Description: During her aviation career, from the 1930s through the 1960s, Jacqueline Cochran (d. 1980) set more speed and altitude records than any contemporary pilot, male or female, and was the first woman to break the sound barrier. During World War II, she was instrumental in formation of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs). This photograph was taken ca. 1962 when she received the Harmon Trophy for establishing eight World Class records in jet planes.
Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer
Medium: Black and white photographic print
Date: c. 1962
Persistent URL: http://photography.si.edu/SearchImage.aspx?id=5771
Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives
Collection: Accession 90-105: Science Service Records, 1920s – 1970s - Science Service, now the Society for Science & the Public, was a news organization founded in 1921 to promote the dissemination of scientific and technical information. Although initially intended as a news service, Science Service produced an extensive array of news features, radio programs, motion pictures, phonograph records, and demonstration kits and it also engaged in various educational, translation, and research activities.
Accession number: SIA2008-1015
hugojcardoso, Mando Maniac, inarges, Rich Snyder--Jetarazzi Photography, and 34 other people added this photo to their favorites.
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striatic 51 months ago | reply
she sounds like she was pretty incredible. i wonder if she ever got to meet Earhart.
Pixel Wrangler 51 months ago | reply
@ striatic
Hi! -- In the Wikipedia article (above) is this reference: "In 1937, she [Cochran] was the only woman to compete in the Bendix race. She worked with Amelia Earhart to open the race for women."
Then there's this prescient reference:
striatic 51 months ago | reply
oh keen.
they knew each other rather well then. small world of female aeronautic superstars!
Ken's Aviation 49 months ago | reply
The aircraft in the Jackie Cochrane stamp above was one owned by her and made by Seversky Aircraft. It was effectively the same aircraft the Seversky sold to the US Army Air Corps as the P-35. Can you imagine being able to buy current military aircraft direct from the factory?!