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).

Back to Media Commercial Licensing

Explore the Estate Collection

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

Search the collection

948 images

A high-wing commercial passenger monoplane marked number 12 parked inside a hangar with three cabin doors standing open. — Commercial Passenger Cabin Monoplane Number 12 with Open Doors (Circa 1925)
Illustrating the rapid evolution of passenger boarding and cabin ergonomics, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented this high-wing transport monoplane, marked with a bold number 12 on the nose, parked inside an assembly hangar. Featuring three separate access doors swung wide open along the port side for the flight crew and passengers, the aircraft represents early commercial efforts to provide comfortable, enclosed air travel that Hall later refined while engineering the Ryan B-1 Brougham.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A massive crowd gathered around the three-engine LWF Model H Owl biplane bomber parked in front of a giant airfield hangar. — LWF Model H Owl Tri-Motor Heavy Bomber Before Airfield Spectators (Circa 1921)
A dramatic historical perspective of the 1920–1921 LWF Model H Owl, capturing the full 106-foot wingspan and twin-boom architecture of the giant tri-motor bomber before an enormous crowd and sprawling hangar. With three Liberty L-12 engines equipped with upper radiators and multi-wheel main landing gear, the Owl was briefly the largest landplane in the world. Hall preserved this technical study of extreme structural load-bearing wings and multi-engine nacelles from his military aviation research.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A pilot seated in the cockpit of an experimental light monoplane hand-lettered MTE inside a wooden hangar workshop. — Pilot in Cockpit of Experimental "MTE" Lightplane (Circa 1925)
Inside a wooden workshop hangar, a pilot leans on the padded cockpit coaming of a lightweight experimental monoplane hand-lettered MTE across its fabric fuselage. Donald A. Hall Sr. recorded this close study of grassroots lightplane prototyping, capturing the pilot's seated position relative to the parasol wing center section, steel-tube bracing, and minimalist structural woodwork common in mid-1920s homebuilt and experimental aircraft.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Experimental "MTE" Lightplane Profile and Empennage Design (Circa 1925)

A detailed three-quarter profile of the experimental MTE lightplane inside a wooden building, showcasing its angular horizontal stabilizer, square vertical rudder, and slender fuselage truss. The negative documents the lightweight wing rib construction, wire-braced tail surfaces, and large disc-covered wheels, illustrating the trial-and-error experimental lightplane designs Donald A. Hall Sr. observed during the boom in American light aircraft innovation.

Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A vintage cylindrical tanker truck parked beside a military biplane on a grass airfield as ground crew mechanics perform maintenance. — Mobile Fuel Tanker Truck Servicing Military Biplane on Flight Line (Circa 1924)
Documenting early airfield ground support logistics, Donald A. Hall Sr. captured a vintage tanker truck equipped with spoked wooden wheels and a cylindrical fuel tank servicing an open-cockpit military biplane on a turf airfield. Mechanics gather around the nose to inspect the liquid-cooled engine and fuel lines, recording the vital mobile refueling operations that supported Army Air Service flight squadrons during cross-country maneuvers.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A parasol-wing monoplane with an uncowled rotary or radial engine parked outside a corrugated metal hangar as a young pedestrian walks past. — Parasol-Wing Training Monoplane Outside Corrugated Hangar (Circa 1924)
Resting outside a long corrugated metal hangar, a parasol-wing monoplane trainer—matching the French-designed Morane-Saulnier MoS-30 evaluated by the U.S. Army Air Service—sits on the dirt ramp with a youth in a heavy winter coat walking past. Featuring swept wing struts, an open front engine bay, and circular rudder insignia, the negative illustrates the foreign and domestic parasol airframes Hall analyzed while compiling wing efficiency data.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

The multi-story rustic wooden and stone facade of Heller's Department Store in Big Bear Lake with vintage cars parked out front. — Heller's Department Store and Pharmacy in Big Bear Lake (Circa 1925)
Venturing into the San Bernardino Mountains in his 1925 Studebaker Roadster, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed the historic rustic facade of Heller's Department Store and Pharmacy in Bear Valley at Big Bear Lake, California. The multi-story timber building features gabled dormers, log-column porch posts, and vintage automobiles parked outside, with prominent signs boasting America's Highest in Altitude - Lowest in Prices alongside a humorous sign noting a 1000-hour parking limit.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A rustic stone and timber mountain cabin nestled in dappled shade among tall pine trees in the San Bernardino Mountains. — Rustic Stone and Timber Cabin in Mountain Pines (Circa 1925)
Capturing his lifelong appreciation for wilderness craftsmanship and vernacular architecture, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed this rustic stone and timber cabin during a backcountry excursion into the San Bernardino Mountains. Built with native river rock masonry and heavy timber eaves, the mountain retreat sits nestled beneath towering ponderosa pines, illustrating Hall's scenic travels in his 1925 Studebaker Roadster.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

