Materials depict the celebrations of Howard Hughes's circumnavigation flight in 1938. Along with a crew consisting of Harry Connor, Tom Thurlow, Richard Stoddart, and Ed Lund, Hughes flew the Super Electra on a global circumnavigation flight. On July 10, 1938, Hughes and the crew departed Floyd Bennett Field in New York and flew to Paris, France, Moscow, Russia, Omsk, Russia, Yakutsk, Russia, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Minneapolis, Minnesota before landing back in New York on July 14. The photographs primarily depict the parades thrown for Hughes after completion of the flight. The photographs also depict Hughes and his crew meeting with New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia at New York City Hall, the National Press Association, and crowds of onlookers who attended the plane's landings in various cities.
Archival Collection
Howard Hughes Public Relations Photograph Collection
Howard Hughes sitting inside the Lockheed 14 aircraft in New York. Typed on a piece of paper attached to the image: "Hughes' Paris hop delayed by motor trouble. New York City-- Howard Hughes, millionaire oil man and speed flyer, in the cabin of his huge Lockheed plane as he waited impatiently for a crew of mechanics to repair one of the motors so that he could take off for Paris. He was forced to give up his plans to leave on July 9th when mechanics found that it would be impossible to change the 18 cylinders of his motors in time. Crews worked all night at the job. Rough spots were found in the cylinders during fuel consumption tests. Credit Line (ACME) 7/10/38 Burs SF."
The black and white view of Howard Hughes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Description printed on photograph's accompanying strip of paper: "Howard Hughes as he waited for refueling at Minneapolis before starting his home stretch flight to Floyd Bennett Field to complete round the world flight."
A view of a crowd consisting of thousands of people who attended a parade that celebrated Howard Hughes' completion of his flight Round-the-World in New York City.
Typed onto a piece of paper attached to the image: "Fete, Hughes, and crew at Luncheon. Left to right at the head of the table are Harry P. Connor, navigator of the Hughes plane, Grover Whalen, Howard hughes, Mayor Fiorello Laguardia of New York City, Thomas Thurlow, Navigator, Richard Stoddart, radio engineer, and Edward Lund, flight engineer. At the bottom center of the photo is William Randolph Hearst, Jr., son of the publisher. 7/15/38"
Typed onto a piece of paper attached to the image: new York Hails Hughes and Companions, New York City --- In the greatest reception since Lindbergh's, Howard Hughes and his four gallant companions paraded up Broadway July 15 almost smothered beneath Manhattan's ticker tape accolade recognizing their record-smashing Round-the-World flight. This picture shows Hughes, center, waving to the cheering thousands. On the left is Grover Whalen, commissioner of the New York 1939 World's Fair and on the right is Al Lodwick, Hughes' flight manager. 7-15-38. Credit Line (ACME)."