Finding aid for the Gladys Cockburn-Lange Photographs
Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Cockburn-Lange, Gladys
Title: Gladys Cockburn-Lange Photographs
Dates: 1914-1918
Extent: 0.10 linear feet (1 container)
Abstract: The Gladys Cockburn-Lange photographs were first made public in 1932 by Mrs. Gladys Cockburn-Lange, the widow of a World War I British pilot. Since their publication, the authenticity of the photographs has been the subject of debate amongst historians, photographic experts, and World War I pilots. The collection consists of images of World War I aerial combat. This collection consists of published reproductions of 9 of the over 40 original Cockburn-Lange images.
PG Number PG 452
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of the Gladys Cockburn-Lange Photographs

The Gladys Cockburn-Lange Photographs were first made public in 1932, by Mrs. Gladys Cockburn-Lange, the widow of a World War I British flier. Ever since their release, historians, photographic experts, and World War I pilots have argued over their authenticity. Mrs. Cockburn-Lange refused to identify the photographer. However, she produced a diary allegedly written by the photographer, describing how the photographs were taken. Critics have maintained that the images are too sharply focused to have been shot, as the diary claimed, by a camera mounted on a twisting, vibrating aircraft. Others point out that the contemporary cameras lacked the depth of field to capture clearly the multi-ship images that are in the collection.

Scope and Content

The Gladys Cockburn-Lange Photographs, ca. 1914-1918, consist of images of World War I aerial combat. This collection consists of published reproductions of 9 of the over 40 original Cockburn-Lange images. The collection includes 9 black and white photographs of varying sizes.

Statement of Arrangement

The collection is maintained in one folder.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Airplanes -- Photographs.
Airplanes, Military -- Photographs.
Cockburn-Lange, Gladys collector -- Photograph collections.
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations -- Photographs.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 452 Gladys Cockburn-Lange Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Tavern Club in 1984.