Photograph
Lawson Airplane Company Factory
| Alfred W. Lawson (second from right) and his employees in front of his South Milwaukee factory with the center section of his new airplane, the Lawson Midnight Airliner L-4. Lawson designed and built several large planes in Milwaukee after World War I and is said to have coined the name airliner because his planes were designed to carry a relatively large number of passengers. Lawson's first airliner successfully flew a 2000-mile demonstration trip to New York, Washington, D.C., and back to Milwaukee in 1919 carrying 15 passengers. His second plane, the Midnight Liner L-4, was even larger, with a wingspan of 117 feet. Powered by three Liberty engines, the L-4 was designed to carry 34 passengers with overnight accommodations. The L-4 plane crashed on its first takeoff attempt in 1921. This exhausted Lawson's financial resources in Milwaukee and virtually ended his career in aviation. |
| Image ID: | 10499 |
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| Creation Date: | 1920 |
| Creator Name: | Unknown |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| County: | Milwaukee |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Collection Name: | Subject albums, 1753?-1990? (bulk circa 1850s-circa 1950s) |
| Genre: | Photograph |
| Original Format Type: | negative, b/w copy |
| Original Format Number: | (X32)3824 |
| Original Dimensions: | 9 x 6.5 inches |
| Work clothes |
| Factories |
| Men |
| Outdoor photography |
| Portraits, Group |
| Airplanes |
| Signs and signboards |
| Hats |
| This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society. |
| Location: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin |
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