potomacriver

Anybody know what year this was taken?

This is a photo of the unsuccessful attempted flight of the Langley Aerodrome from a houseboat on the Potomac River on October 7, 1903. It is likely this photo is in with the 1914 group of Bain photos because the Langley Aerodrome would actually play a role in the patent fights between the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss. This is not one of the 1914 flights, as is apparent by comparing October 7,1903 photos of the attempted flight with this one. As per Wikipedia: With Smithsonian approval, Glenn Curtiss extensively modified the Aerodrome and made a few short flights in it in 1914, as part of an unsuccessful attempt to bypass the Wright Brothers' patent on aircraft and to vindicate [Samuel] Langley. Based on these flights, the Smithsonian displayed the Aerodrome in its museum as the first heavier-than-air manned, powered aircraft "capable of flight." This action triggered a feud with Orville Wright (Wilbur Wright died in 1912), who accused the Smithsonian of misrepresenting flying machine history. Orville backed up his protest by refusing to donate the original 1903 Kitty Hawk Flyer to the Smithsonian, instead exiling it to Science Museum of London in 1928. The dispute finally ended in 1942 when the Smithsonian published details of the Curtiss modifications to the Aerodrome and recanted its claims for the aircraft. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley_Aerodrome

TVL 1970: Thank you for identifying this aircraft as the Langley Aerodrome, developed by Smithsonian Institution secretary Samuel P. Langley. This photo shows the aerodrome's attempted flight on October 7, 1903, which ended when it fell into the water upon launch. This same photograph, credited to the Smithsonian Institution, is shown in an article "Langley's Flying Machine" in Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering magazine (Vol. III, Nov. 15, 1917, p. 528) which is available at Google Books. The article also contains information and photos of Glen Curtiss's later modification of the Aerodrome. We will add more details when we update this image description.

And here's that plane in 2011, in the Smithsonian: It seems to be staying up now :-)

East Potomac Park (including Hains Point) are captured in the center of the photo. Both Naval Air Station Anacostia and the Army Air Service's Bolling Field are captured in the upper left portion of the photo. See: www.airfields-freeman.com/DC/Airfields_DC.htm

Google aerial view

Thanks for pointing out the details! We'll add to the description at our end.

Great Falls ... where?

Great Falls Virginia, USA.

This was also known as "Dickeys Inn" at Matildaville – now Great Falls, Virginia. Also known as "Dickey's Farm House", and earlier (1802) as "Meyers Tavern." I'd guess the photo is late 1800's; the tavern burned in 1950.

"For about 165 years this inn stood near the Great Falls, an original part of the vanished canal town of Matildaville, established in 1790.

"Dickey's Inn, named after the last family that ran it until it closed in 1935, is believed to be the same building in Matildaville owned and operated by the widow Meyers in 1802, and built even earlier. Meyers Tavern was a place of refreshment for canal boat runners and visitors. Reputedly, U.S. presidents from George Washington to Theodore Roosevelt ate in this whitewashed building.

"Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, leased 400-500 acres of land along the Potomac from the mouth of Difficult Run in 1793 from George Washington's friend, (the then Reverend) Bryan Fairfax. On forty acres of this land, in 1790, the town of Matildaville was established. Lee named the promising town after his lovely young wife, Matilda Lee, who had recently died.

"The town of Matildaville was neatly laid out in one-half acre lots. The two main streets parallel to the canal were Canal Street and Washington Street. The town had quarters for workers, a two-story superintendent's house, a market house, a sawmill, a gristmill, an ironworks, among other structures. In 1839 the Virginia Legislature disestablished the town, after the canal was abandoned in 1830." –Great Falls Historical Society (also has more photos on-line)

On the Maryland side of the Falls, the Great Falls Tavern is one of the C&O Canal's most impressive structures.

Th eway photo is taken - the tree with its outstreched arms protects the background, or else the impression is of ageing wood.

Do you know what year this photograph was made and/or the name of the photographer?