Joseph A. Weisberg Papers

This collection contains archival records, correspondence, documents, manuscripts, and photographs that were created and/or collected during Joseph A. Weisberg’s life and career as a photojournalist and freelance writer. The Joseph A. Weisberg Papers are housed in sixteen manuscript boxes, eleven oversize boxes, and four photograph boxes of various sizes, totaling 29.8 linear feet.

The boxed materials were received unsorted and unorganized in fair-to-good condition. Initial inspection of the collection revealed the major topic of the materials to be the history of aviation in Texas, particularly in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. There are three major components of the collection: the writings and partial manuscripts of Joseph A. Weisberg, documents and papers that supported Weisberg’s research, and Weisberg’s photograph collection.

The Joseph A. Weisberg Papers reflect his attempts to prepare written materials and secure funding for several publications, and to collect photographic material to support his publications and for exhibit. The collection does not provide evidence that any of the proposed written materials were published. It does, however, contain material documenting Weisberg’s successful photographic exhibit, “Early Love,” in October 1979 as well as the mounted photographs used in the exhibit.

The archivist identified five series with the first series being the Archival Records Series, which is further organized in eight subseries: 1. Illustrations, 2. Manufacturers, 3. Newsletters, 4. Newspapers, 5. Organizations, 6. Periodicals, 7. Personal Papers, and 8. Publications.

In addition to Weisberg’s personal papers, the contents of this series represent published materials collected by Joseph A. Weisberg. Of special note is the photograph of Weisberg -the only such photograph in the collection -which appears in the Spring 1979 issue of Tabs with an accompanying article regarding his “Early Love” photographic exhibit (Box 3, Folder 10.)

Subseries 1. contains multi-view drawings and tracings of aircraft and aviation scenes - some with narrative descriptions - from multiple (unidentified) sources.

Subseries 2. includes company news releases, fact sheets, information and newsletters, Weisberg notes, and information related to vertical flight including: issues of Bell Helicopter News, an essay, The Rotary Wing Industry - 2001 A.D. by Robert Lynn, Bell Helicopter chronological history, articles and clippings about Bell Helicopter, and Lawrence Bell biographical information; histories, articles and clippings about Convair, Weisberg research notes, and information about the B-36 Peacemaker, B-32 Dominator and B-58 Hustler.

The researcher will also find newsletters, article about General Dynamics' Ft. Worth Division, aircraft information sheets, and A Special Report on the F-111 by the editors of Flying Magazine; biographical information about Allen Guiberson and key Guiberson employees, articles, and clippings about the Guiberson diesel engine, Weisberg research notes, and the April 1942 Guiberson Issue of Dallas; drafts of story about Marine Aircraft Corp.

An October 1977 RCA news release, Space Programs, a synopsis of RCA's contribution to the U.S. and international space programs; a September 17, 1929 copy of Adolph R. Schad's patent for an "aeronautical apparatus" (wing structure.); articles about Temple Aero Corp. and a copy of a page from J. Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 1 describing the Temple "Monocoupe" Model 70 (A.T.C. #70.); various documents, clippings and research notes regarding Texas aircraft manufacturers with specific information on: American Eaglecraft; American Flea Ship; Bennett Aircraft; Globe Aircraft Corp.; States Aircraft; and Texas Aero Car; and a LTV annual report and news release providing the history of the Vought Corp. a subsidiary of The LTV Corp.

Subseries 3. contains newsletters from various aviation organizations and associations.

Subseries 4. incorporates published articles by Joseph A. Weisberg, both aviation and non-aviation related, as well as articles and clippings from other sources aviation and non-aviation related.

Subseries 5. covers reference notes, drafts of an article concerning Aviation Cadets of America, letter dated May 30, 1930 from G. B. Dealey to Martin Weiss, and photocopy of Chapter 4, "Aviation Cadets of America," from an unidentified book; membership lists, newsletter (Special April Issue, Vol. 44, No. 7), and booklet, and manual concerning the Aviation/Space Writers Association; annual Report to Congress and a narrative prepared for time capsule by historian B. P. Curry "Statement On Civil Air Patrol"; founding document, press releases, company folder, membership directory, organization facts sheet, and list titled Texas Cities In Which Defense Contracts Are Now In Force, in regard to the Texas Aerospace and National Defense Technology Development Council; organization fact sheet, meeting notice, and first draft of newsletter concerning the Writers, Ink.

Subseries 6. features aviation-related articles, clippings, and reprints from various, often unidentified, periodicals.

Subseries 7. records the personal papers of Joseph A. Weisberg. Materials are ephemera, autobiographical summaries, research notes for proposed books, documentation of early Love Field photographs for an exhibit, photographs, drafts manuscripts and correspondence related to manuscripts, proposals, and flyers.

Subseries 8. comprises parts of the Directory of Texas Airports, excerpts, booklets and brochures, drafts for Piper Pacer brochure, documents depicting formation of Aero Publishers, its financing, operating guidelines, and sheet music Up In My Aeroplane and The Aero-Naughty Girl.

The second series is the Correspondence Series, most of which contains Weisberg’s correspondence regarding his efforts to publish various materials and to secure funding for publication of a book project.

Most of the letters are generally related to topics being researched, or to Weisberg's publication efforts; many with hand-written notes or edits; the correspondence also features letters not sent by nor received by Joseph A. Weisberg. Many are of historical interest, such as the letter from Benjamin Foulois responding to telegram from Amon Carter from October 1, 1917.

The third series is the Documents Series, which is further organized in seventeen subseries: 1. Air Mail, 2. Air Races, 3. Air Shows, 4. Aircraft, 5. Airlines, 6. Airports, 7. Directory, 8. Heliports, 9. Locations (Cities,) 10. Lighter-Than-Air, 11. Military Aviation, 12. Miscellaneous, 13. Personalities, 14. References, 15. Schools, 16. 1929 World Endurance Flight, and 17. Oversize.

The contents of this series represent research materials collected and used by Joseph A. Weisberg in the compilation of his written articles and manuscripts.

Subseries 1. includes History of Fort Worth/Dallas Air Mail and Airlines; Subcontract for Mail Service; Contract for Air Mail Service; and air mail contract dated September 28, 1927, for R. C. and Temple Bowen regarding Fort Worth and Dallas.

Subseries 2. covers the paper: The Dole Air Race by Walter Curley; FAA General Aviation News article: The Conclusion of the Dole Air Race; unattributed manuscript: The Dallas Spirit and The Last Fool Flight; and photocopies of newspaper articles and clippings related generally to the air race and specifically to Bill Erwin.

Subseries 3. contains Desert Sportsman Pilot's Association air show program regarding the Festival of Flight in Phoenix, Arizona and documentation of the Southwestern Aviation Exposition, Fort Worth, Texas.

Subseries 4. features a typed manuscript, Boeing Public Relations press release, and various articles and clippings pertaining to the 1949 first non-stop flight around-the-world by the Boeing B-50 Lucky Lady II.

Subseries 5. includes newspaper articles and clippings, research notes, press releases, and American Airlines publications and forms documenting the airline's history, operations (particularly air freight) and career of its president, C.R. Smith.

Materials for Bowen Air Lines are articles, clippings, and research notes documenting the airline's history, operations and career of its founder, Temple G. Bowen, as well as a photocopy of capital stock certificate for 1000 shares issued to R. C. Bowen.

Braniff Airways is documented through articles and clippings, and research notes documenting the airline's history, operations and career of its founders, Tom and Paul Braniff, of interest are the Chronological History of Braniff Airways and Braniff Airways Story booklet; a Southwest Airlines features a press kit; Texas Air Transport and the Texas Airlines include articles, clippings, notes documenting the development of the airlines, their history, operations, and personnel.

Subseries 6. consists of articles, clippings, notes, documents, manuscripts, correspondence, and narratives regarding the Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport, Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field Airport, and Meacham Field in Fort Worth, Texas. Of interest are the narratives A History of Cooper Airmotive, and Why a Non-Glomerate remarks by R. Cizik, President and CEO.

Subseries 7. contains the Journal of Aerospace Education and the OX5 Aviation Pioneers membership roster.

Subseries 8. cover manuscripts, articles, and clipping regarding the heliports of Tarrant County, Texas.

Subseries 9. encompasses manuscripts, articles, clippings, research notes, and narratives featuring the aviation history of Fort Worth, Texas; Houston, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Waco, Texas, and Wichita Falls, Texas.

Subseries 10. embraces manuscripts, notes, transcript of an address by Frederick Tobin to the Texas Aviation Historical Society, brochures, and articles.

Subseries 11. incorporates manuscripts, notes, oral history transcripts, booklets, articles, clippings excerpts regarding Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas; Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas; Carruthers Field, Benbrook, Texas; Camp Dick; Barron Field, Everman City, Texas; Hensley Field, Dallas, Texas; Taliaferro Field, Hicks, Texas; Ellington Field, Houston, Texas; Brooks and Kelly Airfields, San Antonio, Texas; Rich Field, Waco, Texas; and Call Field, Wichita Falls, Texas.

Subseries 12. contains aviation and non-aviation related single documents and items unattributable to other record folders.

Subseries 13. covers manuscripts, poems, biographical sketches, military records, excerpts, fact sheets, images, ephemera, memorabilia, maps, directories, articles, clippings, research notes and documents providing biographical information about various aviation personalities. Of interest is a “signed" Lindbergh pen and ink portrait as well as a map of 1977 50th Anniversary Lindbergh Commemorative Tour of the U.S. Documents pertain to Lindbergh's original goodwill tour visit to Dallas/Fort Worth and the 50th anniversary visit by the replica Spirit of St. Louis.

Subseries 14. includes manuscripts, articles, clippings, copies of photographs, regarding Horace Carswell and Carswell Air Force Base (AFB).

Subseries 15. embraces research notes, images, ephemera, flyers, brochures, newsletters, photograph captions, and press release for Texas Christian University (TCU) and the History of Aviation Collection (HAC) of the Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).

Subseries 16. consists of manuscripts regarding the flight and pilots; photocopy of "Complimentary Dinner in Honor of Reg L. Robbins, James H. Kelly, K. K. Hoffman and H. S. Jones Given by Fort Worth Association of Commerce" on June 1. 1929; research notes, as well as written accounts of the flight, flight log, N.A.A. flight certification, correspondence, newspaper articles and clippings, and various documents.

Subseries 17. Documents include Early Love proposed book jacket; Antique Airplane book jacket; three-view, illustrated Chance Vought/Vought airplane drawings (8); tracings (6); captioned Lockheed aircraft drawings (12); Bell (1) and American Airlines folders (2); mounted three-view drawing of 1909 Blériot; copy. 1920 Love Field Industrial District stock certificate; mounted Texas airport directories; mounted clippings, illustrations, and documents; copies and reprints of periodical covers and articles; copies and reprints of newspaper articles and sections (1927-1978); notes from interviews and manuscript pages typed on "teletype" paper scrolls; "Southwest Scene" Dallas Morning News Sunday Magazine insert dated April 15. 1973; and six-panel cardboard display of Love Field Newspaper Clips (1957-1969).

The fourth series is the Manuscripts Series, which is further organized in five subseries: 1. Burlage, George Edward, 2. Dewey, John P., 3. Korth, Fritz-Alan, 4. Unidentified Author, and 5. Weisberg, Joseph A.

Subseries 1. contains a thesis by Burlage about the decision-making process about the Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport.

Subseries 2. documents the WWI life and military career of William P. Erwin in text and photographs.

Subseries 3. includes a senior thesis, "Submitted to the Dept. of Politics…Princeton University" documenting in text and photographs the development of commercial aviation in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

Subseries 4. encompasses excerpts and partial pages from books and materials authored by Weisberg.

Subseries 5. features publications by Weisberg about the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, early Love Field airport, Fort Worth aviation, and other aviation related topics.

The fifth series is the Photograph Series, which is further organized in six subseries: 1. Size larger than 5 x 7 and smaller than 8.5 x 11, 2. Oversize, Mounted, "Early Love" Exhibit, 3. Oversize, Mounted, 4. Oversize, 5. Smaller than 5 x 7, and 6. Slides.

The photographs in this series are grouped by size for convenience of storage; but consistent topic/folder titles have been used throughout. Hence, when searching for a photograph of Love Field, it is possible to search for this topic in each size category of photograph. Weisberg’s own photograph captions are noted in the collection record in quotation marks and use his own nomenclature, spelling and abbreviations.

Subseries 1. depicts the 20th Aero Squadron Reunion at Carswell AFB, air museums, various types of civil, commercial, and military aircraft and lighter-than-air aircraft throughout the history of flight, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field Airport, Meacham Field, Fort Worth Airport. Topics also include barnstorming and aerobatic fliers, military airfields, missiles, and aviators and aviatrixes.

Subseries 2. contains the mounted cartons of the "Early Love" exhibit showcasing the airfield, aircraft, buildings, personnel regarding the history from airfield to airport throughout its existence.

Subseries 3. includes images of aircraft manufacturers, aviation schools, and civil, commercial, lighter-than-air, military - jet era, military WWI and Golden Age, military - WWII, and vertical flight craft airplanes.

Subseries 4. features facilities, events and aircraft associated with Love Field, Dallas, Texas, and other unidentified airports, civil and commercial as well as military aircraft, lighter-than-air, vertical flight, airlines, air mail, non-aviation topics and people and personalities.

Subseries 5. highlights the 20th Aero Squadron Reunion, air mail, aerobatic, civil, commercial, and lighter-than air aircraft; aircraft manufacturers and schools; WWI airplanes, aviation pioneers and history events; Texas airports, Care Flite helicopters, non-aviation topics, personalities and people, and space.

Subseries 6. covers jet airliner, air shows, air races, oxygen chamber testing, military aircraft of WWII, National Air and Space Museum, midget and home-built racing airplanes, radio-controlled airplanes, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, seaplanes, aerial photographs, aerobatics, aircraft, Spruce Goose, space, and museums.