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Flying Over Timemedia · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection — Page 19 · Rev 6 · 10/11/2026https://flyingovertime.org/media/the-estate/page/19
Aeronautical engineer Donald A. Hall working at his desk
Flying Over Time Collection Donald A. Hall Estate

The Estate

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

The Donald A. Hall Estate Collection contains the definitive, original 1927 engineering blueprints, technical notes, and historical photographic negatives documenting the design and construction of the Spirit of St. Louis (Ryan NYP).

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948 images from the family-held record. Search captions and descriptions, and open any image to view it in full.

948 images

A full-length portrait of Harland Hall in an overcoat and fedora standing on a hexagonal stone pathway in a formal park garden with a vintage car in the background.
Harland Hall on Hexagonal Paving in Park Garden (1927)

Positioned on a decorative hexagonal stone walkway, Harland Hall poses in profile wearing a tailored wool overcoat and fedora in 1927. Donald A. Hall Sr. captured his subject amidst manicured flowerbeds, with a vintage sedan and tall deciduous trees framing the background.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A young toddler in a vintage knit bathing suit standing on the sand examining a small discovery, with blurred beachgoers and umbrellas in the background.
Toddler Examining Beach Discovery on California Shore (1927)

Utilizing a shallow depth of field with his Leica lens, Donald A. Hall Sr. isolated this young toddler examining a beach discovery on the sand in 1927. The softly blurred beach umbrellas and oceanfront visitors provide rich environmental atmosphere without distracting from the child's focused expression.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A smiling young man standing on a sandy beach wearing a wooden barrel around his waist and standing inside a metal hoop as a humorous beach gag.
Humorous Beach Gag in Wooden Barrel (1927)

Capturing the lighthearted beach humor of 1927, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed a smiling friend posing inside a wooden stave barrel on the Pacific shore. The Chief Engineer frequently documented these spontaneous, comedic moments during weekend excursions with friends along the California coast.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Elisabeth Betty Walker smiling in a summer dress alongside her brother Omar Walker in a three-piece suit holding a hat in a sunny garden.
Elisabeth "Betty" Walker and Brother Omar Walker (1927)

A treasured family photograph from 1927 capturing Elisabeth "Betty" Walker—who would marry Donald A. Hall Sr.—standing alongside her brother, Omar Walker. Dressed in elegant 1920s formal attire in a sunlit garden, their bright smiles preserve an intimate personal chapter in Hall's personal archives.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Donald A. Hall Sr.'s 1925 Studebaker Roadster parked on an unpaved mountain road with a smiling woman behind the wheel against layered hills.
1925 Studebaker Roadster on California Mountain Road (1927)

Donald A. Hall Sr.'s yellow 1925 Studebaker Roadster sits parked on a high mountain road overlooking chaparral-covered ridges in 1927. Featuring wooden artillery wheels and a folding windshield, the roadster carries a smiling companion during an excursion through the Southern California backcountry.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
The 1925 Studebaker Roadster parked on a low-water concrete bridge over a rocky, flowing woodland creek beneath shaded trees.
Studebaker Roadster Crossing Shaded Woodland Creek (1927)

During a 1927 backcountry road trip, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed his 1925 Studebaker Roadster resting on a concrete low-water crossing over a clear mountain creek. The composition utilizes leaning sycamores and reflections in the rocky stream to frame an artistic automotive portrait.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Two smiling young men sitting on the running board of Donald A. Hall Sr.'s 1925 Studebaker Roadster parked on a wide sandy beach.
Companions on Studebaker Roadster Running Board at Beach (1927)

Two companions sit relaxed on the running board and rear fender of Donald A. Hall Sr.'s 1925 Studebaker Roadster on the California coast in 1927. Bathed in brilliant Pacific sunlight, one subject wears a flat cap while the other sports a striped wool swimsuit, capturing carefree beach camaraderie.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A vertical high-angle view of a paved mountain road with a white wooden guardrail curving along steep chaparral slopes above a deep canyon.
Winding Mountain Highway and Canyon Slopes (1927)

Experimenting with vertical framing and dynamic terrain, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented this winding mountain highway curving along steep slopes in 1927. The white wooden post-and-plank guardrail traces the contours of the road above a dense, brush-filled California canyon.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A lone vintage automobile driving along an unpaved road cut through a steep, rocky mountain gorge with rugged stone cliffs.
Vintage Automobile Navigating Rocky Canyon Gorge (1927)

Documenting early automotive exploration through rugged California terrain, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed a vintage motorcar navigating a dirt road carved through a rocky canyon gorge in 1927. The towering rock faces and dry wash illustrate the adventurous backcountry motoring of the era.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A dirt mountain road curving along a steep ridge in the Cuyamaca wilderness, with long pine tree shadows cast across the ground toward distant peaks.
Cuyamaca Mountain Road and Distant Sierra Peaks (1927)

Likely taken in the Cuyamaca wilderness or San Gabriel range, this 1927 photograph captures dramatic shadows of towering pines stretching across a remote mountain road. Donald A. Hall Sr. framed the winding dirt route against distant sunlit peaks, capturing the raw geography of early California motoring.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A vertical view of a winding dirt road cutting through a dense mountain forest of tall ponderosa pines, with bright sunlight highlighting tree bark.
Winding Dirt Road Through Dense Pine Forest (1927)

Sunlight pierces a dense mountain pine forest in this vertical 1927 composition. Donald A. Hall Sr. expertly balanced his exposure to record fine texture on the shaded ponderosa bark while following the unpaved road as it twisted deeper into the alpine canopy.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A straight dirt road flanked by tall pine trees and granite boulders, creating a dramatic one-point linear perspective disappearing into the background.
Linear Perspective on Dirt Road Through Mountain Pines (1927)

