Transcribed from back of photo: "Howard Hughes in the cockpit of the new XF-11 reconnaissance plane which he designed and built in conjuntion with Air Material Command engineers. He is preparing for its first flight. One of the world's fastest long-range photo planes, it can attain a speed of over 400 miles per hour."
Description given with photograph: "Howard Hughes tests the Hughes plane. Seattle--Howard Hughes (right), millionaire aviation enthusiast and record holder, shown with Edmund T. Allen, Boeing test engineer, before they made a recent test flight in a Boeing-built Stratoliner. The huge machine was equipped with extra fuel tanks for the test. Hughes did not reveal the reasons for his interest in the four-motored, 30 passenger plane, designed for substratosphere flight."
'Compiled, drawn, and engraved under the supervision of J.H. Colton and A.J. Johnson.' Relief shown by hachures and spot heights. Scale [ca. 1:3,041,280]. 1 in. to approx. 48 miles (W 124°--W 103°/N 42°--N 31°). Hand colored Prime meridians: Greenwich and Washington Plates 54 & 55 removed from Johnson's New illustrated family atlas of the world, with descriptions geographical, statistical and historical ... New York, 1862 Title page of atlas.
The black and white view of Howard Hughes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Description written on back of photograph: "July 14, 1938: Tired and bearded, Howard Hughes was surrounded as he left his plane at the municipal airport (World-Chamberlain Field) to secure weather information before leaving Minneapolis to complete his record-breaking around-the-world flight-- the fastest flight ever made in circumnavigating the globe. Photo-courtesy "The Minneapolis Star" Board of Park Commissions 325 City Hall Minneapolis, Minn."
Description given on piece of paper attached to the image: "Chicago reception for Howard Hughes after completing his Round the World flight. Hughes is in the center of the car leading the parade."