Getting the story Wright: Historical commentary.

Showing posts with label Historical commentary.. Show all posts

Friday, September 11, 2026

Scipio, The Little One

Revised September 22, 2026

Orville, Katharine, and their father Milton moved to their new home in Oakwood, April 28, 1914. Orville sold the Wright Company in October of 1915, and construction for his Wright Aeronautical Laboratory at 15 North Broadway was completed December of 1916. Transition from the old office at 1127 West Third to his new office at 15 North Broadway was completed, and his involvement with Dayton-Wright Airplane Company had not yet begun early in 1917. It was an ideal time to bring a new addition to Hawthorn Hill.

Milton Wright wrote in his diary, Saturday, March 10, 1917, "Scipio came. He weighs 16 lbs. He is a St. Bernard dog. He is a good looking puppy." (1) Milton died in his sleep less than a month later on April 3.

Orville took Scipio to Lorin and Ivonette's residence at 331 Grafton Ave to visit his nephew and niece's home (Milton, Ivonette, Leontine, and Horace). The family lived at this location from 1913 through 1918, having moved there just one week prior to the Dayton 1913 flood. Their former home at 1243 West 2nd street saw at least 8' of flood waters. That home no longer stands. The 331 Grafton home was out of the flood range.

Photo is identified as "A snapshot of Orville Wright's dog Scipio, a St. Bernard........A man, perhaps Orville, is standing near him......" This photo would date to 1917, as Scipio is a still a puppy. This photo was taken at the front porch step of Lorin Wright's home at 331 Grafton Ave, Dayton. Image courtesy of Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brothers Photographs>2419, ms1_25_6_6. (2)

Katharine Wright, in a letter to Florence Clement, March 17, 1917, "I hope you will be coming with Mr. Guthrie soon. Orv wants to see little Jeanie again. He is sure she will like Scipio!" (3)

The Little One, Scipio, a puppy, 1917. Photo in back yard of Lorin Wright's home at 331 Grafton Ave. Image courtesy of Wright State University Libraries,Special Collections and Archives, Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brothers Photographs>2420, ms1_25_6_5. (4)

Ivonette Wright Miller, Lorin's daughter, wrote, "1917 was the year that Scipio came, a ball of fluff weighing 16 pounds, a St. Bernard puppy. Uncle Orv built a pen for him. Thus started a period of years when the lives of both Aunt Katharine and Uncle Orv were enriched by the presence of Scipio." (5)

Orville with Scipio in pen he built adjacent to south side of garage at Hawthorn Hill home. Image courtesy of Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brothers Photographs>2408, ms1_25_6_23.

Per a video display at Carillon Historical Park, "In 1917, Orville got himself a Saint Bernard. He named the dog Scipio after the name of a dog in a book one of his nephew's liked." Nearby, a wall display identifies the nephew, but indicates the name of the dog was in a story in a magazine Orville had in his library; the story being a favorite of Orville's nephew, Horace. In Fred Fisk and Marlin Todd's book "The Wright Brothers from Bicycle to Biplane", the authors wrote, "In a letter written by Horace Wright, nephew of the Wright brothers, he states, "The dog was given the name Scipio after a Roman General of about 180 A.D., General Scipio Afrieannus." Scipio Africanus actually lived from 236 to 183 B.C. The date of the letter was not provided for confirmation of the account.(16)

Display at Carillon Historical Park. "Shortly before Bishop Wright's death in 1917, Orville acquired a Saint Bernard dog. He named it Scipio, after the name of a dog in a story in a magazine Orville had in his library. The story was a favorite of Orville's nephew, Horace." Photos in display courtesy of Library of Congress. Photo of display by Author, September, 2026.

Robert Hadeler wrote, "We would see him [Orville] occasionally at other times- for instance, when we would be coasting on the watertower hill close to his home, he would rescue us from his big St. Bernard dog, Scipio, who liked to play, but who was as big as a horse." Robert lived at 900 Harman Avenue, across the street from Hawthorn Hill, to the east. Robert assisted Orville at Orville's vacation resort at Lambert Island in Georgian Bay in Canada for the years 1928 through 1932. (6)

Orville took Scipio to Lambert Island for each of his trips there from 1918 through 1921. He did not go in 1917 due to his involvement with the design development of the Kettering Bug, and his assistance with the war effort at the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company. (7)

Guy Johnstone wrote in his book 'From Kitty Hawk to KITTYHAWK', "Orville missed going to his Georgian Bay Island in 1917. The year was not all bad, for he had acquired a new addition to his family, his new St. Bernard puppy named Scipio, who would be his friend for six years. Scipio went with him and Katharine to the Island most of the time; he was great fun for both." (8)

Katharine, wrote in a letter to Orville (who had earlier left with Scipio on his trip to Lambert Island), July 19, 1918,

"Dear Baby Brother, Mistús [A term Katharine uses to describe herself] was so astonished at the report of meekness in the part of your pettie doggie, on his departure, that she has only now recovered sufficiently to write a letter to inquire about his subsequent behavior. Alas! Great fears are entertained as to that report. After you were gone, I thought of several things I wanted to say to you and felt a bit lonesome, so I thought "I'll get Scipio to come in the porch with me!" But the pen was empty and "little one" was gone! ......The sidewalks are being put in from opposite- our drive down toward Kenneth's today. There doesn't seem much to worry about since Scipio can't tramp around in it! The street is being repaired some, too.....I hope you are all well and happy, including "little one". And I hope you are getting enough to eat, also including Scipio.....Much love to Buster & Little One as well as to you." (9) [Orville had invited his grand-nephew Horace to the island. Horace's nickname was Buster.]

Katharine, in a letter to Orville, August 2, 1918, wrote,

"Your letter of last Sunday has just arrived. Mistús doesn't blame Little One for wagging his head and looking "funny", with a couple dozen of those "feathers" sticking in his nose & mouth. I'd like to see the encounter between Porcupine & Doggie......I will come up the middle of August, if you think it will be all right. Maybe we could stay one week in September...." (9) [This would not be the last time Scipio would encounter a porcupine.]

