Wing Fragment
ManufacturerManufactured by
Unknown
Date1932
MediumSilk, paper, metal, plastic
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 3 1/16 x 5 1/8in. (7.8 x 13cm)
ClassificationsVehicles
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Robert D. Scanlon
Object number1978.55.1
DescriptionPiece of orange/brown fabric in a metal frame with a mat. The fabric is stamped in ink with what appears to be an image of mountains with "SOUTH POLE AIR MAIL" stamped in ink below, with a round seal to the right that reads around the edges: "BIRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION". Handwritten in ink around the edges of the fabric are what appear to be names and signatures, at the top: "[Joe Hill Jr. To Van from the [illegible]"; at the right: "G H Black"; at the bottom: "John H. van der Wall". Possible additional writing is illegible.
Printed on the mat at the bottom in the shape of a plaque, it reads: "A Piece of Fabric Taken from The Wing of the Giant Condor Plane 'THE WILLIAM HORLICK' which was used in Exploration Flights on the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition"
Printed on the mat at the bottom in the shape of a plaque, it reads: "A Piece of Fabric Taken from The Wing of the Giant Condor Plane 'THE WILLIAM HORLICK' which was used in Exploration Flights on the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition"
Label TextA piece of fabric taken from the wing of Admiral Richard Byrd's plane, the Giant Condor. The plane was flown during Admiral Byrd's second expedition to Antarctica from 1933-35.
The wing fabric and other memorabilia from the expedition were collected by John Henry von der Wall, a long time resident of Bolton, Connecticut. He was a member of Admiral Byrd's 1932 expedition to Antarctica, and he was also a member of the 1933-5 expedition. John Henry von der Wall was a master diver with the U.S. Navy; as part of the expedition, he was the first to dive under the polar ice cap. He died in 1977.
NotesHistorical Notes: This fabric was taken from the wing of Admiral Richard Byrd's plane, the Giant Condor. The fabric, along with several other articles from Byrd's first (1932) and second (1933-1935) expedition to Antarctica, was collected by John Henry von der Wall (d. 1977) of Bolton, Connecticut. Von der Wall was a master diver and member of both expeditions.The wing fabric and other memorabilia from the expedition were collected by John Henry von der Wall, a long time resident of Bolton, Connecticut. He was a member of Admiral Byrd's 1932 expedition to Antarctica, and he was also a member of the 1933-5 expedition. John Henry von der Wall was a master diver with the U.S. Navy; as part of the expedition, he was the first to dive under the polar ice cap. He died in 1977.
Status
Not on view
John Henry von der Wall
1933-1935
Bridgeport Gun Implement Co.
