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."
37 x 49 cm. Relief shown by hachures and spot heights. "Atlas sheet no. 69(B)." "Issued Jan'y 8th 1878." "Expeditions of 1874-1875 & 1877 under the command of 1st. Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army." Prime meridians: Greenwich and Washington, D.C. "Weyss, Lang & Herman, del." "By order of the honorable the Secretary of War." "Under the direction of Brig. General A. A. Hunphreys, Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army." Original publisher: U.S. Geographical Surveys West of the 100th Meridian, Scale: 1 inch to 4 miles or 1: 253440.
A view of Howard Hughes and Grover Whalen at Floyd Bennett Airfield in New York. Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Grover Whalen greets Hughes. New York City-- His face covered by stubble and still wearing his battered hat, Howard Hughes is taken in tow by Grover Whalen, World's Fair head, shortly after Hughes and his companions set their plane down at Floyd Bennett Airport here, completing their dramatic dash around the world. Credit Line (ACME) 7/14/38"