Kitty Hawk, NC, November 24, 1903
This historical photograph for Waiting To Fly was taken on November 24, 1903. The Wright Brothers had worked hard the past month to finish the flying machine, but bad weather and mechanical problems held them up. This quote is from Orville’s diary on December 16, and it states they took the machine out in the morning because the weather reports looked good to make a test flight. I call this the day that almost was the first flight. There was probably a sense of excitement, thinking this might be the day of the first flight. It took a few hours to prepare for a test flight, and the Wind was calm when they were ready with the plane. They had a plane ready to go, but no wind.
I created my photograph at the Wright Brothers National Memorial 113 years after the first flight. On the Memorial grounds is a replica of the camp the Wright Brothers used. My goal was to integrate the contemporary park visitors with Wilbur, utilizing the building as an anchor. I moved a few people in and around the barn. I even left park rangers inside the barn so they look like they are standing next to Wilbur. I imagine Wilbur looking out and thinking, “Who are all these people when we have so much work to do?”
In the few months before December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright worked hard in North Carolina to prepare their machine for its maiden voyage. They had mechanical issues, including Orville returning to Dayton to machine a park. By this date, 120 years ago, they were together back in North Carolina, making the final assembly of their machine. Now, they had to wait for perfect weather conditions. On November 24, 1903, they took the machine out in the morning because the winds looked promising. It took several hours to prepare the machine for its first flight. By the time the machine was ready, the weather had turned calm. I would imagine the brothers were disappointed. Part of the preparation for the first flight was to have their camera ready to document the first flight. So, among everything they were getting ready on November 24 was the camera. Orville took this photograph while waiting to see if the wind would pick up and a first flight could be attempted. In his diary for that day, Orville wrote: “Wind of 6 to 7 meters blowing from west and northwest in the morning. We completed repairs by noon and got the machine out on the tracks in front of the building, ready for a trial from the level. The Wind was gradually dying, and by the time we were ready, it was blowing only about 4 to 5 meters per second. After waiting several hours to see whether it would breeze up again, we took the machine back in.”
I used this historical photograph in the Wright Brothers: Then and Now series. I created my photograph at the Wright Brothers National Memorial 113 years after the original flight. On the Memorial grounds is a replica of the camp the Wright Brothers used. My goal was to integrate the contemporary park visitors with Wilbur, utilizing the building as an anchor. I moved a few people in and around the barn. I even left park rangers inside the barn so they look like they are standing next to Wilbur. I imagine Wilbur looking out and thinking, “Who are all these people when we have so much work to do?”
The book Wright Brothers: Then and Now makes a great gift for husbands, Dads, or perhaps your best 20 clients as a thank you gift. Prints from the series are also available in a variety of sizes. Framed photographs look great in public spaces, like an office lobby or conference room, and showcase the rich history of Dayton. This holiday season, I am offering a 10%, 20%, and 30% discount on everything on my ClearyFineArtPhoto.com website. Purchase one item and receive 10% off, buy two items and get 20% off, or buy three things and get 30% off. Buy three books and get 30% off, buy two prints and a book and get 30% off, etc. Go to ClearyFineArtPhoto.com to see every photograph in the series and the book. To receive the discount, call or email me because I am website challenged for this kind of discount system.