Alleged Howard Hughes photo. 1961 at the Grand Prix racing event in New York. He was said to be in the pits when this was taken, visiting John Cooper about a buisness deal.Dvd cap. EDIT: Read Mr. Paul Winn's comments below.
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Howard Hughes photo collection
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- Taken on October 13, 2009
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mleff 62 months ago | reply
Thank you very much. I had heard about this photo but had never viewed it. It was along about the time that Jean Peters was trying to get H.H. to get out in public more and he was even sharing a bed with her along about this time!!!! Racing fascinated Hughes nearly as much as airplanes and he was very much interested in buying Cooper's co. It's a shame he couldn't have stayed out of his shell .......no telling what he could have done with his life
Howard Hughes photo collection 62 months ago | reply
You're right, I guess H.H. had an infatuation with speed in general...Whether racing speed boats, steam powered race cars, or the winged bullet. I remember reading somewhere that he also designed an early form of motor home or R.V., but never came across any more information about that. Thanks for looking and adding your information!
IMZGR81 58 months ago | reply
I can tell you positively this is not a photo of Howard Hughes. If you read the book Empire, you will find that for almost the entire year of 1961 Hughes was in Rancho Santa Fe, California. We had rented a house for him there because he wanted to to be year San Diego so he could fly the Convair airplanes which General Dynamics was building for TWA. I spent almost the entire year with him (and Jean) there. You will find that he was exceptionally busy because of the commencement of the lawsuit which TWA filed against him. As I recall, it was filed some time in July and was under seal for 30 days. It was unsealed in August. It was during that time that Hughes hired Chester Davis to represent him in the suit, and Davis became from that time on Hughes' principal attorney.
I don't know where these stories come from. I began workig for Hughes in 1957 when he and Jean were in the Bahamas on their honeymoon, and I can pretty much document everything about him until he died in 1976. No, Jean was not trying to get Hughes out in public more, and yes, they shared the bedroom at the house in Rancho Santa Fe. I was there virtually every day and saw them interact together.
No, Hughes was not interested in buying Cooper's co. No, he did not design some early form of motor home or RV.
There has been a lot of chatter about Hughes using a "double" to make people think he was out and around in public. I have checked with Kay Glenn and others who were around Hughes before i started, and they all said that was a stupid rumor and never happened.
No, this is not the last picture taken of Hughes - it is not even a photo of Howard Hughes. The only known color photo of Howard Hughes was taken on April 9, 1952, by Don Rogers, demonstration test pilot, who flew the Canadian Avro C102 Jetliner for 12.3 hours on 15 test flights with Hughes between April 9 and July 24, 1952. I have seen the photograph and I know the gentleman who owns the photo today.
There was at Romaine Street a vault containing several hundred photos of Hughes (together with negatives). I don't recall when the last one of those was taken, but it could very well be that the color photo mentioned above was the last photo ever taken of Hughes.
As far as it being a shame he couldn't have stayed out of his shell...no telling what he could have done with his life goes - have you ever seen the amazing list of accomplishments Hughes made during his life? Good grief! His list of accomplishments pretty much out-ranks almost everyone who ever lived! Let's not have a lot of pity because he didn't do anything with his life!
I am not aware of Hughes racing speed boats. I know he had some yachts, but you'd have to show me on the recore - not mere rumor or speculation - where he raced speed boats. I am also unaware that he ever raced steam cars. Yes, he had a steam car built, but when it was completed and he determined that one could be "cooked" by the steam in the event of a side collision he ordered it destroyed.
Rather than speculate about this and that, why don't you consult the authentic biography of Hughes written by Barlett & Steele and published by Norton & Company called "Empire". When The Aviator movie came out the biography was republished in paper-back and is titled "Howard Hughes - his Life and Madness". It can be purchased through Amazon.com for about $15. I have only found a couple of very minor errors in it, and I use it all the time.
Paul B. Winn
Howard Hughes photo collection 58 months ago | reply
Hello Mr. Winn, Thanks again for taking the time to post. I got the info about this picture from the May 10, 1976 issue of Time magazine, but as you have a greater knowledge of Howard's wearabouts during this particular time, it is most likely misatributed, as everyone in the photography buisness was trying to cash in by getting a photo of the elusive Mr. Hughes. As for him racing speedboats and steamcars, I did not mean competitively, just that the man liked to go fast. I remeber reading he bought a speed boat from Edsel Ford, but I can not find any records of it.
My admiration for Howard Hughes should be evident by the time taken to put up these photos, and I have no interest in sensationalizing his life. I do believe he is one of the most fascinating men who has ever lived. It is hard keeping the facts straight though, with all of the gray areas of his life being whimsically filled in by miscelaneous sources.
bagwell005 49 months ago | reply
thanks Mr Winn for all the great info.....did you write a book?
ElectricPudding 45 months ago | reply
How can this NOT be Howard Hughes, it looks exactly like him. If it's not Hughes than who is it and what is the explanation of the photo? I find it hard to believe this is not Howard Hughes in this photo
ElectricPudding 43 months ago | reply
Also John Cooper's son Mike wrote a story about his father's life in an English newspaper a few years ago and in it he mentioned Howard Hughes visiting with his father. And here's the link:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231698/Dad-taught-Steve...
So what do you have to say about that Mr. IMZGR81?
mike leffler 34 months ago | reply
Of course IMZGR81, he accomplished a great deal and sorry for my poor choice of words. But you worked with the man for almost two decades. You must of had some fondness or at least respect for him. Wouldn't you have to admit that those last 15 years or so of his life could have been really productive?
The point that I was trying to make, was what great things he could have done for society if he would have been able to cope better.
mike leffler 34 months ago | reply
Those last years of his life of course.
AugustMo 33 months ago | reply
Hughes did own a 1940's Mercury Speedboat, they were made in Burbank, Ca. All mahogany runabout. I love to see a photo of this.
lukesambastian 22 months ago | reply
scar on forehead matches other pictures of howard hughes
and left ear looks the same