The Snapshots in Time Collection

Distant Aerial Object Against Cloud Formation, WWI-Era France Negative

Distant Aerial Object Against Cloud Formation, WWI-Era France Negative

A weathered World War I-era negative captures a distant object, possibly an aircraft or observation balloon, silhouetted against a dramatic cloudscape over France or England. Photographs like this offer a rare, if imperfect, glimpse into the earliest era of American military aviation, when pilots trained at bases such as Scott Field before deploying overseas. Project: 218364