Beginnings

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Early airplane photography was not without its technical difficulties. In 1911, this enthusiastic flyer photographed his own feet.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center.

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San Diego, Calif., 1911. The aerial panorama, taken from a Curtiss Hydroplane, is thought to be the first photograph taken from an airplane in the U.S.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center.

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George T. Murray of the Boston Journal photographed Salem, Massachusetts on June 26, 1914, following a disastrous fire. The photograph was enlarged to cover the entire front page of the Journal. This is the first known use of aerial photography for journalism.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center.

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One of the first aerial motion picture films shot in the U.S. was made by E.R. Shaw, who took the film while flying across Louisiana on December 17, 1911.
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center.

Onwards and Upwards

Surveying the Scene