Drawn from a fascinating group of books and magazines brought together by Nancy Martin Graham, the exhibit highlights key themes in her collection that document the development of flight - from balloons to biplanes.

Drawn from a fascinating group of books and magazines brought together by Nancy Martin Graham, the exhibit highlights key themes in her collection that document the development of flight - from balloons to biplanes.

The exhibit is presented in vignettes that show off the strengths of the Graham collection. Covering mainly the 19th century, when the scientific understanding of flight developed rapidly, leading up to the first powered, manned flights of the early 1900s, core ideas are shown through contemporary publications: the mystery of the design of bird’s wings and the problem of aerial navigation; the appeal of ballooning and the development of the airship.

Also on display are works by famous figures involved with the quest for flight: Nadar, Gustave Eiffel, Count Henri de la Vaulx, and the Wright Brothers. A selection of early aviation magazines adds a view of the adventurous early days of the airplane.