Lincoln Beachey is considered by many to be the greatest aviator of his era. He is pictured here about to take off in his Curtis 20th Century

Farnum Fish, the California-born 'boy aviator,' about to take off in his two-seat Wright Model B during a flying exhibition at t 20th Century

Man at the parts counter of an International Harvester dealership owned by the Great Lakes Supply Corp. Chicago, Illinois, 1939 20th Century

A hydroplane built by the Wright Brothers being tested by the U.S. Navy on San Diego Bay. San Diego Bay, California, 1912. 20th Century

The monoplane built by Carl S. Bates, an aeronautical inventor originally from Clear Lake, Iowa. Chicago, Illinois, 1912. 20th Century

A passenger cabin on the Graf Zeppelin, LZ-127, a luxurious German-built airship - 1928 20th Century

To the accompaniment of a cheering crowd, a pilot in a Curtiss pusher prepares to take off. California, 1912. 20th Century

Dr. A. Rudolph Silverston's vacu-aerial flying machine, as seen from the rear. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1912. 20th Century

Cover of an advertising brochure for an International TD-24 diesel crawler tractor ("TracTracTor") with 'planet power steering.' 20th Century

The wreck of John Kaminski's plane at Tomahawk, Wisconsin, where he had been scheduled to fly at the Fourth of July festivities. 20th Century

Pilot John Kaminski racing a motorcycle at the fairgrounds at Elgin, Illinois. Elgin, Illinois, 1912. 20th Century

Glenn Curtiss sold two hydroplanes (NS 1 & 2) to the U.S. Navy and continued to test them independently from their base also loc 20th Century

John Kaminski, his Curtiss pusher, and a young admirer. Silver Lake, Ohio, 1913. 20th Century

John Kaminski and mechanic Jack Knight making mechanical repairs to Kaminski's plane during an emergency landing at High Point, 20th Century

Engineering photograph of an experimental McCormick-Deering 15-30 tractor taken in a factory rail yard. A man in a suit and hat 20th Century

Man in a top hat, suit, and cape holding a doctor's bag. His hat says 'Doctor of Laffs'. Madison, Wisconsin, 1930. 20th Century

A Wright Model B Flyer at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in Milwaukee. Although unidentified, this is believed to be the aircra 20th Century

Former President Theodore Roosevelt with pilot Art Smith and his Curtiss Pusher at the Panama Pacific International Exposition i 20th Century

License #121 issued to John Kaminski in 1912 by the Aero Club of America. 1912. 20th Century

Refueling a Ford Tri-Motor airplane. Because gasoline truck hoses did not have pumps, airplanes were refueled by filling 5-gallo 20th Century