Talbert Abrams

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Talbert T. Abrams
Born(1895-08-17)August 17, 1895
DiedAugust 26, 1990(1990-08-26) (aged 95)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPhotographer and aviator

Talbert "Ted" Abrams (August 17, 1895,[1] Tekonsha, Michigan – August 26, 1990) was an American photographer and aviator known as the "father of aerial photography".

Early years[]

Born in Tekonsha, Michigan, Abrams learned to fly at the Curtiss Aviation School while working as a mechanic for Curtiss.[2] He was issued Fédération Aéronautique Internationale pilot's license number 282.[2] The certificate was signed by Orville Wright.[3]

He joined the US Marine Corps in 1917 and was assigned to the US Navy flying school at Pensacola.[2] Following World War I, his squadron took photos of rebel activities on Haiti, and Abrams became interested in the potential of aerial photography.[2]

Career[]

In 1920, he left the military, purchased a war-surplus Curtiss JN-4 and founded a small airline, (Always Be Careful!), but remained more interested in photographic work.[2] On January 17, 1923, he married Leota Pearl Fry.[2] The same year, he purchased a Standard J-1, fitted it with cameras, and founded the (sold to Aerocom in 2003).[2][4] Over the next few years, he formed the to develop better cameras and instruments for his work, and the Abrams Aircraft Corporation in 1937 to develop specially designed aircraft.[2]

He got his first income from aerial photography when he took a photo of a racetrack from his bi-plane for a newspaper. Later he used to make maps for highway design and construction projects. In 1937 he developed a novel form of aircraft called "The Explorer", which was the first aircraft designed exclusively for aerial photography.[3]

During World War II, he founded the to teach these skills to the US military, while his Instrument Corporation built reconnaissance cameras for aircraft.[2]

In 1961, he sold the Abrams Instrument Corporation to Curtiss-Wright and went into semi-retirement.[2]

He died in a nursing home in Lansing, Michigan on August 26, 1990, at the age of 95.[4]

Legacy[]

Every year, the presents the to a person who makes an outstanding contribution to aerial photography and mapping. Mount Abrams in the Antarctic is named after him,[5] as is the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.[2]

"For his participation in "Operation Deep Freeze" at the South Pole in the 1960s he became one of the few persons in the world to have a mountain named after him, besides being awarded the Antarctic Service Medal."[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "Abrams, Talbert". Who Was Who in America, with World Notables, v. 10: 1989–1993. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who. 1993. pp. 1–2. ISBN 0837902207.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Talbert "Ted" Abrams". Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "TALBERT "TED" ABRAMS, FATHER OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY: A TRIBUTE TO LANSING'S FALLEN EAGLE
  4. ^ a b "Talbert Abrams Dies; Aerial Pioneer Was 95". The New York Times. August 30, 1990. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  5. ^ USGS Geographic Names Information System
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