The next year, Orville vacationed with Col. E. A. Deeds and his wife Edith W. Deeds on a road trip out west. Katharine, in a hilarious letter to Orville, July 7, 1919, wrote,

"Dear Little Brother, The Little One wishes Master [A term Katharine uses to describe Orville] would come back. Mistús [Katharine] is on an awful tear and didn't give L.O. any breakfast- just told him what he was, instead! And all this just because L.O., after being gooder than anything all day- and Mistús being good too, taking L.O. to the woods in the morning and for a walk in the hill just before supper- as I say- all this disagreeableness on the part of Mistús just because L.O. after a nice walk just before dark- suddenly darted across the street into Matterson's place and made off- Mistús trying to follow in the deep weeds and briars. Mistús hunted for an hour and finally went to bed, resolved that there would be no more twilight walks, no matter how innocent some one acted and looked.

So today Little One is sulking in his pen; Mistús is "mad" and everything is going wrong. Mistús lock shut the gate to the pen so L.O. couldn't get in. When Charlie [Charles Grumbach, husband of Carrie] went down this morning L.O. was in the East porch and growled at Charlie! Some One scolded Mistús a little bit Saturday night, because she tried to hurry him too much about going to bed. The weather has been cool since you left. Last night, we had to sleep under covers,- when sleeping we did, which wasn't much, with Little One out roaming about!...... Mistús will ask some one early this evening, if he will be a "good doggie now" and if Some One wags his tail and says "Yes" he will get a good supper, with some nice cookies for dessert...." (10)

Orville camping out west with the Deeds, July of 1919. Image courtesy of Wright State University Libraries Core Scholar Special Collections and Archives>Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brothers Photographs>2438, ms1_26_2_2.

Then, four days later, Katharine, in a letter to Orville, July 11, 1919, wrote,

"Little One has been gooder than anything- ever since the unfortunate excursion of last Sunday night. He wags his tail for Mistús most like he did for Master but Mistús looks for a sudden falling off of affection for her when M.er returns. Mistús feeds him and discovers that he knows the difference between "store" cookies and Carrie's. It was comical to see the change of expression when we changed from ginger snaps to Carrie's cookies. He seems very well & lively. The flies have been making his nose sore but Charles got some carbolic salve last night & rubbed it in. Little One tried to get it off to keep it from hurting him but gave it up. "Folks" don't know much about doctoring doggies!" (10)

The next year, Orville and Katharine's oldest brother Reuchlin died (May 23, 1920). Orville was in too much pain to attend the funeral. (11) (12)

From the Kansas City Times, Mo, Monday, May 24, 1920, "Reuchlin Wright, 59 years old, died yesterday at his home, 3836 Euclid avenue, following a stroke of apoplexy. Mr. Wright was first stricken last Monday morning but seemed to be on the road to recovery when he received a second stroke from which he failed to recover. He was a brother to Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first successful heavier-than-air flying machine..." Unfortunately, Orville was suffering from sciatica (11) at the time of Reuchlin's strokes and eventual death, and therefore neither Orville nor Katharine was able to visit Reuchlin during his final week. From the Dayton Daily Journal, May 24, 1920, "Information of a previous stroke which he suffered one week ago today summoned his younger brother, Lorin Wright, to Kansas City, where he and his wife now are. Orville Wright is ill with sciatica at his home in Oakwood, so neither he nor his sister, Miss Katharine Wright, will be able to go west..."

How terribly sad it must have been for Orville and Katharine to not be able to be with Reuchlin during his final days. Katharine wrote of the experience to her friend Vilhjalmur Stefansson December 26, 1923, and within the letter wrote the following, "We had the family (twelve besides ourselves) for dinner Christmas Eve and for supper, in the kitchen, last night. After they had gone last night I had a chance to sit down before the wood-fire in the living-room and think about you. I was thinking about Christmas Eve four years ago when we had a Christmas telegram from you- and about on any, many other nice things that I love to remember. I wonder if you ever knew about the one letter that just about "saved my life". It was just after we had been in New York, for the medal, and Orv was down in bed after we got home. My oldest brother was ill too and we couldn't go or do a thing. I had to stay with Orv and he was very uncomfortable and I was worn out with anxiety. On Saturday afternoon in the last mail came a dear letter from you. I'll never forget what that letter said. I know it by heart. Well, I can't tell you how it helped me through that black time- my brother died the next morning- and I needed comfort."(13)

Orville eventually recovered from the bout of sciatica, and was able to return to Lambert Island that summer. Katharine Wright, in a letter to Griffith Brewer, September 17, 1920, wrote, "The trip (from Lambert) wasn't very hard on Orv. He seems more free from lameness than for weeks. The "Little One" (Scipio) was very dirty but otherwise all right. He ran everywhere to visit his old haunts." (14)

Katharine Wright and Scipio at Lambert Island. Image courtesy of Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brothers Photographs>2423, ms1_25_6_35.

The 1921 trip to Lambert Island included a rematch between Scipio and the porcupine. Scipio did not come out on top this time.

Scipio tried to make friends with a porcupine at Lambert Island during his visit there in 1921. That didn't go so well. Orville and Katharine tied Scipio down in order to more easily remove the quills. Image courtesy of Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brothers Photographs>2426, ms1_25_6_31.

1921 was the last trip to Lambert Island for Scipio, not because of the porcupine encounter, but because of his health. "Scipio had to be put down in 1922 because of a joint disorder which is common to the breed." (7) Orville and Katharine lost their Little One on February 1, 1922. Sadly, Orville and Katharine shared just short of 5 years time with their St. Bernard.

Goodbye Scipio! Lambert Island image of Scipio courtesy of Wright State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1)>Wright Brother Photographs>2457, ms1_26_3_42.

Many on-line sources indicate Scipio's death occurring in 1924, which is incorrect. His burial location is not known.

