Ivonette Wright Miller Papers

The Ivonette Wright Miller Papers is a diverse collection of Wright Brothers material. The papers include family papers, photographs, and memorabilia originally owned by Orville and Wilbur Wright, Katharine Wright, and their father, Bishop Milton Wright. The papers also include hundreds of items collected by Harold and Ivonette Wright Miller in conjunction with dedications or anniversary celebrations commemorating events associated with the Wright Brothers. The papers are divided into eight series.

Series I, Family Papers, contains an interesting cross-section of material. Subseries IA, General Family Information, contain items dating from the early 1800s, including Samuel S. Wright's book manuscript entitled "Political Economy." Perhaps most historically significant in this subseries are telegrams sent to and from Orville's brother Lorin Wright in 1915 concerning discussions with Pliny Williamson in New York. Also significant is Ivonette's handwritten draft of her book "Wright Reminiscences" and her memories of her uncles in "Uncle Will and Uncle Orv" that includes nine cassette tapes of interviews with Ivonette. Other significant items in this subseries include a copies of Wilbur's and Orville's "Last Will and Testament," condolence letters and cards attached to flower baskets sent to the family on the death Orville, the City of Dayton "Resolution in the Death of Orville Wright," the agreement to sell the Wright 1903 Flyer to the Smithsonian Institution, and the Smithsonian's dedication ceremony for the Wright 1903 Flyer on December 17, 1948. Also included in this subseries is a section on Katharine Wright and Henry Haskell. Of particular interest in this section is Orville's explanation of why he cut off contact with Katharine after she married Henry. Subseries IB, Correspondence, is divided into three major sections. The first contains the correspondence of Wright family members and close friends. A major portion of this correspondence concerns Orville Wright's estate, as administered by Harold Miller and John Jameson. The second major section is correspondence concerning the appraisal of various Wright Brothers artifacts. The last section contains mostly correspondence between Ivonette and Charles H. Gibbs-Smith and Marvin W. McFarland concerning articles and books being written about the Wright Brothers.

Series II, Lester D. Gardner Correspondence, contains information about Lester D. Gardner and his correspondence with Harold S. Miller pertaining to his Wright Replica idea. The bulk of the files contain correspondence pertaining to his program of giving a piece of the fabric from the Kitty Hawk "Wright Flyer" to prominent people in aeronautics throughout the world. Most of the correspondence is from recipients of the fabric. The correspondence is grouped alphabetically according to correspondent.

Series III, Photographs, contains a wide range of significant photographs concerning the Wright Brothers. Many of these photographs are the personal photographs of Orville Wright and document the Wright family. The span of the photographs ranges from as early as 1900 to as late as 1993. Of particular interest to Wright Brothers scholars are:

a. A Hawthorne Hill collection of 43 photographs (Box 7, File 11). Included in the album are photographs, both interior and exterior shots, documenting construction of the Wright family home in 1913 through 1941. Interior photographs show original decoration and furnishings of the home.

b. A collection of 126 photographs (Box 7, File 12) featuring Orville's dog "Scipio." Photographs include those taken at Hawthorne Hill, Lambert Island, and with family and friends.

c. A collection of 41 photographs (Box 7, File 14) documenting the Wright Brothers Aeronautical Engineering Collection at the Franklin Institute. Included with the photographs is a draft of an article describing the photographs written by Ralph H. McClarren.

d. The most significant collection of photographs is contained in Box 8. This box contains an early photograph album of Orville Wright containing 276 photographs. Included are photographs of the Wright School of Aviation at Huffman Prairie, Moraine Farm, McCook and Wright Fields in Dayton, Europe, photographs of Wright friends and acquaintances, many family photographs of the extended Wright family, and family photographs from Wright friends such as the Griffith Brewers and the Alex Ogilvies. The photographs span a period of 1900 to 1926.

e. In Box 9 is a modern photograph album containing a set of photographs taken by photographer Andrew S. Iddings in May and June 1909. The photographs record the parades and speeches during the Wright Brothers Homecoming Celebrations. The album was presented to Ivonette Wright Miller.

