California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960

Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection 1860-1960

French aviator Louis Paulhan and the first American woman to fly in an airplane (as a passenger) Mrs. Dick Ferris at the Dominguez Air Meet, Los Angeles, 1910

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French aviator Louis Paulhan and the first American woman to fly in an airplane (as a passenger) Mrs. Dick Ferris at the Dominguez Air Meet, Los Angeles, 1910

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Photograph of the French aviator Louis Paulhan and Mrs. Dick Ferris, the first American woman to fly in an airplane as a passenger, Dominguez Air Meet, Dominguez Field, Los Angeles, 1910. Paulhan and Ferris are standing in front of an airplane. They appear to be laughing and in a festive mood. Paulhan is wearing a turtleneck sweater, plaid knickerbockers and a plaid coat. Ferris is wearing a long dress and a dark coat. She has a light scarf wrapped around her head.; "In one of the events at the meet, Louis Paulhan flew his Farman biplane with Mrs. Ferris as a passenger. Mrs. Ferris was the wife of the show's manager, Dick Ferris, an aviation enthusiast and sometime silent film actor." -- unknown author.; "Following the Reims International Air Meet of 1909 (France) enthusiasm for aviation began to increase in the United States. At an aviation meet in St. Louis fellow enthusiasts discussed the possibility of holding an air meet in Los Angeles. This group, which included Charles Willard, Roy Knabenshue, and Glenn Curtiss, followed through on the proposed project and sent Dick Ferris to Los Angeles to make the preliminary contacts and finalize the plans for the proposed Air Meet. After arriving in Los Angeles Ferris met with various contacts and an International Air Meet was proposed which would include Louis Paulhan-a renowned French aviator. The location was selected, Dominguez Field, which was part of one of the original Spanish land grants-The Rancho San Pedro. Publicity was begun, grandstands were erected and an expanded passenger platform was constructed at the Pacific Electric Station located closest to the Air Meet site to accommodate the large number of spectators expected to attend the event. Dates for the Air Meet were agreed upon. Commencing on January 10th, 1910 and lasting ten days until January 20th the air meet would invite a variety of participants and would include not only aeroplanes but also hot air balloons and dirigibles. Cash prizes would be awarded to those participating in scheduled events, which would include altitude, speed, and endurance competitions." -- Peter Bergen (part 1 of 2).; "Over the ten-day period of the air meet spectators were thrilled by the performances of aviators Louis Paulhan, Glenn Curtiss, Charles Willard, and others. Paulhan was the "star attraction" at the air meet. Invited by the organizers to participate, Paulhan brought with him to the event two Bleriot Monoplanes, Two Farman Biplanes, and an entourage, which included his wife and black poodle dog. At the air meet he set a new altitude record (4164 ft.), endurance record (64 miles in 1 hr. 49 mins. 40 secs.), and won $14,000 in prize money. Glenn Curtiss won two events-fastest speeds with a passenger (55 mph) and quickest start (6 2/5 secs. covering 98 ft.). Curtiss took home $6500 in prize money. Charles Willard was credited with the most accurate take off and landing skills for which he receive a prize totaling $250. Attendance at the air meet reached and surpassed all expectations. During the ten-day period of the air meet an estimated 226,000 spectators converged on Dominguez Field. Gate receipts for the event equaled over $137,500. The air meet was considered a phenomenal success and helped to alleviate a perceived economic drought in the Los Angeles area." -- Peter Bergen (part 2 of 2).

Asset Metadata

Title French aviator Louis Paulhan and the first American woman to fly in an airplane (as a passenger) Mrs. Dick Ferris at the Dominguez Air Meet, Los Angeles, 1910

Subject Aeronautics (lcsh), Air pilots (lcsh), Airplanes (lcsh), airport features (adlf), Dominguez Air Meet (subject), Ferris, Mrs. Dick (subject), Paulhan, Louis (subject), Transportation -- Air -- People in aviation (file heading)

Tags OAI-PMH Harvest

Place California (states), Dominguez Hills (city or populated place), Los Angeles (city or populated place), Los Angeles (counties), USA (countries)