Griffith Brewer to Katharine, February 24, 1922, "I received your letter of the 9th February......I cannot say how sorry I was to hear about Scipio. It must be a terrible loss to Orv and also for you...." (10)

Katharine Wright, in a letter to Vilhjalmur Stefansson written May 17, 1922, "It will be hard for Orv to go to the Island without the Little One." (15)

"The only photo that Orville had in his wallet when he died", per image designation, courtesy of Carillon Historical Park, and the Wright Family. Scipio east of front entry to Hawthorn Hill.

Scipio is commemorated as providing one of the seats on the Carillon Historical Park Carousel. Photo by Author September, 2026.

Recommended Reading- From Kitty Hawk to KITTYHAWK, by Guy R. Johnstone, 2011. Fantastic book on Orville's adventures at Lambert Island, with many photos of Scipio and the Island.

Notes-

1. Milton Wright Diaries, Wright State University.

2. Hawthorn Hill home has all brick facing. The home pictured has lap board siding. Lorin's 331 Grafton home still stands. The porch railing has been changed, but the porch column details remain, and match that in this photo. The details of the porch column which help match these two photos is close to being lost per my visit this September 2026.

Side by side view comparison of the 1917 photo of Scipio compared to 2019 photo. The steps that Scipio sat on have been removed and step access to the porch is now located to the west.

September 2026 photo by Author. Unfortunately the front porch at 331 Grafton is in danger of collapse. The details of the front door and left column have been lost since the 2019 photo above.

3. Letter, March 21, 1917, Katharine Wright to Florence, Wright State University Core Scholar Special Collections and Archives.

4. The block at grade, and lapboards identify this photo as at 331 Grafton, and being taken likely the same day as the porch view of Scipio. I visited the site September 10, 2026, and deduced the view was shot in the back yard of the home. The single story addition built after 1917 is highlighted with blue outline. Scipio would have been in the position shown, but back near the original constructed building face.

331 Grafton Ave, Lorin Wright's home, photo by Author, September 2026. Single story addition to rear highlighted in blue did not exist when this picture of Scipio was taken in 1917. The 1917 photo is aligned with the home with the vertical yellow line.

5. Wright Reminiscences, compiled by Ivonette Wright Miller, 1978, Ivonette Miller's Reminiscences, pg 19.

6. Wright Reminiscences, compiled by Ivonette Wright Miller, 1978, My Summers with Orville Wright, by Robert Hadler, pg 97.

7. See my posts-

Orville Wright and the Kettering Bug

Orville Wright- Until the Cows Come Home

Dayton-Wright Airplane Company Experimental Research Station

15 North Broadway- The Wright Aeronautical Laboratory

8. From Kitty Hawk to Kittyhawk, Orville Wright's Life on Georgian Bay in Canada, by Guy R. Johnstone, 2011.

9. Library of Congress, Family Papers: Correspondence--Wright, Katharine, 1912-1918. Source Collection- Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright papers, 1809-1979.

10. Library of Congress, Family Papers: Correspondence--Wright, Katharine, 1919-1924. Source Collection- Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright papers, 1809-1979.

11. The two paragraphs that follow are taken from Reuchlin Wright- The Eldest Wright Brother

12. Orville suffered from bouts of sciatica for the rest of his life due to injuries received in September of 1908 at Ft. Myer. Travel during his times of illness was not possible due to extreme pain.

13. Katharine Wright to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, December 26, 1923, 4 pages hand written, from Author's collection.

14. As quoted in "From Kitty Hawk to KITTYHAWK" by Guy R. Johnstone, 2011, pg 41.

15. Katharine Wright to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, May 17, 1922, 6 pages typed, from Author's collection.

16. I will continue to search for this letter written by Horace. A popular book that may have been within Orville's library (yet to be confirmed) was Jacob Abbott's "Hannibal", 1876. The book may have originally been in Milton's library. Harper & Brothers Publishers published a printing in 1901. Chapter Ten is called "Scipio".

Friday, December 12, 2025

Collecting Wright Brother First Flight Newspapers

Updated December 15, 2025

Accounts of the Wright Brother's flights of December 17th, 1903 appeared in numerous newspapers on December 18th. The early accounts were riddled with inaccuracies and fabricated "facts", as the Wrights were not initially consulted for the details of the flights. These earliest of issues would be the most desirable to some collectors, while others may place aesthetics of the article ahead of an early date. Secondly, if the account was printed on the front page in lieu of buried within the issue, this may be a desirable factor to some collectors as display of the article would be easier. Asking prices are generally in the hundreds of dollars. A complete newspaper would generally have more value than a single page. Value would also increase with condition of course. Newspapers of this time period tend to be brittle due to the acidity of the newsprint, and require careful handling to avoid potential chipping of page edges.

What follows is just a partial list of early first flight newspapers. After December 18th, the number of papers carrying the story increases exponentially, so I intentionally stopped listing papers for December 19th after reaching 23 different issues. I will likely add to this list over time as I come across other issues that come to sale. Only a handful of issues are listed beyond the 19th date, only because I tired of typing. There are hundreds to list.

Dec 18, 1903 The Dayton Daily News "Dayton Boys Emulate Great Santos-Dumont". The morning edition of this date did not carry the first flight article, leading many historical sources to indicate the Dayton Daily News didn't carry the story on the 18th. However, the story did appear in the evening edition, page 8.

The Dayton Daily News December 18, 1903 account from the Wright Brother's scrapbook, courtesy of Dayton Metro Library Archives.

Original print block, Dayton Boys Emulate Great Santos-Dumont. Print block compared to laminated page of article at Dayton Metro Library. Photo by Author, May of 2014.

Photographic process on magnesium plate, hardens the metal, and when placed in acid bath, softer metal is removed, leaving the image. This is then mounted on wood. This process for printing plates dates to the later 1800's and is still in use today. Corrosion (white powered areas) are due to magnesium oxidation. From Author's collection.

