Guide to the George A. Page Papers, circa 1907-1982 SPEC.RARE.0371 Finding aid prepared by David Mezick Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections

1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210

2025 December This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2026-02-02T12:16-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard George A. Page Papers SPEC.RARE.0371 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 2.15 Cubic feet circa 1907-1982 George Augustus Page, Junior (1892-1983) was an aircraft designer who worked for the Curtiss-Wright Corporation from 1917-1951. He designed the CW-20, which would become the Curtiss C-46 Commando, a cargo plane that was used in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. The George A. Page Papers, dated circa 1907-1982, contain photographs, clippings, and correspondence collected or created by George A. Page. Included are materials that relate to Page’s career as an airplane designer, his interest in the history of aviation, and his personal life. The collection mostly consists of photographs, especially of aircraft created by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. (4) 5" letter document boxes; (1) 2.5" legal document box; (1) 2.5" letter document box; (1) oversize folder English Page, George Augustus, Jr., 1892-1983 Arrangement of Materials

The George A. Page Papers are arranged in three series:

Series 1: Professional Series 2: Aviation History Series 3: Personal

Acquisitions Information

Accession No. RARE.2025.0198: Purchased, 2021 November

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], George A. Page Papers, SPEC.RARE.0371, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.

Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

Processing Information

Processed by: David Mezick, 2025 December; Finding aid written by: David Mezick, 2025 December

Biographical Note

George Augustus Page, Junior (1892-1983) was an aircraft designer who worked for the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Page earned his pilot’s license in 1914 and worked for Moisant, the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company, and the Heinrich Aeroplane Company early in his career. In 1917, Page started working for the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company as a draftsman. He also worked as a mechanic and pilot from 1919-1921 for the American Trans-Oceanic Company, which used Curtiss aircraft. In 1929, the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company became the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Page eventually became director of the Curtiss-Wright division of engineering. In 1934, he started designing the CW-20, which would become the Curtiss C-46 Commando, a cargo plane that was used in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. Page left the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1951 and became vice president of research and engineering for Aeronca Manufacturing Company. He retired from Aeronca in 1957, but continued to work as a consultant there until 1971. Page was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation, an organization concerned with early aviation history. He lived in Fairfield County, Ohio later in life.

Scope and Contents

The George A. Page Papers, dated circa 1907-1982, contain photographs, clippings, correspondence, and designs collected or created by George A. Page. Many of these materials relate to Page’s career as an airplane designer at the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Also included are materials Page collected because of his continued interest in the history of aviation, especially after his retirement, as well as some personal materials. The collection mostly consists of photographs, especially of aircraft created by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation, including Curtiss Model CW-20, which would become the Curtiss C-46 Commando.

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation Curtiss-Wright Corporation Page, George Augustus, Jr., 1892-1983 Aeronautical engineers--United States--20th century Aeronautics--United States--20th century Aircraft industry--United States--20th century Aircraft industry--United States--History--20th century Airplanes--Design and construction--20th century Airplanes--United States--History--20th century C-46 (Transport plane) Curtiss aircraft Curtiss-Wright aircraft Photographs Professional Series 1 1907-1969 Scope and Contents

The Professional series, dated 1907-1969, contains photographs, clippings, correspondence, and designs collected or created by George A. Page. These materials relate to his career as an airplane designer at the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, and Aeronca. The series mostly consists of photographs of aircraft created by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation, including Curtiss Model CW-20, which would become the Curtiss C-46 Commando. Some photographs originally taken during Page's tenure at at the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation were reprinted later in his career or after his retirement. Also, Page filed correspondence about some photographs with the photographs themselves. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company single-engine seaplanes photographs, clippings, and letter 1 1 1907-1910s, 1956 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company flying boats and seaplanes photographs and negatives 6 1 1 2 1911-1919, 1964 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Trans-Atlantic Model Flying Boat, America photographs and description 2 1 1913-1914 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (Buffalo, New York) photographs 1 3-4 1914-circa 1920, circa 1930-1944 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company booklets 1 5 1915, 1925 Curtiss Field and Curtiss Engineering Corporation (Garden City, New York) photographs 1 6 1917, 1921, 1953 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) clippings and photograph 1 7 1917, circa 1930, 1965 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company promotional brochure and map 1 8 circa 1918 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) single-engine commercial aircraft photographs 1 9 1919-1929 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) multi-engine commercial aircraft photographs and correspondence 1 10 1919-1931 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) single-engine military aircraft photographs and letter 1 11 1919-1934, 1953 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company seaplanes photographs 1 12 1919-1928, 1963-1966 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Model F Seagull photograph 1 13 circa 1920 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) racers photographs 1 14 circa 1920-1930, 1939 Curtiss-Wright Corporation portrait photographs and letter 3 1 1 15 1920s-1945, 1969 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) multi-engine bombers photographs 3 2 1922-1929 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Garden City, New York) motors and parts photographs 3 3 1923-1930 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Model B-20 photographs 3 4 1929-1931 Society of Automotive Engineers presentation notes and correspondence 3 5 1932-1939 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (St. Louis, Missouri) photographs 3 6 circa 1933-1945 Curtiss-Wright Corporation T-32 Condor II photographs, negatives and designs 3 7 6 2 1933-1935 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Model CW-20 (Curtiss C-46 Commando) photographs and press clipping 3 8 circa 1934, 1937-1943, 1956 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Model CW-19L model photograph RARE Shared 5 1 1934 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Model CW-19 photographs and clipping 3 9 1934-1936 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (St. Louis, Missouri) Curtiss Robin flight by Douglas Corrigan photographs, negatives and correspondence 6 3 3 10 1936 September, 1938 August Curtiss-Wright Corporation Design 76-D Airplane Detail Specifications booklet 3 11 1938 August Curtiss-Wright Corporation Model CW-20 (Curtiss C-46 Commando) photographs, informational booklet, and letter 3 12 1940, 1944, 1966-1967 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (St. Louis, Missouri) AT-9 Jeep photographs 3 13 1940-1941, 1967 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (St. Louis, Missouri) Model 24-B (XP-55 Ascender) photographs 3 14 1941-1942 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (Columbus, Ohio) photographs and letter 3 15 1941-1950, 1958 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (Columbus, Ohio) XSB2C-2 Seaplane photographs 4 1 1942 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (St. Louis, Missouri) C-76 Caravan photographs 4 2 1942-1943 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Airplane Division Operations Manual 4 3 1943-1945 Page Airways Civil Aeronautics Board Application 2 2 1943 September 11 Curtiss-Wright Corporation (Buffalo, New York) Two Place P-40 photograph and clipping 4 4 1944 Curtiss-Wright Corporation physical analysis 4 5 1945 March Aeronca photographs and press clipping 4 6 1953-1967 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Flying Boat Model T (circa 1916) photographs and specifications 2 3 1964 Aeronca Model XX notes, designs, and photographs 4 7 1964-1967 Curtiss-Wright Corporation group photograph 4 8 1965 Aviation History Series 2 circa 1907-1982 Scope and Contents

