Contact: 
Jerome Thompson, (515) 281-5627
Sarah Oltrogge, (515) 281-4011

DES MOINES, Iowa - Time really flies at the State Historical Building with the opening of a new exhibit featuring the Bleriot Aircraft Company.

"The Weeks Aeronautical Collection" features original material from the company produced from 1910-1920.

The collection is a tribute to E.D. "Hud" Weeks, who worked for the US Aeronautics in aviation and collected aircraft memorabilia. This showcase is in addition to the Bleriot XI plane that was donated to the State Historical Society by Weeks in 1967. That plane was one of the first to tour the Midwest, and was the first type of aircraft put to military use by France and Italy in 1910.

Jerome Thompson, museum director at the State Historical Building, said the Weeks family was instrumental in making this exhibit possible through their donations. In addition to the Bleriot XI plane, Weeks' donation included wing struts from a Model G flying boat, used to land in water and built by the Wright Brothers and a 1914 film of the Iowa State Fair races between Lincoln Beachraud and Eddy Rickenbacher.

Items on display include Bleriot advertising materials with illustrations of the XI and SPAD aircrafts. In World War I (1914-1918), the Bleriot Company produced the SPAD fighter aircraft flown by most allied nations. Also included in the advertising packet are wind surfer and flight school information. In addition, a replicated catalogue, stories of the invention of aviation and the first successful flight across the English Channel by Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, in 1909, are on display.

The State Historical Building is located at 600 E. Locust in Des Moines. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, Noon - 4:30 p.m.

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