Dec 18, 1903 The Dayton Evening Herald "Dayton Boys Fly Airship, Problem of Aerial Navigation Solved" Inaccurate article "Wilbur [Wilbur] and Orville Wright, of Dayton, O., have solved the problem of aerial navigation by successfully flying their airship, with which they have been experimenting for the past three years....[1900-1903] The flight began from a platform constructed upon a high sand hill near Kitty Hawk...When all was ready, Wilber [Wilbur] took his place in the car, which is in the center of the machine, and his brother released the catch which held the affair to the top of the incline. Gravity did the rest, and while the rush down the slope was going on the navigator started a small gasoline engine that occupies a central position in the floor of the car. By a system of pulleys and cogs this engine put in motion a six-bladed propeller directly beneath it, and another extending horizontally to the rear...." Yeah, not quite, and exactly how would they land with a moving propeller on the underside of the machine? The Evening Herald was simply repeating the misinformation without consulting the Wright family in order to not miss the deadline for printing that day.

Dayton Evening Herald, "Dayton Boys Fly Airship". From Wright Brother's scrapbook, courtesy of Dayton Metro Library Archives.

Dec 18, 1903 The Troy Times N.Y. "Machine Flies. Account is similar to The Dayton Evening Herald story, including the misspelling of Wilbur's name as Wilber.

The Troy Times (NY), December 18, 1903 "Machine Flies". This issue was offered for sale on E-bay in 2018 for $800. The item was later listed as no longer available, so actual sale amount not determined. It was indicated as a complete newspaper.

Dec 18, 1903 Virginian-Pilot "Flying Machine Soars 3 Miles in Teeth of High Wind Over Sand Hills and Waves at Kitty Hawk On Carolina Coast, No Balloon Attached To Aid It." The reporter who hadn't witnessed the flights, made up the account that would then be repeated by other papers, "Like a monster bird the invention hovered above the breakers and circled over the rolling sand hills at the command of its navigator and, after soaring for three miles, it gracefully descended to earth again and rested lightly upon the spot selected by the man in the car as a suitable landing place" "Eureka," he cried, as did the alchemist of old." Wilbur's name is spelled as "Wilber" in this account.

Virginian-Pilot December 18, 1903, from Wright Brother's scrapbooks, courtesy of Dayton Metro Library Archives.

Dec 18, 1903 The Cincinnati Post, "Airship Made by Wright Brothers, of Dayton, Said to Have made a Successful Test." Page 3.
Dec 18, 1903 The Denver Times "Remarkable Flight of Yankee Machine" An issue sold for $240 on Dec 2008.
Dec 18, 1903 Fitchburg Daily Sentinel Mass "This Airship Went Like a Bird" An issue sold for $250 Apr 2005.
Dec 18, 1903 The Minneapolis Journal "Flying Machine Proves Success". Front page.
Dec 18, 1903 The Buffalo News "This Flying Machine Defies The Elements; A Success, They Say." Page 13.
Dec 18, 1903 Nashville Banner, "Navigating Atmosphere. Successful Trial Trip Of Wright Brothers' Flying Machine." Pg 7 "A huge framework of light timbers three feet wide, five feet deep and five feet across the top forms the machine proper. This is covered with a tough but light canvas. In the center is the navigator's car, and suspended just below the bottom plan is a small gasoline engine, which furnishes the motive power for the propelling and elevating wheels....Protruding from the center of the car is a huge fan-shaped rudder of canvas stretched upon a frame of wood." Yeah, and pink unicorns breathed their magic power upon William, or Wilber as he cried out "Eureka!", and he flapped his arms and flew along side his brother Orville all the way back to Dayton.
Dec 18, 1903 Lexington Herald-Leader, "Flying Machine, Wright Brothers Construct One At Last That Really Flies". Page 6.
Dec 18, 1903 The Pittsburgh Press, "Flight In Air, The Wright Brothers' Flying Machine Made a Successful Trip Near the Coast". Page 19.
Dec 18, 1903 Lewiston Evening Journal, Maine, "The Machine Actually Flies". Front Page.
Dec 18, 1903 San Francisco Chronicle, "Solve Aerial Flight Problem". Page 7.
Dec 18, 1903 New York American "Airship Flies Three Miles In A Gale".
Dec 18, 1903 Evening News Chicago "It Flies Against Wind"
Dec 18, 1903 The Constitution, Atlanta, Ga. Within paper, three lines of text, no headline. Way to go Atlanta!

The Constitution, Atlanta, Ga. Three lines buried within paper. Suitable for framing. "A successful trial trip of a flying-machine has been made in North Carolina by the Wright brothers, of Ohio."

Dec 19, 1903 New York Tribune "Flying Machine Works" Issue sold on E-bay for $49.99 on Aug 25th, 2014. Issue was just pages 4 and 5, and had some tears and old tape repair.

New York Tribune, "Flying Machine Works".

