J. Ed Dickson 1908-1970
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Ed met my mother in Oklahoma City in the late 1920's. He also met Wiley Post somehow. My mothers family was in the publishing business; perhaps through those connections he met Wiley. Post autographed a model of the Winnie Mae that dad had made as a kid. It says, "Wiley Post, ????, 1935"
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A nice letter about Ed Dickson from Strother McMinn. | |
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Dad's shop in Oklahoma City, 1111 Woodlawn Drive. Mom is detailing or sanding something |
There is the Winnie Mae model on the table. |
Dad made dozens of the old TWA logos with the arrow shot through it. |
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A model that was given to King Farouk of Egypt in an effort by TWA to sell him a Constellation. |
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The
props are turning. I don't know if that means electric motors or maybe a
cleaverly used air hose. |
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Jimmy Dickson working up a Connie fuselage. That was a lot of work and a lot of finishing. |
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A 60" wingspan Connie used in a promotion in Los Angeles, Calif. |
A 60" wingspan Connie mounted on top of a mobile reservations truck. Los Angeles? |
A Connie painted in Military Air Transport ( MATS ) scheme. |
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Window display for a TWA ticket office. The 'dividers' are about 4 feet tall. They were in the window of Bush's stationary on Magnolia for years and years. Now they are gone. |
A mockup for a window display. The door is about 5' tall. |
Two of these rackets were strapped up on the ceiling of dad's shop while I was growning up. |
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Dimensional display piece. |
Dad with a model of the Eiffel Tower to be used in a window display for TWA |
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The folks moved from Oklahoma City to Burbank, California in 1947, the year I was born. Did they choose Burbank because of it's aviation industry? |
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Ronnie Dickson on a balsawood Connie. On the wing are several tiny air racer models made my Ed and a test pilot from Lockheed who rented a room above his shop. |
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The first "Beanies Hobby Junction". The airplane was eventually mounted on the pipe that is sticking up on the building, next to the driveway. |
Ronnie on a hobby horse that dad made for the kids to use at the hobby shop. Imagine the liability issues today in riding a homemade rocking horse on concrete. |
Jimmy and Ronnie Dickson painting red glossy enamel on the steps and on themselves. Note the laminated wooden props set into the concrete. Boy, do I wish I had taken those when I sold the place. |
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Dad made this vehicle for a parade down Magnilia Ave. in Magnolia Park, Burbank, CA The Connie says "the wood butcher" on the side. |
I guess dad made 'u control' models too. |
Dad made this custom built lamp. It was designed by Henry Dreyfuss and was installed in the Lockheed Constellation used by President Eisenhower. |
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To honor the 50th anniversary of flight, a display by TWA showing that the first flight by the Wright brothers was about the same distance as the wingspan of a Lockheed Constellation. |
Detail of photo at left. |
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The Wright Flyer used in the TWA 50th anniversary of flight display. |
For the 1964 New York Worlds Fair. One each of every aircraft ever flown by TWA. All scratch built. Ron (me) made the patterns to be 'lost wax cast' for the detail parts including propellers and landing gear. |
The solid maple shape for the Connie |
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In a display case at the New York Worlds Fair |
The Tri Motor made for the Worlds Fair |
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Jim Dickson made TWA logos in 24", 36" and 48" sizes. |
Jim pouring RTV mold making material over a logo pattern |
Detail from the front of a photo album that Ed made. I guess he was proud of being a talented 'wood butcher'. |
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