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Past Exhibits
"From Kites to Kitty Hawk"
Originally on exhibit December 19, 2002 through January 31, 2003. This traveling exhibit focusing on the role of kites in the development of powered flight was located in the museum's main gallery. It included reproductions of historic kites and profiles of the scientists and inventors whose experimentation with kites contributed to the development of flight. In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum held a Kite-Making Workshop for ages six and up.
"Celebrating a Century of Wings"
Originally on exhibit at the College Park Aviation Museum April 25 - May 17, 2003. In order to increase public awareness of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' pioneering Kitty Hawk flight, the museum hosted a traveling exhibit from the Centennial of Flight Commission. The exhibit portrays many of the key scenes from the first century of aviation and aerospace against a vignette of an early Wright Brothers' flight. The opening of this exhibit coincided with the Maryland Centennial of Flight event on April 26, 2003
"Fix It! Aviation Maintenance and Mechanics"
Created by Museum staff, this small tabletop case exhibit highlighted the contributions and expertise of the aviation maintenance field. Historic photographs, tools, maintenance publications, and personal histories illustrated the airplane mechanics who have worked here at College Park, as well as the maintenance field at large. Originally on exhibit at the College Park Aviation Museum from February 2002 to November 2002.
From the exhibit:
"Aircraft soar, race, turn, glide, and hum through the skies. They capture our imagination and are the romantic inspiration of our dreams. Yet, without the dedication and skill of aviation mechanics, none of this glorious defiance of gravity would be possible. From the powerplants specialist who overhauls engines, to the avionics technician who inspects the communication equipment, to the licensed inspector who tests the strength of a Piper Cub’s fabric, the skilled craftsperson working in aviation maintenance helps keep our skies buzzing, safely."
Flight through the Quilt World: A History of the Airplane Quilt Block from 1927 to 1993
Originally on exhibit at the College Park Aviation Museum from June - November 2001, and extended through January 2002, "Flight Through the Quilt World" was a traveling exhibit on loan from the Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal, Kansas.
The exhibit featured framed airplane quilt blocks with short histories and photographs of entire quilts or of the aircraft that inspired the design. Where possible, the blocks were made from the earliest published pattern, using the recommended colors. Most blocks and quilts included were made by quilters in the Liberal, Kansas area. Experience levels of the quilters ranged from a few months to over 50 years.
- The earliest date found for airplane blocks for this exhibit was 1927, although the oldest "true" airplane quilt pattern, named "the Lone Eagle Quilt," was published in January 1929 in Successful Farming.
- This block design was inspired by Charles A. Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic in 1927 in the "Spirit of St. Louis." Through the years, Lindbergh's flight inspired more airplane quilt block patterns than any other event. The majority of airplane quilts documented are small bed quilts, approximately twin size.
- Many early quilters made their airplane quilts two colored, with white/unbleached muslin or light blue for the background and solid fabric in red, yellow, or blue for the airplanes.
- A small percentage of the airplane quilts are multicolored scrap quilts. With few exceptions, the airplane quilts documented had blocks set square rather than on point, although the airplane itself is sometimes set diagonally in the block.
See the Quilt Exhibit Brochure You will need Acrobat Reader to open the Quilt Exhibit Brochure. Download Acrobat Reader if you don't have it.
College Park Airport and the Photography of L. Ron Hubbard
Originally on exhibit February -August 2003. This temporary exhibit highlighted the "Golden Age of Aviation" at College Park Airport through photographs taken by L. Ron Hubbard at the 1933 Langley Day Air Meet at CPA. Hubbard's fascination with aviation closely paralleled the general excitement in the Washington area in the 1930s, often focused on College Park Airport. Many of these photographs were exhibited to the general public for the first time at CPAM, and several will be added to the permanent exhibits on the main floor of the gallery.
From the exhibit: "As a freelance photographer for the Washington Herald newspaper in the early 1930s, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard came to the College Park Airport on May 7, 1933 to witness the Langley Day Air Meet. With a crowd of 30,000 in attendance, 38 amateur pilots competed for twenty-six trophies. Drawing pilots from all over the region, including half a dozen cities, the 1933 Langley Day races were a resounding success and were written up in at least three newspapers and one magazine. ... Hubbard's photographs of College Park Airport reflect the excitement generated by the air meet and are an excellent illustration of what has been termed the nation's 'aviation craze' in the 1930s. ... Throughout the 1930s and '40s, air meets similar to the annual Langley Day festivities were held at College Park. These popular events made headlines and inspired a generation of future aviators."'
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College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park, MD 20740 |
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