Dec 19, 1903 New York World "Flying Machine Succeeds On Trial".
Dec 19, 1903 New York Herald, "Gale No Bar To Flying Machine". "Wright Brothers Experimenting with Flying Machine".
Dec 19, 1903 Dayton Journal "Wright Flyer. Clever Device of Bishop Wright's Sons".
Dec 19, 1903 Dayton Press "Wright Boys Coming Home. Will Pass Christmas Week in Dayton and Return to Kitty Hawk Next Month For Other Tests of Machine".
Dec 19, 1903 The Omaha Daily Bee "Is A Real Flying Machine"
Dec 19, 1903 Cincinnati Enquirer "Ohio Inventors And Their Airship"
Dec 19, 1903 Cincinnati Post "Flight. Through the Air as Will, Believed by the Wright Boys to Be Now Within Their Grasp".
Dec 19, 1903 Boston Evening Transcript "The Latest Flying Machine".
Dec 19, 1903 Commercial Tribune, Cincinnati "Ohio Men Invent Airship That Flies".
Dec 19, 1903 Chicago Record-Herald "New Air Ship Flies Against Heavy Wind".
Dec 19, 1903 Chicago Tribune "Flying Machine Soars. Ohioans Launch Aerial Ship Near Kitty Hawk, N. C.". Page 3.
Dec 19, 1903 Virginian-Pilot "Airship Success On Third Attempt".
Dec 19, 1903 The News and Advance, Lynchburg, Virginia "Flying Machine That Flies" Page 5.
Dec 19, 1903 Savannah Morning News, "This Machine Flies", Front page.
Dec 19, 1903 Marion Daily Star, Ohio. "The Machine Is Not A Mere Toy". Front page.
Dec 19, 1903 San Francisco Chronicle "New Flying Machine Record". Page 6.
Dec 19, 1903 Richmond Times-Dispatch "A Machine That Flies". Page 5.
Dec 19, 1903 The Morning Star, Wilmington, N. C. Front page, one sentence, "Flying machine, operated by Wright Brothers, of Dayton, Ohio, sailed three miles at Kitty Hawk, N.C., Thursday."
Dec 19, 1903 Fort Wayne Daily News "Flying Machine Excites Interest" Front page. Accurate account, "No further test was made today by Orville and Wilbur Wright of their flying machine at Kitty Hawk, on the Carolina coast. The news of their successful trial Thursday caused them to be besieged with messages from all quarters of the country. They are not surprised that the matter was made public at this time and refuse to give out further information regarding their machine or the time of its next trial. It can be stated, however, no more tests will be made until after the holidays, as the brother inventors leave today for Dayton, O., where they will pass Christmas week with their father, Bishop Wright of the United Brethren church...."
Dec 19, 1903 The State. Columbia, S.C. "This A Real Flying Machine". Front page.
Dec 19, 1903 The Brooklyn Times "Wright Brothers Modest" Front page.
Dec 19, 1903 The Evening News, Patterson, New Jersey "A Machine That Flies". Page 7.
Dec 20, 1903 Chicago Sunday Record- Herald "A Flying Machine That Flies" An issue was offered on AbeBooks.com for $400 in 2014. I don't know if it sold for that amount. Listed as a complete newspaper.
Dec 24, 1903 The Dayton Herald "Wright Brothers Return Home, The Problem Solved"
Jan 6, 1904 The Minneapolis Journal "Airship Was A Great Success", Story on front page. An issue is currently available (when this post was written) on E-bay by jimspages for $250. The issue is complete 20 pages, and slightly brittle as is to be expected. Removed from a bound volume.

The Minneapolis Journal, January 6, 1904.

Jan 6, 1904 Youngstown Vindicator Ohio "Flying Machine Problems Solved" A 12-page issue removed from bound set sold by Swann Auction Galleries for $750 on Nov 21, 2024. Semi-correct account stating, "The Wright brothers, inventors, of the flying machine which caused widespread attention have made the following statement which which [sic] they say is the first correct statement of the two [four] successful trials made by them: 'On the morning of December 17, between 11:30 [10:30] and noon four flights were made, two by Orville Wright and two by Wilbur Wright...."

Jan 6, 1904 Youngstown Vindicator, "Flying Machine Problem Solved", courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries.

Jan 17, 1904 The Denver Republican, "The Machine That Flies"

Single laminate page 24 from The Denver Republican, January 17, 1904, "The Machine That Flies". Inaccurate illustration but aesthetically pleasing for display. Author's collection.

Drawing of Flyer with imagined vertical propeller at rear and horizontal propeller underneath.

Jan 17, 1904 Dallas Morning News, "The Machine That Flies." Offered with some other Wright articles by University Archives on May 31, 2023. Story printed on page 17. It does not appear that the rest of the issue was included. Items did not sell.

"The Machine That Flies", courtesy of University Archives.

Feb 7, 1904 New York Tribune "Aerial Flights". Issue is available as of the writing of this post on E-bay by jimspages, for $295. Complete paper of 14 pages, and somewhat brittle as is to be expected. Removed from bound volume.

New York Tribune Feb 7, 1904 "Aerial Flights".

If you decide to collect some early flight newspapers, keep in mind they are easily damaged due to the brittle newsprint. For newspapers in general, I store mine in archival acid free folders. It is best to leave the newspaper in place once inserted into the archival sleeve, as each time the issue is removed, some chipping of the paper edges tends to occur. Laminated pages can be handled without this concern, but some collectors prefer to not have their pages laminated as this is an irreversible process.

Acid free Archival folder with clear plastic sleeves sized for large newsprint. Without damage to the newspaper, I'll often place folded pages separate into sleeves in lieu of keeping the entire issue in one sleeve such that news accounts can be read without removing the full issue.

For multi-page issues, if all pages are within one sleeve, or if the account is within the folded sheet not visible, I'll make a print of the article within and include within the sleeve to remind myself of what is within the issue, and also to limit the times I remove the issue from the archival folder.

I use ITOYA Art Profolio folders. They come in various sizes. For newspapers I use the 24" by 18". Not an advertisement, as I make no income from this blog. Just recommending a good product for this use. These come with 24 pages. Older newspapers from the 1800's may have larger dimensions, and to utilize these folders, the issues need to be folded in half to slip into the sleeve. This is how I store my loose Milton Wright Religious Telescope issues from 1875 for example. The 1876 issues are slightly smaller in height, and fit fine. Newspapers of this age are printed on linen, and are not brittle at all.

Bishop Wright, editor of Religious Telescope, 1875 issues are a bit too large, so issue is stored folded in sleeve. 1876 issue dimensions are such that it fits open within a sleeve.

