First Flight

John T. Daniels (d. 1948)
First Flight, December 17, 1903
Modern gelatin silver print
from glass negative
Prints & Photographs Division

Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Telegram to Bishop Milton Wright,
December 17, 1903
Manuscript Division

Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Receipt of petition, U.S. Patent Office,
March 14, 1903
Manuscript Division

Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Diary
Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
Page 5 - Page 6 - Page 7 - Page 8
November 5 - December 19,1903
Manuscript Division (136.10)

Orville Wright (1871-1948)
Diary
Page 2 - Page 3
September 23 - October 6,1903
Manuscript Division

In 1900, Wilbur Wright wrote to his father expressing the hope of "achieving fame and fortune" from his and brother Orville's experiments in flight. Three years later, the brothers accomplished their first successful flight. As part of their systematic practice of photographing every prototype and test of their various flying machines, the Wrights persuaded an attendant from a nearby lifesaving station to snap Orville in full flight. After making three longer flights that day, the Wrights sent this telegram to their father, instructing him to "inform press." In his diary, seen here, Orville kept a thorough account of their experiments. This entry details their second successful flight.

Orville and Wilbur Wright (1871-1948) requested a patent application for a "flying machine" nine months before their successful flight in December 1903, which Orville recorded in his diary. The craft soared to an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet, and landed 12 seconds after takeoff. After making two longer flights that day, the Wrights sent this telegram to their father, instructing him to "inform press."

Earlier, in 1900, Wilbur Wright wrote to French aviation pioneer Octave Chanute (1832-1910) and expressed the belief that "flight is possible to man...[and] I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money if not my life".

The papers of Wilbur (1867-1912) and Orville (1871-1948) Wright were given to the Library in 1949 by the executors of Orville Wright's estate. Over the years the Library has received additional materials through gifts and transfers, and altogether the collection comprises diaries and notebooks, family papers, general correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks, and over 1,100 photographic images, including 300 original glass plate negatives.

Wilbur Wright (1867-1912)
to Octave Chanute
Page 2
Holograph letter, May 13, 1900
Manuscript Division