Glenn Hammond Curtiss (1878-1930), US aviator, at the wheel of his biplane. Curtiss began his interest in aviation with a visit to the Wright brothers in an airship. He then worked with Alexander Graham Bell, and flew the first official plane flight in the USA in July 1908. In the following years, he was involved in a long-running legal dispute with the Wright brothers over patent rights. In 1909, Curtiss won first prize in the first international air meet in Reims, France, where this photograph was taken. He was awarded the first US flying licence in 1911. In 1916, he founded the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Photograph from the Bain News Service.