As old newsprint can be brittle, collectors will likely find various levels of damage as they obtain, and as they handle their issues, such as small tears, or even paper loss at folds. Papers that have been stored folded for long periods of time (as in decades), will often have separation along the fold points, including paper loss. I obtained Dayton Daily News issues associated with the Wright Brothers Home Celebration of June 17-18, 1909. These issues had been stored folded, and had paper loss at the folds. Had these been simply placed in an archival folder, the issues could not be fully viewed, as each printed sheet consists of four pages, such that front and back page could be viewed, but internal two pages of printed sheet are hidden. To fully view, the paper would need to be removed from the folder, causing additional unintentional damage due to the brittleness and existing tears. For this reason, I used acid-free archival tape to mend the papers. With these repairs, I am able to remove the papers and view them with minimal potential for damage. I've used a product by LINECO, called Document Repair Tape, acid free, using a bone paper folder to apply the tape. This method of preservation is acceptable for papers valued in the low hundreds of dollars in my opinion. For more valuable issues such as a copy of the Wright's West Side News, investing in professional conservation services would be recommended. Perhaps a subject for a future post.

LINECO acid-free document repair tape. Sizable paper loss at fold. With repair, page can now be opened without further damage. Care must still be taken at paper edges when re-inserting into acid-free sleeve. Dayton Daily News, June 16, 1909 page. Author's copy.

Other posts on collecting Wright material-

Collecting Wright Brother First Flight Magazines

The Wright Brothers 1909 Dayton Celebration Posters and Programs

Collecting Orville Wright Estate Magazines, Pamphlets, and Bulletins

Gleaning the History from Wright Brother Checks- Their styles and values.

Value of Historical Items Associated with the Wright Brothers

The 1903 Wright Flyer Fabric and Wood Remnants

Collecting Historical Items Associated with the Wright Brothers

Collecting Letters of Orville Wright- Their Historical Content and Values

Collecting Letters of Wilbur Wright- Their Historical Content and Values

Collecting First Flight Photos Signed by Orville Wright

Collecting Pilot Licenses Signed by Orville Wright

The Wright Brother 1903 Western Union and Postal Telegraph Telegrams

Buyer Beware When Collecting Wright Brother Items- Revised

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Louis Christman drawings of the 1903 and 1905 Wright Flyers

Updated April 15, 2026

The following discussion on Louis Christman and the drawings he produced of the 1903 and 1905 Wright Flyers was originally a section within my post "Buyer Beware When Collecting Wright Brother Items". Because the topic was extensive, I've separated this portion into its own post, and will eventually provide additional content.

Louis Christman sketches of 1903 and 1905 Wright Flyers with Orville Wright notes in red-

While working on the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III in 1947/48, and then following with preparing drawings of the 1903 Kitty Hawk Flyer, Louis Christman made many sketches and hand calculations on the dimensions of the various components of the Flyers. His descendants offered Christman's personal archive of his sketches and notes at auction in 2013 and 2015. These sketches were sold in groups through a reputable auction house. A group of the sketches were then resold individually on E-bay by one of the purchasers. The historical account as provided by the auction house was simply repeated by the E-bay seller. The auction house had the collection examined by an expert, and the history of the items was as provided to them from the original owner. I believe intentions of all involved was honorable, but this doesn't change the fact that the history was Wrong! (1)

Absolutely, these sketches are genuine sketches by Louis Christman. But are the marks in red on some of these sketches by Orville Wright as claimed in the original auctions and then the reselling of individual sketches? That is the question. Buyers have spent hundreds of dollars believing that they are. The sketches are still of interest and value, but that value should not be based on the belief that notes in red are by Orville Wright.
Consider the following:

Historical account as stated by seller-

"You are bidding on an original component drawing of the Wright Flyer made by Louis P. Christman, mathematical notes in red ink by Orville Wright. The mathematical data shown was done when Christman returned to Dayton and conferred with Colonel Edward Deeds and Orville Wright. The original owner relates that these working drawings and notes/calculations were done before final drawings of the reconstruction were produced. As an employee of National Cash Register, with his experience in aircraft and machine design, Louis P. Christman was called upon by prominent engineer and inventor, Colonel Edward Deeds, to undertake the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer, which resides at Carillon Park, Dayton, Ohio. Christman was given the opportunity to work closely with Orville Wright in order to produce an accurate set of drawings for the 1903, 1904, and 1905 Wright Flyers. Since no complete drawings were ever produced by Orville and Wilbur during the building and flying of the planes, it was required that Christman travel to Washington, D.C. to the Smithsonian Institution to take measurements and make drawings from the original 1903 Flyer that is displayed there and to discuss these drawings with Orville Wright. Christman worked closely with Orville Wright to produce an accurate set of drawings. In creating plans for the 1903 Flyer, Christman traveled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. to take measurements and make drawings from the original 1903 Flyer displayed there and later the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to study, and trace, informal drawings the Wright brothers had done. Back in Dayton, he would discuss these notes with Orville Wright. Continued meetings and conversations between Orville Wright and Christman resulted in a refined set of drawings of the numerous gliders and planes. Christman, under the direction of Deeds, then began the restoration of the 1905 Flyer in 1947, on the grounds of the National Cash Register Co. Final construction and assembly was completed at Carillon Historical Park, where the plane was reassembled and fabric was stretched. The plane in on display there today."

Conflicts of the above account to the actual historical time line of events-

Orville Wright died January 30th, 1948.
The Smithsonian Institution did not obtain the 1903 Wright Flyer until October of 1948.
The Franklin Institute Wright Brothers collection was obtained through Orville Wright's will- "Dr. Orville Wright deeded to the Franklin Institute in his will and through the Executor's of his Estate all of his and his brother's, Wilbur Wright's, original wind tunnel apparatus, model airfoils, test data and drawings of their early airplanes..."
Obviously, Christman could not have discussed anything with Orville Wright related to his trips to the Smithsonian or the Franklin Institute, because Orville was no longer living!

Examination of the calculations and notes in red claimed to be by Orville Wright-

Who performed the analysis of the handwriting to confirm it is in the hand of Orville Wright? I doubt anyone performed this analysis, as the evidence is pretty clear that the same hand is responsible for both the notes and calculations in pencil, and the notes and calculations in red!