Temporal Subject 1910

Type images

Format 2 photographs : glass photonegative, photoprint, b&w ; 26 x 21 cm. (aacr2), glass plate negatives (format), photographic prints (aat), photographs (aat)

Source California Historical Society (contributing entity), California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960 (collection), Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, 1860-1960 (subcollection)

Date Created 1910

Publisher University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Repository Email specol@lib.usc.edu

Repository Name USC Libraries Special Collections

Repository Location Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189

Rights Public Domain. Please credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Copyright Public Domain. Please credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Access Conditions Send requests to address or e-mail given

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/chs-m13348

Identifier 5592 (accession number), CHS-5592 (call number), CHS-5592 (filename), chs-m265 (legacy collection record id), chs-c65-12849 (legacy record id), chs-m13348 (legacy record id), USC-1-1-1-13501 (legacy record id), 1-102- (microfiche number), 1-90-489 (microfiche number), USC (project)

IIIF ID [Document.IIIFV3ID]

DM Record ID 12849

Unique identifier UC135978

Legacy Identifier CHS-5592.tiff

Type Image

Internet Media Type image/tiff

Resolution 15.0 in × 18.7 in at 300dpi
38.2 cm × 47.6 cm at 300dpi

Inherited Values

Title Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection 1860-1960

Description The nearly 15,000 unique photographs of this collection contain the work of C.C. Pierce which cover the Los Angeles region city, street and architectural views, California Missions, Southwestern Native Americans, and turn-of-century Nevada, Arizona, and California. Pierce, active from 1886 to 1940, was one of the leading photographers of his day and amassed a collection of 15,000 images, including his own and those bought and copied from his contemporaries, George Wharton James and Charles Puck. The James collection contains over 2,000 images of portraits, customs, ceremonies, arts, and games of various groups of Southwestern Native Americans.

Date Created 1860/1960

Linked assets

Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection 1860-1960

Conceptually similar

Louis Paulhan flying with a passenger (Mrs. Dick Ferris?) in his Henry Farman biplane, at the Dominguez Field Air Meet, Los Angeles, January 1910

Aviator Louis Paulhan making his record flight at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1910

Louis Paulhan flying near a hot-air balloon in his Henry Farman biplane, Dominguez Field, Los Angeles, January 12, 1910

Louis Paulhan making his record flight, flying at 4,600 feet, in his Henry Farman biplane, Dominguez Field, Los Angeles, January 12, 1910

Aviator J. Clifford Turpin (Louis Paulhan?) and Miss Ferris aloft in a Wright biplane at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, ca.1912

Louis Paulhan flying his monoplane (Bleriot?) at the Dominguez Field Air Meet, Los Angeles, January 1910

Composite photograph of early-model airplanes and a dirigible hovering above bleachers filled with spectators at the 1910 Dominguez Field Air Meet, January 1910

Composite photograph of two early-model biplanes passing by bleachers filled with spectators at the 1910 Dominguez Field Air Meet, January 1910

Louis Paulhan making record altitude flight at Dominguez Air show, 1910

French aviator Louis Paulhan aloft in the night sky at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet (Phoenix, Arizona?), ca.1915

Aviator Charles F. Willard at the controls of his Curtiss biplane at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1910

Aviator J. Clifford Turpin aloft with a passenger at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1912

Lincoln Beachey in his biplane as the "mysterious woman aviator" at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1912

Composite photograph of early-model airplanes, a dirigible, and a hot-air balloon passing by bleachers filled with spectators at the 1910 Dominguez Field Air Meet, January 1910

Aviator Lincoln Beachey performing a stunt in his airplane at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1912

Aviator William Atwater in the air at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1912

Aviator Farnum Fish aloft with a passenger at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1912

Portrait of Blanche Stuart Scott, the first American woman to fly solo, at the Dominguez Hills air field, 1912

Aviators Frank H. Johnson and Glen Curtiss with a Curtiss biplane at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1910

Aviator Horace Kearney flying a Curttiss biplane at the Dominguez Hills Air Meet, 1912

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