The Aviation History series, dated circa 1907-1982, contains photographs, clippings, and correspondence collected or created by George A. Page because of his continued interest in the history of aviation and aircraft design, especially after his retirement. Some materials relate to Glenn Hammond Curtiss and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, the American Trans-Oceanic Company, and the Heinrich Aeroplane Company. Although Page worked for these companies, the materials are related to the time before his career started, or the materials were collected as part of historical research after his retirement. Other materials relate to aircraft with which Page had no direct involvement. Also included are materials that relate to Page’s membership with the Early Birds of Aviation. Materials are arranged chronologically with materials from the same date arranged alphabetically by title.

Aerial Experiment Association and Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (Hammondsport, New York) photographs and clippings 4 9 circa 1907-1916, 1965-1967 Wright (Orville and Wilbur) press clippings and photographs 2 4 circa 1908-1910, 1956-1965 New York Model Aero Club (1910-1912) photographs and negatives 4 10 6 4 1910-1912, 1966 Wright (Orville) flying over Dayton, Ohio photograph 4 11 1910 September Heinrich Aeroplane Company designs 4 12 1912 Heinrich (Albert S.) "Wire Joint Efficiency" in Aircraft 2 5 1913 May Langley Aerodrome photographs 4 13 1914 Fox (Dave) correspondence and Moisant photographs 4 14 1914, 1973 American Trans-Oceanic Company "Big Fish" photographs, negatives, and letter 6 5 4 15 circa 1919-1921, 1932, 1961-1962 American Trans-Oceanic Company and "Big Fish" photographs and negatives 6 6 4 16 1919-1921, 1932, 1960s Curtiss (Glenn Hammond) clippings and photographs 2 6 1919, 1969-1971 Photographs and clippings 4 17 circa 1920s-1967 American Trans-Oceanic Company "Big Fish" ephemera, photograph, and note 4 18 circa 1920-1921, 1960 American Trans-Oceanic Company "Big Fish" photographs, negatives and clippings 6 7 4 19 circa 1923, 1960s Byrd (Richard E.) America photograph and negative 6 8 4 20 1928, 1966 National Aircraft Exposition flyer 4 21 1930 Lenk (E. W.) aircraft models photographs 4 22 1939 Group photographs and clippings 4 23 1951-1965 Kitty Hawk, North Carolina photographs 5 1 1953 Air Progress magazine 5 2 circa 1955 Magrath (Christopher C.) photographs 5 3 1955-1956 Morehouse (Harold E.) and others correspondence 5 4 1955-1969 "Big Fish," "Old Glory," and other aircraft photographs 5 5 1960s American Trans-Oceanic Company "Big Fish" press clippings (1919-1921) copies, clippings and correspondence 5 6-7 6 9 1961-1966 American Aviation Historical Society photographs and program 5 8 1963, 1965 Morehouse (Harold E.) correspondence and Early Birds of Aviation Miami reunion (1967) photographs 5 9 1963-1969 Hardie (George, Jr.) "A. T. O. (American Trans-Oceanic Company) and the 'Big Fish'" drafts and correspondence 2 7 1965-1967 Supersonic transport clipping 5 10 1965 January 17 Early Birds of Aviation Miami reunion (1967) correspondence and informational materials 2 8 1967, 1982 December Early Birds of Aviation Miami Beach reunion photographs 5 11 1967 November Early Birds of Aviation Miami Beach reunion (1969) group photograph 5 12 1969 Roché (Jean A.) "The Career of an Airplane Designer, 1910-1960" draft 5 13 1969 Air Force One photograph 5 14 1970s Society of Automotive Engineers Aerospace Newsletter 5 15 1975 April Personal Series 3 circa 1919-1967 Scope and Contents

The Personal series, dated circa 1919-1967, contains personal photographs as well as photographs and other documents related to Page's property in Fairfield County, Ohio. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Shepherd (Herb) and Ran Baldwin photographs and negatives 5 16 6 10 circa 1919-1920, 1965 Photographs 5 17 1920-1925, 1950s Stonehenge stereoscopic slide and brochure 5 18 1951 Christmas letter 5 19 circa 1960s Fairfield County, Ohio property photographs and drawing 2 9 1966 Fairfield County, Ohio property description 5 20 1966 August 1 Baldwin family photographs 5 21 1967 March 31