Calculations in red are attributed to Orville Wright, and calculations in pencil are attributed to Louis Christman. But is the handwriting different? Compare the 186.266/360 in pencil above to the 186.2/360 in red below. Do these appear to be written in different hands? Additionally, notice how the 4's in pencil and the 4's in red are closed 4's. Occasionally in pencil and in red there is an open 4. Orville Wright always made his 4's open. Yet, these Christman drawings are covered with closed 4's in red. So how are these mathematical notes in the hand of Orville Wright?

Are we to believe that Louis Christman's (in pencil) and Orville Wright's numbering (in red) above, is this similar? Do these appear to be written by different hands?

Genuine example of Orville Wright's handwriting. Note the open style 4. All his 4's are open style, even back to his diary from the 1900's at Kitty Hawk. Yet, on the Christman drawings, most of the 4's in red are closed style.

Compare "Left Side" in pencil to "Left Side" in red in two examples above.

Are we to believe that Louis Christman's and Orville Wright's handwriting is this similar?

Comparison of handwriting in red claimed to be by Orville Wright to actual examples of Orville Wright's handwriting-

What known examples exist of Orville Wright's handwriting that look anything like these marks in red claimed to be by Orville Wright?
Orville's handwriting remained amazingly consistent throughout his lifetime. Below is an example from a letter written by Orville in 1909. Take note of the R in Russian, and how the I is written as two examples. Compare these to the I and R in envelopes written by Orville in 1929, 1942, and 1946, and note how consistent his writing style is.

Genuine Orville Wright letter from 1909.

Note the way the "R" appears in Russian, and the "I" in I am. Then compare to the 1929, 1942, and 1946 script below.

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting from 1929 envelope.

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting from 1942 envelope.

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting in 1946. Note the "R" in Rev, and the "I" in Indiana. Very characteristic of Orville's life long handwriting. These characteristics should appear somewhere in the writing in red ink on the Louis Christman drawings, shouldn't they? Compare Orville's R of 1909, 1929, 1942, and 1946 to the R on the Christman sketches below.

"R" from the Christman drawings claimed to be by Orville, has large loop not seen in Orville's handwriting.

Letters in red claimed to be written by Orville Wright on Christman sketches.


Two more examples from Christman drawings, the "R" has large loop in front not characteristic of Orville Wright's handwriting style. Note how the "F" is written in "First". See below for how Orville writes an "F". Do they match?


Genuine Orville Wright handwriting, note the style of the "F" in France and February. Nothing like the backward "F" above in "First" in the Christman drawing example.

In the words of Louis Christman, his own account of the process-

From transcript provided by University of Dayton, Wright Brothers- Charles F. Kettering Oral History Project, Louis Christman interviewed by Susan Bennet April or May of 1967- (notes in italics are mine)

Susan Bennent (SB)- How long did it take? (reconstruction of 1905 Flyer)
Louis Christman (LC)- Well, it took me about a year and a half.
SB- A year and a half. Why was it, why did it take that long?
LC- Oh, it was a lot of work. You had to do on that. You see, for three months prior to when I went to work there in, I think it was November, last part of October, November, I spent afternoons with Orville Wright talking about the airplane.
SB- What did he say?
LC- Well, he was telling me different things, you see. And what I had read up or when I questioned him, and the odd part of it was that if I was to sit down with a pencil and paper, and take notes, he would clam up.
SB- He wouldn't talk.
LC- So, my job was to pay attention to what he said, and the minute he left, I'd get busy. Now I was working then...
SB- Now, did he have, did he have any blueprints or drawings, or anything?
LC- No.
SB- Well, now when you talk with Mr. Wright, in the afternoon, what would he talk about? I mean what would he say, this plane is going to be, was this long or was....
LC- Just what he said there.
SB- or use what curve or what? I don't. Did he give you any pictures to work from?
LC- No. I got these pictures from NCR.
SB- When, where did you all talk? At his home? Or his laboratory? Or where?
LC- No, at the NCR.
SB- At the NCR; he would come down there.
LC- In an office up there in Mr. Smith's department. Sat back in the back office of Mr. Smith's. And later on, when he came out, to as I was working over there in that frame building he'd come over there in that frame building. Maybe two, three days a week. And I know one time I talked to Colonel Deeds. I said, Colonel, I have an idea and I want your approval. I would like to get a tape recorder concealed and conceal the microphone so that when I talk to Mr. Wright, I get this data. Because I said that I've got an awful job trying to memorize each day as we go along because the minute he gets out of here, I sit down and try to put notes down, and then start working on my drawing. And I said I won't do it. (Perhaps transcript incorrect here- Likely should read "And he said don't do it.") Mr. Wright would never forgive you for going (doing) a trick like that and he'd never forgive me, because I knew Orville. So please don't do it. I didn't.
SB- Well, he would, would he tell the angle fuse or things like that, or what would he talk about?
LC- Oh, different flights...
SB- Oh.
LC- How, how he'd shape. Orville Wright had, he'd had the habit of little notebooks. They were books about that long, about that wide see, carry it in the vest pocket, and that was full of all kinds of notes what they did. And as they went along, they made changes in their plane. If it broke something, smashed up, they had notes in there. Those are now in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Now I had permission to go through those papers, through the administrator of Wright Estate, Mr. Buzz Miller.(This was after Orville's death) And I was allowed to go to Washington and under supervision of a guard there....
SB- When, when did you go?
LC- That was in 1948.
SB-Oh, oh, when you, when you were working on this plane, they let you do that.
LC- Late '48.
LC- I had the overall figure from the very tip of that. And Orville Wright looked in a book. He says, no sir, that was three quarters of an inch longer than our figure. I sat there for quite a while, and tried to figure out what he meant......(no mention that Orville marked it in red on a drawing)
Oh, I worked on the (wing curve). I had my drawing too. And I had one of the ribs, ribs downstairs see, and I had it laid out and I made a model and the next time that Orville Wright came out, I showed it to him. He looked it over and he checked my drawings. He asked about one difference. I'll show you how we fixed the end of the wire. And he showed me what it was, where you had to, uppercut strip of the bottom cut strip come in and put a saw slot in there, and that trailing edge wire of the fabric laid in there, see. So I made the thing, he made another one, and showed it to him. He told me, he said, "Oh Louis", he said, "You're going too fast on this job. You got time, you're doing fine here and all this stuff is working out, you just go ahead." And, in fact, just before he died, I had three drawings, and he was out there at the plant with Mr. Hoist (?) (Likely Mr. Beust), Colonel Deeds, and in this room where I was working, at that train building, I told Mr. Wright, I said I'm going to put these out in your car. So next week if you have a chance, just look them over and let me know if I'm on the right track, or words to that effect. I never got those drawings, because Orville Wright died, see, he had that stroke and died. And Miss Beck, his private secretary would not let me have those drawings.
(Many pages later in the interview Christman talks about making sketches of the 1903 Flyer)
LC-.....Now when that plane came back here in 19....., 1949, I think it was when it came back here. (the 1903 flyer was returned in 1948) I went to Washington to get my batter, to make these drawings, in fact, Mr. Geyer and myself were scheduled to go to England to make these drawings of the Kitty Hawk, because so many people wanted to build a model or replica of the airplane, but they got their information from this magazine, or that magazine, everybody seemed to be an authority on it, but nothing was authentic. But then Orville Wright had decided that the plane was to come back here when the United States government gave them the recognition, and so the plane was brought back here, and I made, well just before they set it up. And then when it was set up over there, and I almost killed myself on one visit over there, by getting up on a high ladder and the plane is suspended by four cables and I was leaning against that edge, see? And here I was pushing that plane, and it started swaying.
SB- Oh, Oh.
LC- But I finally, I finally got down, and when I got down I wasn't worth a darn for the rest of the day.
(laughter)
LC- But I got a pair of field glasses, so I could get up in distances, in different elevations, and I'd studied things from that plane, on that plane from I don't know, used my imagination a little, that's just so far, see? And I come back and check my drawings that I had. I had to make a complete set of those drawings.......

