The Descriptive Finding Guide for the James H. Hester Personal Papers. SDASM.SC.0075

Transcription

1 Online items available Papers. SDASM.SC.0075 Finding aid prepared by Alan Renga San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park San Diego, CA, (619) /05/2014 SDASM.SC

2 Title: James H. Hester Personal Papers Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.0075 Contributing Institution: San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives Language of Material: English Physical Description: 0.4 Cubic feetone Box Date (inclusive): Abstract: James Harvey Hester was a Stunt Flyer who was associated with the famous Hollywood Black Cats. He served in the USAAS at Kelly Field, TX briefly during WWI then returned to Venice. He was a test and stunt pilot in the southern California area between 1919 and 1925 Conditions Governing Access note The collection is open to researchers by appointment. Conditions Governing Use note Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information. Preferred Citation note [Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives ] Immediate Source of Acquisition note The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum. Biographical/Historical note James Harvey Hester was born to John and Amelia (Nichols) Hester in Rocky Ford, Colorado on July 16, The family operated a cattle ranch there and later in Riverside, CA. After school he served as the Chief Research Engineer for the Edison Company among other jobs but took up an interest in aviation as a hobby. By 1917 Hester was doing aviation full time in Venice CA. He served in the USAAS at Kelly Field, TX briefly during WWI then returned to Venice. He was a test and stunt pilot in the southern California area between 1919 and Hester was associated with the famous Black Cats barnstorming show and was a friend of many of the leading aviators of the time. During this time he worked for the Timm Brothers, Douglas Aircraft, Northrop and various film studios as a stunt flyer. After giving up flying around 1930, Hester owned an electrical and appliance store at 516 Santa Monica Blvd. He and his wife also owned and managed a Dude Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu called Big Oak Basin Guest Ranch. They also had a mortgage and loan business in EI Monte, CA. Avid horse riders, the Hester family provided for and maintained many equestrian trails in the mountains around the Los Angeles area. On August 15, 1980, Jim Hester died of cancer, and is interred at Victor Valley Memorial Park, Victorville, CA. Scope and Contents note The collection is comprised of many news clippings, letters, 143 photos, autographs, a partial 1917 log book, Big Oak Basin Ranch brochure and some legal papers. Related Archival Materials note Stunt Flying/Daredevil Photo Collection. Subjects and Indexing Terms Hester, James H., Douglas Aircraft Company Hollywood Black Cats Northrop Grumman Corporation Stunt flying United States. Army. Air Corps. Advanced Flying School (Kelly Field, Tex.) Box 01 Physical Description: 13 Folders SDASM.SC

3 Series I: Correspondence, Official Papers and Other Physical Description: 1. Blank log book 2. Partial log book for Correspondence from Howard Batt, August Legal papers from the lease of hangar space at Clover Field to the Timm Brothers, Misc. personal correspondence with various friends 6. Undated brochure for Hester s Big Oak Basin Guest Ranch SDASM.SC

4 Series II: Photographs and Drawings Physical Description: 1. Three photos attached to Popular Mechanic s article on Frank Clark s 1920 flight from a Los Angeles Skyscraper roof with Hester s assistance. 2. As above 3. As above 4. Hester next to Douglas Cloudster with two other pilots 5. Hester with Marie next to Hester s Curtiss Jenny, Wally Timm with a Timm M-150 Collegiate 7. Hester with The Boys, Venice CA, Hester and two aviators with Curtiss JN 9. Leta and Hester in plane 10. Swead Lundburg and plane, Mark Campbell with pet lion, Hester with Standard J-1 at Rogers Airport, Frank Clark taking off from building top, 21Dec Fokker D.VII, serial Jim Hester in his first airplane, Curtiss Canuck, Loughead F-1 after conversion to landplane 17. Wreckage for Frank ship Curtiss JN, Loughead F-1 after conversion to landplane 19. Loughead F-1 after conversion to landplane 20. Hester next to wrecked plane 21. Loughead F-1 after conversion to landplane 22. Loughead F-1 after conversion to landplane 23. Timm Pacific Hawk with Wally Timm, Frank Clark and Jim Hester, Otto Swede Meyerhoffer, Frank Clark and Jim Hester with speed record plane, Mark Campbell and Frank Clark, Standard J-1, May, Curtiss Canuck, Unidentified speed record plane 29. Curtiss JN with wing walker, Santa Monica, 14Aug Hester working on unidentified speed record plane 31. Hester and Clark with group of Asian visitors 32. Packard-LePere Lusac 11 at Rogers Field air show 33. Hester working on unidentified speed record plane 34. Horses running during movie stunt, Pilots with wrecked plane, Frank Clark taking off from building top, 21Dec Ruth Law and Hester in car 38. Hester and Clark with wrecked plane 39. Hester s Curtiss Canuck, Wally Timm, Hester and Nick Carter, building top, 21Dec Hester, Satsuma and Swede Meyerhoffer with damaged Curtiss JN 42. Hester s Curtiss Canuck, DeHavilland DH-4 in flight, flown by Hester 44. Swede Meyerhoffer with airplane, 1917? 45. Ince Field, Venice CA, Swede Meyerhoffer and Hester with Standard J-1 at Venice Field, 1919 with Curtiss and children 47. Swede Meyerhoffer with two female passengers 48. Swede Meyerhoffer and Alice Morna (sp?), Venice Field, Photo postcard of plane landing on car 50. Hester changing planes in flight, Venice, Frank Clark and Wally Timm, Babe Kalishek, Venice CA, c Ruth Law 54. Junkers F Curtiss L-4, Curtiss L-4, Female with Hester s plane, Rube Short with plane, killed 4Jul Hester working on Standard L-6, Hester with his first airplane, Curtiss Canuck, Blimp flying over the building that Clark flew off, Clark walking on building parapet, Clark sitting in a small car marked Chaplin Airdome (sic) 64. Clark taking off from Los Angeles building, 21Dec Clark, Hester, Mark Campbell, Wally Timm and others with airplane on top of Los Angeles building, 21Dec Photo post card of Fearless Freddie Lund, stunt man and wing walker 67. Clark, Hester, Mark Campbell, Wally Timm and others with airplane on top of Los Angeles building, 21Dec Hester with Ann and Por 69. Ann and Por 70. CO Prest and Curtiss JN wreck, Hester and Duck with a wrecked airplane 72. Herb, Ann, Por and Hub 73. Swede Meyerhoffer and Hester in airplane, Hester in airplane, What was left of Rob photo of wrecked and burned Curtiss JN 76. Hester s dog Laddie, Culver City Field from the air, circa SW, man standing by planes, Hester s Curtiss Canuck 80. Babe Kalishek, Venice CA, c21, inscribed to Hester 81. Babe Kalishek, Venice CA, c21, inscribed to Hester 82. Babe Kalishek, Venice CA, c21, standing on airplane wing, inscribed to Hester 83. Joe Hoff, barnstormer, Dick Oliver Kenwood and Howard Babb with one of Hester s crashed planes, Crashed Curtiss JN 86. Army D.H.4B on forest patrol near Mt. Shasta with Hester, Lake Shasta, Curtiss JN Canuck 89. Catron-Fisk Triplane 90. Nose over crash, Curtiss JN 91. Wally Timm with the Borde Lon s Monoplane 92. Dick Oliver Kenwood and Howard Babb with one of Hester s crashed planes, Hester and Freddie Lund pose with girl at Rogers Field, Friday the Runt posing with plane, Frank Clark in plane 96. Catron-Fisk Triplane 97. Los Angeles Herald Examiner Building, Three women at the Big Valley Guest Ranch 99. Three women at the Big Valley Guest Ranch 100. Elmer Horsley in uniform, Airplane flying at Beverly Hills Speedway, circa Ansaldo SVA.5 belonging to Sheridan Motor Company of Oakland CA 103. Donald Douglas Jr. with Hubert Ketter wreck, Hester, Clark and others on top of tower, Wally Timm with the Borde Lon s Monoplane, Bill Anderson in uniform, Booth Bee SDASM.SC.0075 Line racer, Hester and Clark after an accident, One I walked away from with a broken finger, Hester crash, Clark, Hester, Mark Campbell, Wally Timm and others with airplane on top of Los Angeles building, 21Dec Frank Clark, Photo calendar, February, Johnny Rose and Jim Hester in Curtiss trainer, 1916, Hester at 16 years of age 114. Otto "Swede" Meyerhofer with two passengers in front of his Venice Aero Police Standard J-1,

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