Samuel Pierpont Langley Collection

Samuel Pierpont Langley, with signature
NWI4948820 Samuel Pierpont Langley, with signature.; (add.info.: Samuel Pierpont Langley, with signature.); Photo © North Wind Pictures

Experimental Tandem Biplane On Potomac Embodying Langley Principles, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Experimental Tandem Biplane On Potomac Embodying Langley Principles, 1917. Related to Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute

Experimental Tandem Biplane On Potomac Embodying Langley Principles, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Experimental Tandem Biplane On Potomac Embodying Langley Principles, 1917. Related to Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute

Experimental Tandem Biplane On Potomac Embodying Langley Principles, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Experimental Tandem Biplane On Potomac Embodying Langley Principles, 1917. Related to Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute

Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute, 1913. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute, 1913

Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute, 1913. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Samuel Pierpont Langley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institute, 1913

American aviation pioneers Charles M. Manly and Samuel Pierpont Langley, c1890s. Charles Matthews Manly (chief mechanic and pilot)

Langley Quarter-scale Aerodrome, 1903. Creator: Smithsonian Institution
Model of the unpiloted, tandem-wing experimental aircraft built and tested by Samuel P. Langley, powered by a five-cylinder radial internal combustion gasoline engine of about 3.2 horsepower

Langley Aerodrome Number 5, 1896. Creator: Smithsonian Institution
Model of the unpiloted, tandem-wing experimental aircraft built and tested by Samuel P. Langley. One one-horsepower, one-cylinder steam engine turning two pusher propellers via geared transmission

Portrait of Samuel Pierpont Langley (1834-1906), Before 1890. Creator: James Notman
Portrait of Samuel Pierpont Langley (1834-1906), Before 1890

Samuel Pierpont Langley, 1834 - 1906. American Astronomer, Physicist, Inventor Of The Bolometer And Pioneer Of Aviation. From The Strand Magazine Published 1897

Samuel Pierpont Langley, US aviator
Samuel Pierpont Langley, American astronomer and aviation pioneer (1834-1906). Langley was born in Massachusetts and went on to become Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1887)

Langleys sunspot observation, 1873
The surface of the Sun, a Sunspot, observed on December 24, 1973. When observing the Sun with appropiate filtration, the most immediatly visible features are usually its sunspots

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Samuel Pierpont Langley was a pioneering American scientist and inventor who made significant contributions to the fields of aviation and astronomy. Born in 1834, Langley's fascination with flight led him to conduct groundbreaking experiments with model airplanes powered by steam engines. Langley's work laid the foundation for modern aviation, inspiring future inventors like the Wright brothers. In 1896, he successfully flew an unmanned aircraft called the Aerodrome over half a mile, making it one of the first heavier-than-air flying machines in history. In addition to his work in aviation, Langley was also a renowned astronomer. He served as the director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and made important discoveries about solar radiation and sunspots. Despite facing setbacks and criticism throughout his career, Samuel Pierpont Langley's legacy lives on as a pioneer in both aviation and astronomy. His innovative spirit continues to inspire scientists and inventors around the world to push boundaries and reach for new heights.