Available through the University of Dayton Archival and Special Collections, "Guide to the Wright Brothers- Charles F. Kettering Oral History Project" (Jennifer Brancato, UD, 6-2015), Box 2, Folder 3, Louis Christman.

Conclusion-

From the above statements of Louis Christman, there is no mention of Orville Wright adding redmarks to drawings or sketches. In lieu of this, Louis describes how he would have to memorize whatever Orville had to share, and write it down after Orville left. Even suggesting to Colonel Deeds that a tape recorder be hidden to record what Orville had to say. Are we really to believe that Orville Wright made many calculations and notes in red ink on Christman's drawings, in a handwriting style identical to Christman's, on sketches made after Orville's death?
A simple comparison of the handwriting in pencil compared to that in red on these documents strongly indicates both are in the same hand in most cases, and are not in the style of Orville Wright.
It is unfortunate that these drawings are now in the hands of many collectors who have been told otherwise.

Some examples of the Louis Christman sketches from the Author's collection-

Of the 250 or so sketches within the archive originally sold, I've obtained a number of the sketches.

Notes in Louis Christman's hand. He wrote, "Science Museum drawing data to be checked against actual Kitty Hawk Plane in Washington D.C." Original notes are in graphite, and corrections are made in red. Red graphite or ink was simply used to differentiate between original notes, and later corrections, all in Christman's hand. Orville Wright died prior to the Kitty Hawk plane's return to the United States.

The Louis Christman sketches, notes, and transmittal's are all really interesting. As these sold individually or in small collections, I followed many of the sales, and digitally saved jpegs of each document. Much that can be gleaned from this archive is lost with the division of all the pieces; but by saving a digital record of much of the archive, perhaps there is still hope. The documents I was able to obtain for my personal collection are related to the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III. I hope to write a post in the future and share what I can. I obtained Christman's correspondence with The Diamond Chain Company, which documents the provision of chains for the 1905 Flyer restoration. I've shared these in my post:

The Diamond Chain Company and The Wright Brothers

The Louis Christman 1903 Kitty Hawk Aeroplane drawings-

After the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III was completed, Louis Christman was tasked to prepare a set of drawings for the Smithsonian of the 1903 Kitty Hawk Aeroplane. With any preparation of manually drafted drawings, there would be a series of mark-ups (working drawings), as each sheet of the set is developed. Prints would be made at various completion stages of each drawing, with those prints then used to back-check work, to add notes and marks to then be drafted as that sheet continues its development. A number of these mark-ups remained with Christman, and eventually became a portion of his estate to then be sold through Cowen's Auctions in 2013 and 2015. Wright State University won the bid for 23 "working drawings" of Christman's 1903 prints for $550 in the Cowen's July 2013 auction, a nice buy at $23.91 a sheet.

Another "working drawing" was included in the sale of a larger archive of Christman sketches sold through Cowen's in 2015. This specific sheet contained half the printed content that eventually became sheet C-2 of the 1950 Smithsonian set. This sheet was sold by the purchaser on E-bay in 2016 for $46. This same sheet is now being offered at auction (August 2025) with a minimum required bid of $5000, and an estimated value given at $10,000 to $20,000. Again, the account is repeated that the hand calculations on the sheet may possibly be by Orville Wright; the same incorrect history repeated from previous sales. The description states, "Christman worked closely with Orville Wright to produce an accurate set of drawings for the 1903 flyer (they even traveled to the Smithsonian to take measurements, and later to the Franklin Institute to view the informal drawings done by the Wrights)."

Orville died January 30, 1948.

The 1903 Flyer did not return to the United States until November 11, 1948.

It was formally received by the Smithsonian December 17, 1948.

Orville Wright did not travel to the Smithsonian with Louis Christman to view the 1903 Flyer!

The item did not sell, and so was offered once again by the same Auction House, bidding on January 29, 2026, with an estimated value this time of $500 to $1000, with starting minimum bid of $250. The description remained the same, with Louis Christman and Orville Wright traveling to the Smithsonian to view the Flyer that was not sent there until after Orville Wright's death. Sigh. The drawing sold for $650 plus buyers premium.

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