A fascinating new online exhibit is part of the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s America at 250 series, which explores the nation’s history through aviation, aerospace, risk, innovation, and the people who built before the outcome was clear. 

American aerospace is often remembered through people who became symbols. Pilots stand beside aircraft. Astronauts appear in pressure suits. Executives and military leaders are photographed at ceremonies, rollouts, launches, and public announcements. Inventors and test pilots become attached to specific moments until the story seems to belong mostly to them. Public memory works that way because a single person is easier to remember than a factory, a supply chain, a training program, or a regional workforce.

Craftsmen work on the Ryan Cloudster, which originally was built by Douglas but converted by T.C. Ryan for his Los Angeles-San Diego Airline.

Click here to explore this terrific new exhibit.