Image of the Air Force wings with the museum name underneath

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First Flight Mural

Note: This exhibit is on display in Kettering Hall.

"The first flight mural depicts the historic achievements of Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk, N.C., on Dec. 17, 1903. On that day, these two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, liberated man forever from the limitations of the land and sea. The mural, created from an intricate pattern of more than 163,000 ceramic tiles, each portraying an aspect of the Wright brothers' accomplishment, stands revealed as the result of imagination, art and technology, uniquely achieved for the first time on the world."
- James W. Jacobs, Co-founder, Aviation Hall of Fame

This mural, originally located in the Dayton Convention Center, was donated by the National Aviation Hall of Fame to the museum in 1998. The mural was made possible through the foresight and generosity of the Rike Family Foundation, which for many years has been an outstanding supporter of the arts in the Dayton, Ohio, area.

About the Design
This mural was designed by Read Viemeister, who used existing computer techniques for its creation in 1970. First, he converted the photograph into a grid pattern and isolated 20 basic shapes, or values, from the grid. Next he designed 20 symbols to match the isolated values. The symbols were applied to ceramic tiles, which were then assembled to make the mosaic mural as seen at the museum.

The original photograph used in developing the first flight mural was provided by Mrs. Ivonette Wright Miller, a niece of the Wright brothers. The print was made from the original glass negative, taken at Kitty Hawk, N.C., in 1903.

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Related Fact Sheets
Conquering the Sky: Dec. 17, 1903
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