A biplane in Manhattan in 1919


When I first saw this image on the Duke University website, and wanted to share it with you, I started trying to figure out what was going on, exactly what kind of a plane it was, that sort of thing, and after pondering it for a few days I thought, "What the heck do I know?" So I'll set aside that for people who are more knowledgeable about that kind of stuff than I am, and I'll tell you what I know for sure, and some of my best guesses about what we're looking at here.

First of all, this is in Manhattan, at what is now called Columbus Circle. The pillar is still there, and that's Columbus standing up there in the upper left, behind the Duke University Libraries watermark. The date they list is 1919, and I'm inclined to agree. By the way, just to the right of this photo would be Central Park. Now let's take a look at the plane.


It's a biplane, I know, because it has two wings, and I can count to two. My best guess is that it's set up for wing-walking, because of the low railings on the top wing, but don't quote me on that. Hopefully someone who is an expert on wing-walking biplanes will see this post and be able to enlighten us!


And now I want to explain why this photo was taken: now a word from our sponsor! It's all about the advertising, which has always been big business, and everything else in the photo is just incidental. How about that? So wear a Palm Beach Suit! OK, enough about the advertising, back to the airplane.


I'm inclined to think that's the pilot there, explaining how he goes "uppity-up-up, and goes downity-down-down!" What a magnificent man he is! The lady seems to be totally enthralled. I wonder if he's a WWI pilot? This would be right after the end of the War to end all wars, you know.


But maybe that's the pilot there! No, not the man in the foreground, the one who looks like he might be smoking a pipe. I'm also wondering if the woman on the right back there is handing out suffragette leaflets?

Anyway, I've told you what I know, and my best guesses. It worries me a bit to think that this plane landed there on Broadway, because even back then there were tall buildings, and it would have been a challenge. Presumably it taxied in from Central Park or somewhere more open.

Thank you for time-traveling with me!
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