Museum gotta see ‘um

“EARLY BIRDS: SELECTIONS FROM THE TONY BILL AVIATION LIBRARY COLLECTION, 1893-1914,” AT THE SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT MUSEUM. A decade before the Wright brothers’ first flight in an airplane, a group engaged in deciphering the mystery of flight assembled at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago for an International Conference on Aerial Navigation. To open the event, Chairman Octave Chanute declared that aeronautics should no longer be considered the domain of “cranks,” but should be worthy of serious study as a collaborative scientific endeavor. Believing that aviation knowledge should be openly accessible, Chanute had the 1893 conference proceedings published and from 1891 to 1893 wrote a series of aviation articles that were republished in 1894 as “Progress in Flying Machines.” Other influential works on flight followed, including Secretary of the Smithsonian Samuel Pierpont Langley’s “Memoir on Mechanical Flight” and the Prussian-German birdman Otto Lilienthal’s “Birdflight as the Basis of Aviation.” Lilienthal’s work was the inspiration that ultimately led the Wright brothers to pursue the challenge of flight. “Early Birds: Selections from the Tony Bill Aviation Library Collection, 1893-1914,” at the San Francisco Airport Museum offers a view of many of these early publications.

When Glenn Curtiss won the Scientific American Trophy for flight distance in 1908, Wilbur and Orville Wright responded with an article in The Century Magazine. The normally secretive brothers’ accounts had previously been “brief statements of bare accomplishments, without explanation of the manner in which results were attained.” In the article they revealed in full detail the experiments that ultimately led to their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903. The Wrights, along with other early aviators and aeronauts, including Claude Grahame-White, Augustus Post and Gertrude Bacon, became accomplished authors of popular aviation books and articles by offering first-hand descriptions and practical knowledge of flying to a readership hungry for compelling and believable narratives. As the reading public became mesmerized by the new science and sport of aviation, publishers responded to the demand with detailed descriptions of flights, air meets and the newest machines. Many were written by authors with science or aviation writing backgrounds. Other authors sought to produce works of greater technical detail that added to the canon of scientific knowledge and the advancement of aeronautics.

The Tony Bill collection includes over 1,400 publications from the late 19th century through the early 20th century, with numerous first editions and association copies on aeronautical theory, early human flight, and the development of aviation technology. Tony Bill, actor, director and Academy Award-winning producer, who has pursued a lifelong interest in aviation as a pilot and historian, carefully assembled the library over many years. In the late 1990s, the collection was acquired by SFO Museum and made available to the public at the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library. “Early Birds: Selections from the Tony Bill Aviation Library Collection, 1893-1914” may be viewed at departures — level three — pre-security through July 1. There is no charge to view the exhibition. For more information visit www.flysfo.com/museum.

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THE WIEGAND GALLERY AT NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR IN BELMONT HOSTS APRIL 3 RECEPTION FOR “ROBERT HARTMAN: AERIAL VISIONS.” Robert Hartman’s 30 years as a professor of art at UC Berkeley and his numerous exhibitions at Triangle Gallery cemented his reputation as one of the leading artists in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally known for his abstract paintings, Hartman began combining his passion for flying with his interest in photography. “Robert Hartman: Aerial Visions” is on view at the Wiegand Gallery through April 24 with a reception 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 3. The gallery is located on the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston Ave, Belmont.

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FLOWERING TREES IN ORCHARDS: PAINTER KAY DUFFY DEMONSTRATES WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES ON APRIL 16 AT THE SOCIETY OF WESTERN ARTISTS FINE ART CENTER IN SAN BRUNO. The Society of Western Artists Fine Art Center presents a free watercolor demonstration by Kay Duffy on flowering trees in orchards and other landscapes. Duffy, a world traveled artist and active member in many art societies, has been honored by her hometown of Saratoga and the County of Santa Clara, which selected her paintings to be sent to their sister cities in Japan and Italy respectively. Duffy’s demonstration takes place 1 p.m. to -3 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at the Society of Western Artists Fine Art Center, 527 San Mateo Ave. in San Bruno. For more information visit www.societyofwesternartists.com or contact Judith Puccini at 737-6084.

Susan Cohn can be reached at susan@smdailyjournal.com or www.twitter.com/susancityscene.