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Theodore N. Vail Collection of Aeronautical Prints, Broadsides, and Clippings

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MC-0680

Scope and Contents

The Theodore N. Vail Collection of Aeronautical Prints, Broadsides, and Clippings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) consists of pictorial engraving prints, cuttings and excerpts from newspapers and magazines, and a large number of hand-bills and posters about balloon ascents primarily in England, France, and Germany. The bulk of the collection covers approximately the years 1720 to 1880 and was assembled by English collectors.

The collection's images and topics range from the fanciful to depictions of historic events, for instance, the first successful balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1720 to 1925
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1720 - 1880

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open.

Digital Access Note

Some parts of this collection are available online. Links to specific online digital items are found within their entry in this finding aid.

Conditions Governing Use

Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.

Historical Note

The Theodore N. Vail Collection of Aeronautical Prints, Broadsides, and Clippings consists of pictorial engraving prints, cuttings and excerpts from newspapers and magazines, and a large number of hand-bills and posters about balloon ascents primarily in England, France, and Germany. The collection's contents range from the fanciful to depictions of historic events, including the first successful balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783.The bulk of the collection covers approximately the years 1720 to 1880 and was assembled by English collectors.

The original collector appears to be John Cuthbert; later the collection was acquired by J. Fillinham, and then by George Dering. All three men lived in England. In 1912, Theodore N. Vail, a member of the MIT Corporation, acquired and donated to MIT, a collection of "electricity" books belonging to George Dering. The Dering materials were shipped from England to Boston and managed by the MIT Libraries. The aeronautical materials were part of the overall purchase, but were housed separately at MIT in the aeronautical library, not with the Vail electrical books in the engineering library. Later the aeronautical materials were transferred within the MIT Libraries into the Institute Archives and Special Collections.

Extent

43.4 Gigabytes (2,721 digital files related to the digitization project of the T.N. Vail collection of Aeronautical Prints, Broadsides, and Clippings)

16 Cubic Feet (23 flat boxes, 2 folders)

Language of Materials

Multiple languages

Physical Location

Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.

Digital Materials Location

Some collection materials are digital-only and are currently unavailable for online access. Advance notice is required for use.

Related Materials

There are several hundred books published in the same time period (approximately 1720 to 1880) and in multiple languages on the same or similar topics as the prints in this collection. Information about individual books in the MIT Libraries Vail rare book holdings can be searched in the MIT Libraries Barton catalog. Those books are available for use in the Department of Distinctive Collections.

Processing Information note

Some collection descriptions are based on legacy data and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. Description may change pending verification. Please contact the MIT Department of Distinctive Collections if you notice any errors or discrepancies.

Title
Guide to the Theodore N. Vail Collection of Aeronautical Prints, Broadsides, and Clippings
Status
Completed
Date
2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
Conservation and digitization was made possible by a gift from Thomas F. Peterson.

Revision Statements

  • 2021 August 20: Edited by Lana Mason for compliance with DACS single-level optimum requirements.
  • 2022 March 9: Edited by Thera Webb to include full names of women in collection.

Repository Details

Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository

Contact:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US