The Aeroplane Takes Flight: Early Air Shows Captivate America

Evening Program

Evening Lecture/Seminar

Thursday, December 17, 2020 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET

Code: 1K0039

Location:

This program is part of our
Smithsonian Associates Streaming series.

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$20

Member

$25

Non-Member

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Clifford Turpin, Wright Exhibition Pilot, 1911-1912 (Collection of Richards and James French)

STREAMING PROGRAM INFORMATION

This program is part of our Smithsonian Associates Streaming series.
Platform: Zoom
Online registration is required.
If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.

The fledgling aviators who followed in the steps of the Wright brothers were daring, dashing, and about to launch themselves into a whole new world of entertainment—the air show. The year was 1910, and the inventors sent out a team of barely trained pilots to perform and compete at air meets and state fairs to show off their wondrous new machine. There was stiff competition from fellow pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss’ team and many others. The stakes and the risks were high. But there was also romance, thrills, and a lot of money to be made.

Aviation writer and filmmaker Paul Glenshaw draws on unique resources, including original material in private collections, as he leads a rollicking trip around the country at the dawn of the last century and the age of flight.

Glenshaw is a regular contributor to the Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine, co-writer and producer of the PBS documentary Barnstorming, and co-writer and director of the documentary The Lafayette Escadrille. He was a longtime member of the Wright Experience team in Warrenton, Virginia, and executive director of the Discovery of Flight Foundation.

Patron Information

Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.