A Visit to the Boeing Archive ...

[Mark Allen M]

Interesting to scan the two links below. In order.

https://www.airlinereporter.com/tag/archives/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/airlinere ... 753056369/

[quemerford]

Interesting story, but doesn't mention the containers full of stuff they inherited from Rockwell or a number of other companies which Boeing now "owns" the heritage of. I do hope it's safe and sound and equally well looked after.

[Mark Allen M]

Agreed!

The series of articles were written over 10 years ago as well.
I do know that the Boeing digital online archives are beginning to show quite a bit of information and photos now more than ever of North American aviation.

Glad that Boeing seems to take their history seriously enough to preserve it properly. Or so it seems.

[Mark Allen M]

I would also like to see a National Aviation Manufacturer’s Museum and Library someday where all the major US aviation companies could store their historic photos, films, documents etc. all together.

It would have to be quite a large place I would imagine

[bdk]

The North American/Rockwell stuff came through Long Beach on its way to Seattle. I was able to snag some non-Boeing specific stuff like some Jane's All the World's Aircraft annuals from the 1930s and 1940s they were giving away. Part of the purpose of this archive is to have data to provide for investigations and for a legal defense and there are also FAA requirements for manufacturers to retain some data for certificated aircraft. This stuff is expensive to maintain and they aren't doing it out of their kindness to enthusiasts. It serves a business purpose.

[Steve Birdsall]

I was at a dinner in Seattle in 1980, around the time I’d done a book on the B-29 for Doubleday, and will always remember being told or reminded that “history doesn’t sell airplanes”.

We must never forget the enormous debt we owe to Pete Bowers, Gordy Williams, Harl Brackin, Marilyn Phipps, Al Lloyd and others. Many others - those five are just names that immediately came to mind.

[Mark Allen M]

This stuff is expensive to maintain and they aren't doing it out of their kindness to enthusiasts. It serves a business purpose.

Yes indeed!

“history doesn’t sell airplanes”.

That's an interesting statement Steve. I would think the opposite would apply.

[Steve Birdsall]

“history doesn’t sell airplanes”.
That's an interesting statement Steve. I would think the opposite would apply.

Yes Mark, I thought we were doing a pretty good job enhancing the Boeing "brand" too. I forget exactly who said it to me, but he was relatively young and high up in the commercial airplane division.

[BigGrey]

When Boeing was purging things from the archives they fortunately didn't get back to the drawings an acquaintance needed and he was able to get the full set.

[Stoney]

unfortunately NAA throw a lot of WW II paperwork in the dumpster, Dusty Carter save a bunch.