Parachutes -- History

Berndt was a German scientist who came to the U.S.A. as part of Operation Paperclip at the close of WWII. His collection primarily documents his work in parachute development, in both Germany and the United States, from the WWII era through the Cold War. Materials include photographs, scientific test notes, educational records, security investigation reports, German identification papers, resumes, memoir, and other documents.

Dave Gold was a leading parachute historian and actively participated in all aspects of the parachuting business. He owned a parachute business, pursued a jumping career until debilitated by arthritis, was employed as a design engineer, and avidly collected historical and technical materials relating to parachuting. The collection includes personal papers, parachute research and development materials, blueprints, manuals, photographs, videos, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles.