- Home
- Collections
- Search the Collection
- Pilot Eddie Gardner's aviation leggings
Pilot Eddie Gardner's aviation leggings
Object Details
- Description
- Pilot Eddie Gardner owned and wore these leather leggings while working as an airmail pilot for the Post Office Department (August 1918- April 1919). Gardner wore these leggings over his pants when warmer weather allowed him to leave his heavy, leather flight suit on the ground. The leggings were held in place by leather straps at the top.
- Gardner left the airmail service in April 1919 and became a promoter for Nebraska Aviation. He died on May 6, 1921, after crashing while flying stunts in Holdrege, Nebraska.
- This pair of leggings and other gear worn and used by Eddie Gardner were eventually presented to Benjamin Lipsner, who had befriended Gardner during the time they worked together.
- References:
- National Archives and Reference Administration, record group 28
- Bruns, James H. Turk Bird: The High-Flying Life and Times of Eddie Gardner, Washington, DC: National Postal Museum, 1998.
- Data Source
- National Postal Museum
- Date
- 1918-1919
- Object number
- 1982.0157.522
- Wearer
- Eddie Gardner, American, 1888 - 1921
- Type
- Employee Gear
- Medium
- leather; metal
- Dimensions
- Height x Width x Depth: 12 × 4 1/4 × 4 1/2 in. (30.48 × 10.8 × 11.43 cm)
- Place
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Postal Museum Collection
- Topic
- The Gilded Age (1877-1920)
- The Roaring Twenties (1920-1929)
- Benjamin B. Lipsner Airmail Collection
- Postal Employees
- Record ID
- npm_1982.0157.522
- Usage
- CC0
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.