Glenn H. Curtiss was an early aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation. Born in Hammondsport, New York, on May 21, 1878, Curtiss displayed an early interest in mechanical devices. By 1902, he had already opened a shop for making motors for motorcycles. Two years later, he designed and built a motor for the California Arrow, an early dirigible. This success resulted in an order for him to construct the motor for the U.S. Army's first dirigible, Signal Corps No. 1. Following these developments, Curtiss turned his attention to heavier-than-air flight. In July 1908, he won the Scientific American trophy for the first public airplane flight of one kilometer in the U.S. with his June Bug. By 1910-11, he built the first successful seaplanes and flying boats. During World War I, Curtiss' factories manufactured aircraft for the U.S., Britain and Russia. Some of these airplanes included the famous Curtiss JN-4 Jenny trainer, as well as the Navy-Curtiss type flying boats. One such Curtiss machine, the NC-4, made the first transatlantic flight in May 1919. By the mid 1920s, his Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation was also producing numerous racer airplanes (a few examples of which won the Pulitzer and Schneider Cup races for the U.S.), amphibian aircraft with retractable landing gear and fighters for the U.S. Army. Following complications from a surgical procedure, Curtiss died in Buffalo, New York, on July 23, 1930.

Perhaps Curtiss' single greatest contribution to the field was the development of the aileron. These surfaces, independent of the wings, allowed for far greater lateral control of the aircraft than the wing-warping technique invented and employed by the Wright brothers. Such trailblazing work did spark some controversy. The Wrights claimed that their warping patent covered all means of lateral control in the air. Consequently, litigation ensued between the two sides. The issue was determined when Curtiss was granted a patent for the aileron on December 5, 1911. Curtiss also continued to fend off other patent infringement cases for many years afterward. He even fought a long, protracted legal battle over control of his company and its assets with a former business partner, Augustus M. Herring. This case dragged on in one form or another beyond 1926 -- the year when the business partnership the two shared was formally dissolved. After Curtiss died, his wife continued the legal fight on her husband's behalf until a judge decided in Herring's favor in 1931.

This collection consists of the personal papers of Glenn H. Curtiss. These papers relate to his career as an aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturing business owner. This collection also includes a small amount of personal correspondence. Moreover, materials pertaining to patents filed by Curtiss and the Wright brothers, as well as legal documents and testimony, are found in this collection.

The collection is arranged into two broad series. First, is the material relating to Curtiss' professional life. This includes corporate correspondence, miscellaneous corporate materials, reports, photographs, programs and tributes, books, journals, newsletters, newspaper clippings, patent materials and a scrapbook. The second series contains items pertaining to legal cases involving Curtiss, Augustus M. Herring and the Wright brothers.

In Series I, correspondence, miscellaneous corporate and non-corporate materials, reports, photographs, menus, programs, tributes, books, journals, newsletters, patent materials and legal documents are arranged chronologically. The small amount of personal correspondence found in this collection follows the corporate correspondence in the finding aid. Newspaper clippings, journals, newsletters and articles are grouped by title of publication. Photographs are grouped by subject and then chronologically. Patent materials are organized into two groups: patent applications filed by and issued to Curtiss and those filed by and issued to the Wright brothers. In Series II, the legal documents are organized chronologically by specific legal case.

This series contains correspondence, miscellaneous corporate materials, reports, photographs, menus, programs, tributes, books, journals, newsletters, newspaper clippings, patent materials and a scrapbook. Correspondence, miscellaneous corporate and non-corporate materials, reports, menus, programs, tributes, and legal documents are organized chronologically. Journals, newspaper clippings, newsletters and articles are arranged by title of publication. Photographs are grouped by subject and then chronologically. Patent materials are organized into two groups: patent applications filed and issued to Curtiss and those filed by and issued to the Wright brothers.

Corporate correspondence

Personal correspondence

Miscellaneous corporate materials

Patent materials are organized into two groups: patent applications filed by and issued to Curtiss and filed by and issued to the Wright brothers. These papers from the United States Patent Office, are further arranged chronologically. This grouping also includes one article from The Aero discussing the Wright airplane patents.

Curtiss patent materials:

Wright patent materials:

Reports

Photographs

Menus, programs, and tributes to Curtiss are arranged chronologically.

Journals, newsletters and articles are arranged by title of publication (miscellaneous materials such as a book, scrapbook and a Christmas greeting card are listed at the end of this subseries).

Newspaper clippings are arranged by title of publication. The subject matter varies from patent disputes between Curtiss and the Wrights, development of Curtiss aircraft as well as Curtiss' death and aviation legacy.

This series contains materials relating to the long-running legal disputes involving Curtiss. The litigants were Curtiss versus Augustus M. Herring, Curtiss' wife, Lena versus Herring (she replaced her husband in the litigation upon his death in 1930) and Curtiss versus the Wright brothers. The last protracted case involved patent infringement alleged by the Wrights against Curtiss. The other two cases revolved around Herring's false claims of possessing aeronautical patents (Curtiss had hoped to use these patents in his legal battle with the Wrights) and a hostile bid by Herring to win control of the Herring-Curtiss Company in 1910. This failed maneuver did succeed in bankrupting the firm and placing it in receivership.

These papers include U.S. District Court (Western District of New York) and State of New York Supreme Court testimony, other types of court documents (including a court-issued injunction filed by the Wright brothers against Curtiss) as well as Herring-Curtiss Company bankruptcy reports and papers. They are organized chronologically.

Please note that volume 1, 2 and 6 of the Testimony, State of New York Supreme Court, Curtiss versus Herring, is missing from this collection.

Curtiss versus Herring:

Curtiss versus Wright brothers:

Lena P. Curtiss versus Herring: