Title supplied by cataloger. Bessie Coleman (1896-1926) was the first African American woman to earn an aviator's license. Originally from Atlanta, Texas, Coleman moved to Chicago in 1915, where she first learned about flying from pilots returning from World War I. Gender and racial prejudice in the United States prevented Coleman for studying aviation, so she traveled to France, where she optained an international aviation license from the Fe´de´ration Ae´ronautique Internationale. To make a living as a pilot, Coleman did barnstorming, or performed in airshows as a stunt pilot. Coleman was killed when her plane malfunctioned. Pilot Bessie Coleman stands on a wheel of a Curtiss JN-4 or "Jenny" biplane. The caption at the bottom reads, "Yours' Aviatrix, Bessie Coleman."; For the first photograph in this series, see image 00001187.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