Applying his drafting and aeronautical precision to nature photography, Donald A. Hall Sr. composed this 1927 landscape using one-point linear perspective. The unpaved mountain route vanishes into the center of the frame, bordered by tall pines, utility lines, and granite boulders.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Dramatic sunbeams piercing through morning forest mist and tall old-growth tree trunks, illuminating a lone hiker standing on a curving woodland road.
Sunbeams and Morning Mist over Lone Hiker (1927)

A standout fine-art photograph from the collection capturing dramatic crepuscular rays breaking through dense forest fog. Donald A. Hall Sr. composed this ethereal 1927 scene to frame a lone traveler standing along the bend of a shaded mountain road beneath towering old-growth trees.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Eroded sandstone bluffs of the Santa Monica Palisades showing wooden cribbing, telephone poles, and coastal railway tracks at the base.
Santa Monica Palisades Bluffs and Coastal Rail Line (1927)

Before extensive modern paving and stabilization, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented the rugged, natural sandstone bluffs of the Santa Monica Palisades in 1927. The composition records early infrastructure, including timber telephone poles, erosion barriers, and tracks along the Pacific shore.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A rustic wooden railing and blooming yucca plants along a cliffside walking path overlooking the coast and distant Malibu mountains.
Palisades Park Pathway and Coastal Yucca Overlook (1927)

Framed along the cliffside path of Palisades Park in Santa Monica, this 1927 composition pairs a spiky yucca plant and rustic wooden fence against the sweeping curve of Santa Monica Bay. Hall utilized deep depth of field to keep both foreground flora and distant mountain ridges in focus.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Donald A. Hall Sr.'s wooden canoe resting on a sandy beach at the base of towering stratified ocean bluffs, with calm sea water in the background.
Handcrafted Canoe on Beach Beneath Coastal Bluffs (1927)

Donald A. Hall Sr. built and paddled this wooden canoe during coastal California expeditions. This 1927 negative balances the streamlined form of the beached watercraft against the massive, layered geological strata of towering coastal bluffs and calm ocean waters.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A sweeping elevated view of the curving California Incline descending the Santa Monica Palisades to the coast highway, with vintage cars parked along the beach.
California Incline and Pacific Coast Highway from Palisades (1927)

An iconic historical record of the Santa Monica coastline in 1927, capturing the sweeping curve of the California Incline as it descends the cliffs to the ocean highway. Hall photographed vintage automobiles parked along the beach below, documenting early Southern California coastal transit.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A large Canary Island Date Palm on a city sidewalk overlooking parked 1920s automobiles and Spanish-style commercial buildings with a cafeteria sign.
Canary Island Date Palm and Downtown Santa Monica Streetscape (1927)

During his residence in Santa Monica, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed this lively streetscape featuring a large Canary Island Date Palm framing Spanish Colonial Revival commercial buildings. Vintage sedans line the curb outside a downtown cafeteria, reflecting coastal city life in 1927.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A high-angle vertical perspective looking through a shaded Spanish-style archway and pergola down a wide, sunny Santa Monica sidewalk.
Shaded Spanish Archway Over Santa Monica Sidewalk (1927)

Experimenting with shadow geometry and vertical framing, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed this quiet sidewalk scene beneath a Spanish-style pedestrian archway in Santa Monica. The contrast between deep garden shade and the sun-drenched coastal avenue illustrates his command of exposure in bright daylight.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A high-angle elevated view from the Santa Monica Palisades looking northwest along the beach, coastal highway, and tracks toward the distant Malibu mountains.
Santa Monica Palisades Overlook and Malibu Coastline (1927)

Perched atop the dramatic sandstone cliffs of the Santa Monica Palisades in 1927, Donald A. Hall Sr. captured this expansive view looking northwest toward the Malibu mountains. The image documents early coastal infrastructure, including rail lines, beachside structures, and vintage automobiles along the Pacific shore.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A curving paved pathway in Palisades Park with rustic bentwood fencing, dark hillside foliage, and a decorative spherical light fixture suspended above.
Rustic Pathway and Decorative Lantern in Palisades Park (1927)

Capturing the tranquil landscaping of Santa Monica's Palisades Park in 1927, Donald A. Hall Sr. framed this curving hillside promenade. The composition highlights rustic artisan wooden guardrails, manicured cliffside greenery, and a distinctive spherical park lantern suspended against the open sky.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
A steep vertical perspective looking down a sheer Palisades cliff face to coastal railroad tracks, beach bungalows, and the Pacific Ocean.
Sheer Palisades Cliff and Coastal Rail Tracks (1927)

Donald A. Hall Sr. emphasized vertical scale and dramatic geological erosion in this 1927 photograph, looking straight down the sheer face of the Santa Monica Palisades. Below, coastal railroad tracks and modest beach bungalows border the sandy shore against breaking surf.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
An elevated view over coastal succulents, ice plant, and a rugged sandstone promontory overlooking the beach and Santa Monica Bay.
Coastal Succulents and Sandstone Outcrop at Palisades (1927)

Documenting the native and cultivated flora stabilizing the Santa Monica bluffs in 1927, Donald A. Hall Sr. framed blooming succulents and agave against a weathered sandstone outcropping, with the vast expanse of Santa Monica Bay receding in the distance.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection
Dense marine layer fog and soft atmospheric haze obscuring the calm waters of Santa Monica Bay and distant coastal mountain ridges.
Marine Fog Over Santa Monica Bay (1927)

An atmospheric study in coastal California weather, Donald A. Hall Sr. recorded the soft gradations of a dense marine layer drifting over Santa Monica Bay in 1927. His Leica lens captured the quiet transition from sandy shore to fog-shrouded mountain headlands.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

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