I am very grateful for all the concern (no sarcasm) and suggestions regarding
my problems with the Wright/Curtiss Archives. But please allow me to defend
myself from those who are museum professionals and still jump to quick
conclusions. When I acquired these archives I was self-employed as a used
aircraft dealer, aircraft salvaged parts dealer, and had evolved into a
full-time vintage aircraft and parts specialist and museum consultant. My
passion for uncovering (and making available to others) aviation history led
me to placing many aircraft, rare engines and artifacts of the world's major
museums. My years of full-time involvement led me to many sources museums
could not hope to discover. At their request, I rooutinely found the objects
of their exhibition and restoration requirements. Some of these planes and
artifacts were donated by me and LITERALLY THOUSANDS were traded for long
forgotten items gathering dust in their warehouses. These items ,in turn, went
to other museums and restorers. As items piled up, I formed my own modest
museum and shared my enthusiasm with the public, at my own expense.
Several years ago, I was approached by a man who had acquired sudden wealth.
He claimed he had $35,000,000 to play with and had built up a collection of
nearly 40 WWI planes and replicas,in seven hangars, in the last five years,
many of which were regularly flown. He could not offer me enough to come and
build his collection and museum or do enough for my family. I am not a fool. I
insisted that he secure an insurance policy in case anything happened to him.
He readily agreed and went over ,in detail the provisions he claimed he made
to endow the museum with nearly all his fortune, to continue a hundred years
after his death. In return he demanded a TOTAL COMMITMENT and I had to quickly
auction the majority of my own collection that did not relate to WWI aviation.
I had a three day auction with rare vintage aircraft and parts spread over
several acres. There were no reserves. I flew down to join him. I anticipated
being able to accomplish far more there, than on my own. We put out an
all-color magazine and one of the dozens of articles I wrote for this and
other publications, shared some of anecdotes from the letters in the Wright
archives. I was able to help many more historians, museums, and the public.
When pressed for details about insurances, endowments, I was routinely assured
tah all had been taken care of and he would get me the documents in due time.
After only a year, he was killed in the crash of his expensive, new, MODERN,
airplane, along with his wife and son, who had been my assistant. The estate
claimed tere was no will, no provision for the museum and we were plunged into
our nightmare. At 50 years old, a horrid situation, with one son still in
school, Moving my five 48 foot tractor trailer loads of WWI Planes, engines
and 375 crates of library out of the museum into emergency storage was no
picnic.
Please do not assume that I unethically acquired these archives while in
someone elses employ or that I had no plan for them. What better place than
that museum with it's public access and publication opportunities? To compare
me to someone who stole national treasures from the Smithsonian, hurt
deeply,even if it was based on false assumptions.


Cheers,
      J.Gertler