theodoregellyson

The captioned identity of the aviator in the photo is incorrect, although understandable. It is not Lieutenant "Ellis," but actually Lieutenant Theodore Gordon Ellyson (USN) (b. 1885 - d. 1928). "Spuds" Ellyson was designated "Naval Aviator No. 1". Given the sequence of photos (see the photos of Helene Dutrieu, Earle Ovington, George W. Beatty, Tom Sopwith, etc.), and Ellyson's state of dress, I suspect this photograph was taken at the International Aviation Meet at the Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome on Long Island in September 1911. Here's a flickr photo of Beatty taking off at the meet with Ellyson's hangar in the background: See: query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50913FA3D5813738... AIR GAME THRILLS AERODROME CROWD; Toy Balloons Elude World's Greatest Aviators at International Meet Wikipedia's entry on Ellyson: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Gordon_Ellyson Here are a couple of photos of Ellyson from the era posted at the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives (on flickr) for comparison:

TVL 1970: Thank you very much for providing the proper identity of Mr. Ellyson, and for linking to sources for verification. We will correct the caption to reflect his correct name. Interestingly, when searching in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog for other images that might need fixing as well as other images of Ellyson, I ran across a few other images of Ellyson in the Harris & Ewing Collection, another collection which contains early 20th century news photography. Here are those other images of Ellyson if you are interested. Thanks again for the information!

T. G. Ellyson Aero Club of America Pilot# 28. July 2,1911 Curtiss Hydroplane Hammondsport, New York Killed February 27, 1928 Chesapeake Bay crash

All below from wikipedia: Theodore Gordon Ellyson, USN (27 February 1885 - 27 February 1928), nicknamed "Spuds", was the first United States Navy officer designated as an aviator ("Naval Aviator No. 1"). Ellyson served in the experimental development of aviation in the years before and after World War I. He also spent several years before the war as part of the Navy's new submarine service. A recipient of the Navy Cross for his antisubmarine service in World War I, Ellyson died in 1928 when his aircraft crashed over the Chesapeake Bay. [ed. note: Three army officers, First Lieutenant Paul W. Beck, Signal Corps; Second Lieutenant G.E.M. Kelly, 30th Infantry and Second Lieutenant John C. Walker, Jr., 8th Infantry joined Ellyson to form the first military aviation school in the United States, under the training of the Glenn Curtis School of Aviation in San Diego]. John Henry Towers (January 30, 1885 – April 30, 1955) was a United States Navy admiral and pioneer naval aviator. He made important contributions to the technical and organizational development of naval aviation from its very beginnings, eventually serving as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics (1939–1942). He commanded carrier task forces during World War II, and retired in December 1947. He and Marc Mitscher were the only early Naval Aviation pioneers to survive the extreme hazards of early flight to remain with naval aviation throughout their careers. He was the first naval aviator to achieve flag rank and was the most senior advocate for naval aviation during a time when the Navy was dominated by battleship admirals. John W. McClaskey, a retired US Marine lieutenant, was the chief of flight instruction for the Glenn Curtis School of Aviation in San Diego.

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