The historic log-built Pine Knot U.S. Post Office, Store, and Studio in Big Bear Lake with rustic tree-trunk pillars and gabled roof. — Historic Pine Knot U.S. Post Office and Store in Big Bear Lake (Circa 1925)
During a mountain motoring excursion in Southern California, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented the historic Pine Knot U.S. Post Office, Store, and Studio in the San Bernardino Mountains. Featuring peeled log columns, rustic tree-trunk porch railings, and a prominent hand-painted rooftop sign, the building preserves early 1920s civic and commercial resort architecture in the mountain settlement that later became Big Bear Lake, California.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit showing Central Methodist Church, the Hotel Wolverine sign, and the Downtown Detroit YMCA. — Woodward Avenue, Central Methodist Church, and Detroit YMCA (Circa 1924)
Documenting the vibrant urban streetscape of downtown Detroit during his engineering tenure at Ford and Stout, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed Woodward Avenue at Grand Circus Park. The composition captures the Gothic Revival limestone facade of Central Methodist Episcopal Church, a street-corner sign for Woodward Avenue, vintage sedans, the Hotel Wolverine, and the historic Downtown Detroit YMCA building where Hall resided.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

The towering white terra-cotta David Whitney Building and Hotel Statler overlooking the trees of Grand Circus Park in Detroit. — David Whitney Building and Hotel Statler over Grand Circus Park (Circa 1924)
From an elevated viewpoint overlooking Grand Circus Park, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented the booming industrial architecture of downtown Detroit. The frame highlights Daniel Burnham's 19-story neoclassical David Whitney Building, clad in white glazed terra cotta, alongside the massive Renaissance Revival Hotel Statler with smoke rising from its roof. The image preserves the dense urban environment Hall navigated while developing all-metal aircraft at Dearborn.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Pedestrians resting on wooden benches beneath leafy shade trees in Grand Circus Park with downtown Detroit commercial buildings behind. — Pedestrians on Park Benches in Grand Circus Park, Detroit (Circa 1924)
Providing a tranquil human contrast to Detroit's bustling automobile corridors, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed pedestrians relaxing on park benches beneath mature shade trees in Grand Circus Park. The quiet scene captures working-class residents and downtown strollers against the backdrop of multi-story hotels and commercial blocks, illustrating daily urban life in the Roaring Twenties.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Looking down Washington Boulevard from Grand Circus Park showing vintage automobiles, the William Fox Washington Theatre, and skyscrapers. — Washington Boulevard Streetscape and Fox Washington Theatre (Circa 1924)
Looking south down Washington Boulevard from Grand Circus Park in Detroit, Donald A. Hall Sr. captured a bustling street-level view of vintage coupes and sedans lining the wide avenue. The composition features the prominent blade sign and entrance of the William Fox Washington Theatre, framed by ornamental streetlights and the looming facade of the David Whitney Building.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

An elevated rooftop view overlooking Detroit brick buildings toward the white Palms Building featuring the vertical State Theatre sign. — Palms Building and State Theatre on Woodward Avenue (Circa 1925)
Captured from an upper-floor window of the downtown YMCA or adjacent hotel, Donald A. Hall Sr. recorded this rooftop perspective across downtown Detroit toward Woodward Avenue. The view is anchored by the 12-story white classical facade of the Palms Building, home to the State Theatre, showcasing its vertical illuminated neon blade sign rising above brick commercial lofts, water towers, and painted wall advertisements.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A high-angle view looking down through the trees and walkways of Grand Circus Park toward the towering David Whitney Building. — Elevated View of Grand Circus Park and David Whitney Building (Circa 1924)
Shooting from an elevated window, Donald A. Hall Sr. composed this elegant architectural study looking down onto the geometric concrete footpaths and landscaped lawns of Grand Circus Park. Daniel Burnham's iconic David Whitney Building rises majestically in the center of the frame, capturing the monumental scale and civic grandeur of Detroit during its peak as the world's automotive manufacturing capital.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A high-angle telephoto view across brick rooftops capturing the Gothic spire of Central Methodist Church and the ornate Kales Building. — Central Methodist Church Spire and Kales Building from Rooftops (Circa 1924)
A dramatic vertical study in urban geometry and architectural layering, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed the ornate limestone spire and clock tower of Central Methodist Church rising above the brick chimneys and fire escapes of downtown Detroit. Albert Kahn's neoclassical Kales Building and the Hotel Statler frame the background, while workmen attend to a skylight on a lower rooftop in the foreground.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A sprawling Spanish Colonial Revival residential estate in Southern California featuring white stucco walls, arched loggia, and columnar cypress trees. — Spanish Colonial Revival Residential Estate in Southern California (Circa 1927)
Documenting the distinctive regional architecture of Southern California following his return to the West Coast, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed this elegant Spanish Colonial Revival residence. Featuring low-pitched parapets, white stucco walls, an arched columned loggia, decorative wrought-iron window grilles, and manicured Italian cypress trees, the negative exemplifies the Mediterranean aesthetic Hall encountered while living and working in San Diego.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