f. In Box 10 is a photograph album put together by Ivonette about the 1908 and 1909 activities of the Wright Brothers. Included in the album are: photographs of the Wright Brothers Homecoming; the May 1908 flights at Kitty Hawk as the Wrights tested the plane they would fly in Europe and at Ft. Myer; Orville's flights at Ft. Myer in 1908, including a number of photographs of Orville's crash on September 17, 1908; and Wilbur's flights at both LeMans in 1908 and Pau, France in 1909. Many of the photographs in the album do not appear in the Wright Brothers Collection and would be of interest to Wright Brothers scholars.

g. Boxes 11, 12, and 13 primarily document Ivonette and Harold Miller's life as representatives of the Wright Family. These albums contain photographs of various events, such as the ceremonies at the Wright Brothers Memorial in Dayton, Ohio on December 17 each year, the Miller's 70th wedding anniversary, and similar events.

h. Box 14 contains photographs of the interior of Orville Wright's Hawthorn Hill mansion just shortly after his death in 1948 and later in 1949 after NCR remodeled the mansion. h. Box 15 contains a variety of photographic postcards from the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Several of the cards are signed by Wilbur Wright and sent to Ivonette Wright in 1908 and 1909 - some with notes.

i. Boxes 16 and 17 contains three photograph albums compiled by Harold Miller when he was assigned to France during World War I.

j. Among the oversized photographs in Box 18 and in map cases, there are photographs of the Wright 1903 Flyer during its fourth flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903, attendees at the 25th anniversary of powered flight celebration held at the NCR Auditorium in 1928, a photograph of the Wilbur Wright Memorial at LeMans, France, and a photograph of the Katharine Wright Memorial Fountain at Oberlin College.

Series IV, Special Events, contains information concerning the many dedications, anniversaries, and other events related to the Wright Brothers. For each event, Ivonette retained such items as programs and photographs associated with the event, plus associated correspondence. In some cases, significant mementos were manufactured in honor of the occasion, such as the brass commemorative medals struck for the 50th anniversary of powered flight. Examples of events documented in this series include: the dedication of the Wright home and Cycle shop at Greenfield Village in 1938; dedication of the Wright Memorial in Dayton, Ohio in 1940; the 25th anniversary of powered flight sponsored by the NCR company in 1928; the return of the Wright 1903 Flyer to the Smithsonian Institution in 1948; and the many annual celebrations held at the Wright Memorial in Dayton. Almost all files contain numerous photographs of the event. In the case of the Greenfield Village and Wright Memorial dedications, many of the photographs have the names of attendees inscribed on the photograph. Also included in this series is an extensive file of programs from the National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies from 1963 to 1985.

Series V, Memorabilia, contains 13 issues of the Wright Brothers newspaper The Evening Item, beginning in June 14, 1890 and ending July 26, 1890. Also included is a 1948 commemorative issue of Collier's Magazine marking the 45th anniversary of powered flight, newspaper clippings of the 45th anniversary of powered flight and dedication of the Wright 1903 Flyer at the Smithsonian Institution, the Steele High School diplomas of Ivonette Wright and Harold Miller, a commemorative program from Charles F. Kettering's 75th birthday celebration in 1951, and the musical score for "Song of the Wright Boys" composed by Mrs. Mary E. Knostman. Finally, there is a newspaper clipping scrapbook put together by Ivonette that includes clippings about Katharine Wright's marriage to Henry J. Haskell and her death in 1929, letters and essays by her son, Jack Miller, and clippings on the 25th Anniversary of the Birth of Aviation in December 1928.

Series VI, Publications, includes a number of publications containing articles about the Wright Brothers. The publications range in date from 1948 to 2007. Many are commemorative issues on the anniversary of powered flight.

Series VII, Audio/Visual Material, contains 16mm film, VHS tapes, and audiocassette tapes. The 16mm film is primarily film of Marianne Miller growing up and film of family vacations - primarily in the Western United States. The VHS tapes include interviews and various Wright Brothers-related events. Of particular note is a VHS tape about the Wright Brothers Archives Dedication at Wright State University on December 17, 1978, and interviews with the Millers about the 1913 flood. The cassette tapes are mostly interviews with Ivonette and Harold Miller, as well as other people who knew the Wright Brothers. Descriptions (scope and content notes) for individual items are included (for some items) at the item level.

Series VIII, Subject Files, is a large 2013 addition to the collection spanning a period from 1902-2003. It is divided into two sections. The first section is organized by name, primarily the author of an article about the Wright family. The second section contains a variety of subject areas collected by the Wright Family including information about aviation museums and other subjects, much of it related to the Wright Brothers.