Description printed on back of photograph: "At Grover Whalen's home, 48 Washington Mews [sic]. From left to right: L. Thomas Thurlow, Comm. Hl Flannigan, Edward Lund, Howard Hughes, Grover Whalen, R. Stoddart, and Harry Connor. 6/38."
Description given with photograph: "Hughes' streamlined Stratoliner groomed for record dash. Glendale, Calif.-- With customary secrecy, Howard Hughes, millionaire oilman and speed-flier, is reported to be grooming his new $250,000, four-motored, streamlined Stratoliner(above) for another record-breaking transcontinental flight from Glendale, Calif., to New York. Hughes made the headlines some time ago when he broke the transcontinental record in a smaller ship. The new craft is pictured just before a trial flight at Glendale."
Transcribed from attachment to photo: "TOUGH TEST - A hard formation drilling test is begun in the big laboratory at Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Texas, where any drilling condition found anywhere in the world can be duplicated. Here, where the vast majority of rock bits used in the U. S. and Canada are produced, is the cornerstone of Howard Hughes' industrial empire; it was principally the income from the oil drilling equipment company which enables Hughes to branch out into many other fields."
Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Members of the Howard Hughes flight around the world are (L-to-R) Thomas Thurlow, navigator; Richard Stoddart, radio engineer; Ed Lund, mechanic and H. P. Connor, co-navigator, as they rode in the welcoming parade in New York City 7-15-38."