The Spanish Colonial Revival facade of Hotel Windermere by the Sea on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica with palm trees and vintage cars. — Hotel Windermere by the Sea on Santa Monica Ocean Avenue (Circa 1927)
Documenting coastal California architecture during his second engineering tenure at Douglas Aircraft, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed the historic Hotel Windermere by the Sea on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The Mediterranean Revival building features twin square bell-towers with arched miradors, lush Canary Island date palms, and vintage touring sedans parked along the Pacific Electric streetcar tracks overlooking Palisades Park.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A large rustic mountain lodge with gabled dormers and fieldstone foundation in deep snow with vintage automobiles parked below. — Pine Knot Winter Resort Lodge and Automobiles in Big Bear Lake (Circa 1925)
During a winter motoring expedition into the San Bernardino Mountains, Donald A. Hall Sr. captured this expansive view of the main alpine resort lodge at Pine Knot in Big Bear Lake, California. Built with a rustic river-rock foundation, dormer windows, and a wide covered porch, the lodge sheltered travelers navigating the snowbound mountain passes in early touring cars, including Hall's yellow 1925 Studebaker Roadster.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A rustic wooden Cafe Store hanging sign suspended from a massive pine tree outside a mountain grocery store in Big Bear Lake. — Rustic Cafe and Store Sign in San Bernardino Mountain Pines (Circa 1925)
A vertical study in early California mountain commerce, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed a handcrafted rustic Cafe and Store sign suspended from the trunk of a towering ponderosa pine. Resting behind large granite boulders along an unpaved mountain road in the Big Bear Lake region, the building preserves the frontier commercial aesthetic of early automobile tourism in the San Bernardino National Forest.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Rustic wooden cabins and pine trees heavily blanketed beneath deep winter snowdrifts in the San Bernardino Mountains. — Snowbound Cabins and Snow-Covered Pines in Big Bear Lake (Circa 1925)
Capturing the severe beauty of high-altitude Southern California winters, Donald A. Hall Sr. documented these rustic timber vacation cabins completely enveloped in deep snow. Heavy snowdrifts cling to the gabled roofs and boughs of surrounding evergreen trees, recording the extreme winter conditions Hall encountered during his backcountry alpine excursions.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Douglas World Cruiser No. 2 Chicago on wheeled landing gear with pilot seated on fuselage at an airfield flight line. — Douglas World Cruiser Flagship "Chicago" on Wheeled Undercarriage (1924)
A foundational historical artifact from Donald A. Hall Sr.'s early career at Douglas Aircraft Company, this negative documents Douglas World Cruiser No. 2, the "Chicago" (A.S. Serial 23-1230). Flown by World Flight commanders 1st Lt. Lowell H. Smith and 1st Lt. Leslie P. Arnold, the aircraft features the official round World Flight emblem, the bold numeral 2, and wheeled landing gear. Preserved by Hall from the cruisers' triumphant return to Clover Field in Santa Monica, the image highlights the split-axle landing gear and structural load rigging he calculated under Jack Northrop and Donald Douglas.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A rustic notched-timber log cabin with stone foundation and smoking chimney nestled in deep snow among pine trees. — Rustic Log Cabin and Smoking Chimney in Big Bear Snowdrifts (Circa 1925)
A picturesque study in winter wilderness living, Donald A. Hall Sr. photographed this traditional notched-log cabin in the snowy woods of Big Bear Lake. Featuring diamond-paned windows, a rustic timber porch railing, and woodsmoke curling from a central tin stovepipe, the image illustrates the cozy isolation of 1920s backcountry California retreats.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

The historic stone facade of Mission San Francisco de la Espada in San Antonio showing its three-bell espadana and faceted arch portal. — Mission San Francisco de la Espada in San Antonio, Texas (Circa 1925)
Photographed by Donald A. Hall Sr. during his 1925–1926 survey of Army Air Corps flight training at nearby Brooks Field, this negative captures the 18th-century stone church of Mission San Francisco de la Espada. The composition showcases the iconic three-bell espadana belfry, weathered Spanish colonial stone masonry, and unique polygonal Moorish entryway, documenting the rich architectural heritage surrounding military aviation bases in South Texas.
Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Research, permissions, and image requests

Contact the collection for credits, rights information, and permission to reproduce images.

Make an image inquiry