What is the Golden Age of Aviation, and why is it so special?
The Sky's The Limit!
A rich and riotous era full of record-breakers, barnstormers, and home-built aircraft, the years between the World Wars brought about stunning developments in aviation. Air mail, ocean crossings, speed and endurance records, and hundreds of new aircraft fueled the imaginations of a world obsessed with flight.
Aviation and the Arts
The thrill of flight captured the world's imagination, and aviation themes pop up in music, fashion, culture, and art throughout the early half of the 20th century. Our archive takes a special look at this fascinating cultural history.
Flight: Then and Now
Though aviation has come very far from the early days of cloth-covered wings and radial engines, the principles of flight remain the same, and the technologies developed from 1900-1940 still influence current aviation.
The Aviators' Experience
The stories of aviation groundbreakers from the Golden Age astonish and inspire: record-breaking ocean crossers, women and people of color who fought prejudice to soar the skies, inventors who paved the way for the modern age, and so many more. We're honored to bring these stories to life through our airplanes, our archival collection, and through constantly evolving exhibits!
Blueprints and Photographs
Many early aircraft were simply constructed, with blueprints available to the homebuilder. We own several sets of rare blueprints, as well as a large photograph collection of early, rare aircraft, and these provide a beautiful glimpse of aviation in the Golden Age.
Up-close and personal learning
At Kelch, we're a team of tinkerers, pilots, and history nerds! We know how exciting it is to get up close to the things you're passionate about, so we're creating a museum where hands-on education and exploration can happen!
