The San Diego Air & Space Museum houses a rare and unique autograph collection, made up of nearly 300 photos and documents signed by some very famous aviators, such as Charles Lindbergh, John Glenn, Orville Wright, and Eddie Rickenbacker. This exhibit features a small sampling of autographed photographs. And what is it that makes them so special? Autographs bring us closer to the essence of that person. The signature itself is a bridge and a window to the individual's personality, and makes the person in the photograph seem more real, and not just an image. The signature brings that person’s moment in time to life.

Collecting autographs is a fun and absorbing hobby for many people, and has been enjoyed as a pastime for a very long time. And most likely, the most collected signatures belong to aviators. However, since aviation did not come into existence until 1903, the popularity of collecting aviator autographs had a slow start up until around 1920.

In today's fast-paced world of electronic communication, these signed photographs offer a personal connection to the past and a unique opportunity of holding pieces of history, quite literally, in our hands.

This exhibit is organized by the last names of the aviators.  Click here for Autographs A-D