Dorothy (Hester) Stenzel Collection

The Dorothy (Hester) Stenzel Collection contains scrapbooks, manuscripts and photographs documenting Stenzel's career as one of the first female stunt pilots. The materials primarily date from 1929-1933, the height of Stenzel's fame.

At the beginning of the collection are several assorted textual materials, including maintenance log books for her Great Lakes (1929) Model 2T-1A (NC315Y) and its American Cirrus engine (serial number 3002). The February 1932-December 1932 maintenance log book includes a note from Tex Rankin on the inside cover that certifies that this book replaced one lost on or around February 20, 1932. Additionally, there is a blue composition notebook [currently on exhibit] used by Tex Rankin and Dorothy Hester during flights. Because of the noise of the engines, the only way to communicate during flights was to write notes to each other in the notebook and pass it back and forth. Assorted documents such as flight planning notes, a promotional brochure for Rankin's flying school, and a letter from Stenzel to her sister, Helen, that discusses completing 62 loops and the death of a fellow barnstormer are also included. There are also two copies of an information packet about the development of the aviation industry sent to both Dorothy Hester and her husband, Robert Hofer, by the Bureau of Air Commerce.

Additionally, there are seven (7) black-and-white photographs, one of which is a very large panoramic group portrait taken at the May 1931 Omaha Air Races. There is an accompanying sheet that identifies several of the people in the shot, including Stenzel. The remaining six (6) are various portraits of Dorothy Hester.

The bulk of the collection consists of seven (7) scrapbooks, six (6) of which were likely created by Stenzel. All but one of the scrapbooks are in various stages of dissassemblage. Four have no cover, but are still bound together, while two include the covers but are not bound. The final scrapbook is fully bound with a cover and was given to Stenzel by Vernon and Dorothy Cady, who created it.

The scrapbooks focus on Stenzel's career, mostly covering the 1920s-1930s, although some later dates appear. The scrapbooks are primarily clippings from a wide array of publications. Duplication of the clippings occurs as many appeared in multiple publications. Also included is correspondence to and from sponsors and vendors, event organizers, and friends, and printed ephemera, such as event passes and tickets, programs, and ribbons. Topics cover aviation events, such as races and derbies, obituaries, news events, and articles primarily focused on Stenzel's aerial stunts, but also touching on other notable aviators, such as Tex Rankin, Ruth Nichols, Wiley Post, Ernst Udet, Boleslaw Orlinksi, and R.L.R. Atcherley, to list just a few.

The last scrapbook covers the 1931 National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. It includes a total of eighty (80) black-and-white photographs, forty (40) of which are printed with a caption in the front center of the image. The caption relates to the opposing photograph. The photographs depict Stenzel, some aircraft (mostly obscured), and other pilots and participants, such as Alford J. Williams, Mario de Bernardi, and Alois Kubita. There is also an image depicting Stenzel with Dorothy Cady.

At the end of the collection are twenty-three (23) maps and charts used by Stenzel during her aviation career. Many of the road maps and aviation charts were annotated by Stenzel as she prepared for various flights all over the United States. Also included in this box are seven (7) unsigned and undated pen-and-ink drawings of ships created for Stenzel by one of her daughters.

Digitized Materials: The log books, photographs, 1931 National Air Races scrapbook, and assorted documents related to Stenzel's career have been digitized from this collection.

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