This collection is also available in Archives & Manuscripts
View In Archives »
Collection Data
- Description
- Vincent Raschella (1863- ), artist and aeronautic inventor of gliders and dirigibles was born in Italy. After he was unsuccessful in persuading the Minister of War in Italy to adapt one of his designs for wartime use, Raschella emigrated to the United States in 1899, where he continued to work on his designs. Papers, written mainly in Italian, reflect Vincent Raschella's career as an artist and aeronautic inventor. Papers contain letters written to Raschella in Italian, writings, sketches in pencil and ink of his inventions, newspaper clippings, and photographs of an automatic shoe shiner.
- Names
- Raschella, Vincent, 1863- (Creator)
- Raschella, Vincent, 1863- (Author)
- Dates / Origin
- Date Created: 1889 - 1905
- Library locations
- Manuscripts and Archives Division
- Shelf locator: MssCol 2528
- Topics
- Aeronautics
- Flying-machines
- Inventions -- Italy
- Inventions -- United States
- Shoe machinery
- Artists
- Inventors
- Italy -- History -- 1870-1914
- Genres
- Photographs
- Drawings
- Correspondence
- Autobiographies
- Documents
- Notes
- Biographical/historical: Vincent Raschella, artist and inventor was born at Caulonia, Province of Reggio Calabria, in southern Italy in 1863. Raschella developed an interest in aerial flight during his teenage years via the study of kites, balloons, butterflies and related matter. He studied the works of other inventors such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Cardani; Raschella also studied art in Rome. By 1886, Raschella built his first [hang] glider. This invention and several other gliders were not entirely successful. Raschella continued to design and in 1889, with a redesigned glider named "The Falcon" Raschella flew 200 feet. In 1894, Raschella designed a dirigible with an aerial bomb attached to it to be used during wartime. This idea was presented to the Minister of war in Italy, but this official dismissed it as being impracticable. Discouraged and lacking funds for production of his designs, Raschella emigrated to the United States in 1899. He returned to his career as an artist and made a living as a portrait and fresco painter and, as a embroidery manufacturer. Raschella eventually continued with his inventions and he developed an automatic shoe shiner. During the latter part of his life, Raschella designed commuter planes.
- Content: The papers written mainly in Italian, reflect Vincent Raschella's career as an artist and inventor via correspondence, writings (including an autobiographical sketch "Dreams of Pioneering), sketches and blueprints of aeronautic designs. The drawings in pencil and ink include sketches of the glider "The Falcon", dirigible, motors, dams and windmills. The remainder of the papers consist of some patents, newspaper clippings and photographs of Raschella and a automatic shoe shiner.
- Physical Description
- Extent: .07 linear feet (2 boxes)
- Type of Resource
- Text
- Identifiers
- NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b11974863
- MSS Unit ID: 2528
- Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): bdf7efb0-527d-013d-0a86-0242ac110002
