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North Carolina Aerial Photograph Collection

The Aero Service Corporation began in 1919 in Philadelphia and was a pioneer and world leader in aerial photography and photogrammetry. Directed by Virgil I. Kauffman, a World War I veteran pilot who joined the company in 1924, the firm obtained lucrative government and private contracts including those with the United States Geological Survey and the Tennessee Valley Authority that involved some of the first aerial surveys of the country. Kauffman retained the original negatives of the firm until his death in 1985 and thereafter his survivors permitted the dispersion of the negatives to appropriate historical agencies throughout the country.This collection is composed of 8 x 10 black and wh ... (more below)

Title

North Carolina Aerial Photograph Collection

Collection Number

PhC.40

Date(s)

1931 - circa 1940

Language

English

Physical Description
67.0 item(s)
Includes black and white, 8 x 10 negatives (4 glass plate negatives), showing aerial views of North Carolina. Most of these negatives were cellulose nitrate film, and 4 x 5 copy negatives were made to replace them.
Abstract

The Aero Service Corporation began in 1919 in Philadelphia and was a pioneer and world leader in aerial photography and photogrammetry. Directed by Virgil I. Kauffman, a World War I veteran pilot who joined the company in 1924, the firm obtained lucrative government and private contracts including those with the United States Geological Survey and the Tennessee Valley Authority that involved some of the first aerial surveys of the country. Kauffman retained the original negatives of the firm until his death in 1985 and thereafter his survivors permitted the dispersion of the negatives to appropriate historical agencies throughout the country.

This collection is composed of 8 x 10 black and white negatives of aerial photographs featuring Wilmington, the North Carolina mountains, Greensboro, Southern Pines, the Cannon Mills Company, and Rocky Mount.

Physical Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Public Services Branch, North Carolina State Archives.

Creator

Aero Service Corporation.

Repository

State Archives of North Carolina

The negatives are arranged geographically.

Available for research.

Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Processed by Stephen E. Massengill, December, 1990

Encoded by Stephen E. Massengill

Encoding updated by Aaron Cusick, January, 2012

The Aero Service Corporation began in 1919 in Philadelphia and was a pioneer and world leader in aerial photography and photogrammetry. Directed by Virgil I. Kauffman, a World War I veteran pilot who joined the company in 1924, the firm obtained lucrative government and private contracts including those with the United States Geological Survey and the Tennessee Valley Authority that involved some of the first aerial surveys of the country. Kauffman retained the original negatives of the firm until his death in 1985 and thereafter his survivors permitted the dispersion of the negatives to appropriate historical agencies throughout the country.

[Identification of item], PhC.40.1, North Carolina Aerial Photograph Collection, North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, NC, USA.

These negatives were donated to the North Carolina State Archives by the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, 231 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, on March 25, 1988; accessioned by the Archives on January, 1991.

Additional information on topics found in this collection may be found in the Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS)  http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov.

This collection is composed of 8 x 10 black and white negatives photographed by Aero Service Corporation. There are aerials of the following locations: Wilmington and vicinity (41); North Carolina mountains (18); Greensboro (4); Southern Pines (2); Cannon Mills Company, Kannapolis (1); and Rocky Mount (1).

  • Cannon Mills Company.
  • Mountains--North Carolina--1930-1940.
  • Greensboro (N.C.)
  • Kannapolis (N.C.)
  • Rocky Mount (N.C.)
  • Southern Pines (N.C.)
  • Wilmington (N.C.)

Box: 40.1  
1-17. Aerial views of the City of Wilmington, including downtown area and residential sections
April, 1931

2719
18-22. Aerial views of Wrightsville Beach and vicinity
April, 1931

2720
23-24. Residences, farmhouses, and farmland outside Wilmington, (aerial views)
April, 1931

2721
25-26. Aerial views of the Cape Fear River
April, 1931

2722
27. Aerial view, of the coast (Carolina Beach)
April, 1931

2723
28-33. Aerial views of Federal Point (below Wilmington)
April, 1931

2724
34. Aerial view of Carolina Beach
April, 1931

2725
35-40. Aerial views of the Wilmington vicinity
April, 1931

2726
41. Aerial view of Wilmington Airport
April, 1931

2727
42-59. Aerial views of the North Carolina mountains
March 20, 1936

2728
60. Aerial view of the City of Greensboro, glass plate negative, n.d.

2729
61. Aerial view of the City of Greensboro, show new railroad station, glass plate negative, n.d.

2730
62. Aerial view of World War Memorial Stadium, Greensboro, glass plate negative, n.d.

2731
63. Aerial view of Greensboro, showing North Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical Arts College glass plate negative, n.d.

2732
64. Aerial view of Cannon Mine Company, Kannapolis, (including print), n.d.

2733
65. Aerial. view of Rocky Mount Air port, Rocky Mount
November 4, 1940

2734
66. Aerial view of Southern Pines Airport, Southern Pines, n.d.

2735
67. Aerial view of Southern Pines Airport (lower elevation), Southern Pines, n.d.