect. Since the dance’s theme was ‘hard times,’ it’s possible that this design pays homage to thriftiness in fabric usage during the Great Depression and World War II.
Click through the photos to see the fabrics used!
The majority of the visible fabric is a cotton printed with elaborate black-and-white floral stripes. The name, written in crayon on paper, is affixed with a safety pin that–fortunately–is rust-free. (MS-686)
In the corner, just behind the nametag, is a bold floral cotton with sea green and bright pink designs. (The tag was handled very gently, with freshly washed hands.) (MS-686)
On the underside is a small scrap of plaid cotton flannel in blue, green, white, and black. Beside it is a waffle-textured fabric (possibly a ‘diaper weave’) in pale pink. (MS-686)
At the right-hand edge, there is a scrap of brightly printed cotton scattered with stylized bird, leaf, and flower motifs. (MS-686)
Processing for MS-686 is still underway, but once it’s available, come explore the collection and discover the creative ways in which the MCMSA documented their achievements!
Note: MS-686, Montgomery County Medical Society Alliance Records, is currently being processed. The processing, as well as this blog post, are being completed as part of my capstone project for Wright State’s Public History master’s program.Processing was made possible by generous support from the Montgomery County Medical Society Alliance.
Post by Megan O’Connor, graduate student processing archivist
Posted inSC&A|TaggedMS-686, preservation, processing|Comments Off on Montgomery Co. Medical Society Alliance Scrapbooks Part 2: Scrapbook Art
