Harry A. Bruno Papers, 1919-1969

Container Title
Series: Part 1, Original Collection, 1923-1963
Scope and Content Note

The correspondence in this part of the Bruno Papers consists of three main groups: the largest is made up of letters Bruno received while president of the New York Lotos Club; another group of letters is made up of tributes to Harry Bruno's book, Wings Over America; and the third main group is early letters, mostly copies, concerning ways to obtain publicity for Bruno's clients.

Scrapbook Number 10 also contains letters, all of them from clients.

Bruno has had many famous correspondents. Among them are:

  • Bernard Baruch
  • Omar Bradley
  • Thomas E. Dewey
  • J. H. (“Jimmy”) Doolittle
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Jim Farley
  • Herbert Hoover
  • J. Edgar Hoover
  • Robert Jackson
  • David Lawrence
  • Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
  • Douglas MacArthur
  • Frank E. Mason
  • Chester Nimitz
  • Richard Nixon
  • Prince Rainier (Grimaldi)
  • Carlos Romulo
  • Francis Cardinal Spellman
  • Lowell Thomas
  • Vernon Thomson
  • Harry Truman
  • Nathan Twining
  • Earl Warren
  • Orville Wright

Letters from Robert Anderson, Warren R. Austin, Herbert Brownell, Arleigh Burke, Jacqueline Cochran, Kent Cooper, Lincoln Ellsworth, James Hagerty, Herbert Lehman, Curtis LeMay, Lyman Lemnitzer, Louis P. Lochner, Henry R. Luce, Arthur Radford, Helen Rogers Reid, John D. Rockefeller, 2nd, Nelson Rockefeller, Lewis Strauss, Gloria Swanson, Stuart Symington, Maxwell Taylor, Robert Wagner, Jonathan Wainwright, Charles E. Wilson, and Walter Winchell also appear.

Bruno's writings are represented in the collection primarily by materials relating to his book, Wings Over America. There is a complete manuscript copy, fragments of manuscript, research and background information, photographs with a picture list, a synopsis by Bruno, a printed publicity flyer, a script from Walter Winchell's program on which Bruno appeared in connection with the book, and a published copy of the book (first edition).

There is also a copy of Reminiscences of Fifty Years in Aviation, Bruno's contribution to the Oral History Office of Columbia University.

Bruno's articles are represented by a small folder of printed items taken, for the most part, from aviation magazines.

Publicity materials prepared by Bruno and his firm make up the bulk of the Bruno Papers. Primary source materials include outlines of publicity campaigns put on by Bruno's firm for Skywriting, 1923; the National Aircraft Show, Cleveland, Ohio, 1926; the International Air Races, 1925; the Curtiss Flying Service, 1928; Bendix Home Appliances, 1938; the New York Publicity Association; the Aviation Corporation, and the Second Annual Ford Air Tour.

There are also press releases, photos, and twenty-four examples of printed publicity materials including brochures, posters, pamphlets, and flyers. In addition, there is a press kit prepared for the National Association of Engine and Boat Manufacturers. Press clippings concern the defense special trains in 1941.

Most of the publicity materials are mounted in scrapbooks. Oversize press books concern the Greater New York Air Carnival; American Air Races, Floyd Bennett Field, June 1934; the Ellsworth Transantarctic Flight Expedition, August 1934-February 1935; the National Biscuit Company and the “Let's Dance” radio program, October 1934-March, 1935; the Hindenburg's Maiden Flights, Germany to the United States, April-May 1936; the Association of Men With Wings, July-December 1938; East Hampton, Long Island, May-September 1939; Montauk, Long Island, September 1940-October 1941; the Defense Social Trains, October-December 1941; and the Golden Jubilee, National Motorboat Show, September 1953-March 1954. Some of these books contain letters.

The tape recording and disc recordings include an interview of Bruno, anniversary tributes to Lindbergh, a song by Sydney Nesbitt inspired by Wings Over America, and a 1953 Lotos Club program featuring General James Doolittle and guest-of-honor General Hoyt Vandenberg.

The balance of this portion of the collection consists of printed articles about Harry Bruno or his firm, clippings, and Bruno's memorabilia. Most of the latter material concerns the Lotos Club or American Legion Air Service Post 501.

U.S. Mss 53AF
Subseries: Correspondence
Box   1
1923-1949 February 21
Box   2
1949 February 22-1963, undated
Volume   10
Scrapbook of letters from clients
Subseries: Writings
Box   2
Interview, 1954 November 8
Box   2
Address, 1956 January 11
Wings Over America
Box   2
Manuscript, fragments of manuscript, research, and background
Box   3
Photographs, synopsis, publicity flyer, script, copy of book
Box   3
Reminiscences of Fifty Years in Aviation (Aviation Project, Oral History Office, Columbia University)
Box   4
Printed articles by Bruno
Subseries: Publicity Materials
Box   3
Publicity campaign outlines, 1923-1938, undated
Box   3
Press releases and publicity materials, 1925-1963, undated
Box   4
Press Kit, National Association of Engine and Boat Manufacturers
Box   4
Clippings concerning Defense Trains, 1941 December
Scrapbooks
Volume   1
The Greater New York Air Carnival, American Air Races, Floyd Bennett Field, 1934 June
Volume   2
Ellsworth Transantarctic Flight Expediction, 1934-1935
Volume   3
National Biscuit Company and “Let's Dance” radio program, 1934-1935
Volume   3
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, 1936 and 1937
Volume   4
Hindenburg's Maiden Flights, Germany to U.S., 1936
Volume   5
Association of Men With Wings Inc., 1938 July-December
Volume   6
East Hampton, Long Island, 1939 May-September
Volume   7
Montauk, Long island, 1940 September-1941 October
Volume   8
Defense Special Trains, 1941 October-December
Volume   9
Golden Jubilee, National Motorboat Show, 1953-1954
Box   10
Regarding Aircraft Development Corporation, Arcadia Film Productions-“The Sky Raider,” Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, Colonial Air Transport Inc., Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation (Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Fairchild Aviation Corporation)
Box   11
Regarding Fokker Netherlands Aircraft Corporation, Hartney Aviation, Key Largo City Properties Inc., Maybach-Zeppelin, New York Air Meet, 1925 and 1926
Box   12
Regarding New York Air Races, 1925, Packard Motor Car Company, Powers Accounting Machine Corporation, Radio Artists Association of America, The Skywriting Corporation of America
Box   13
Regarding Teterboro Airport, Third Avenue Railway System, the United States Flag Association, Visit-Nurse Service, John Wanamaker (Wanamaker's) and miscellaneous
Box   13
Sheets torn from a scrapbook of clippings concerning Defense Trains, 1941 December
Box   10
Oversize publicity examples, 1935, 1939, and 1959
Subseries: Biographical and Miscellaneous
Box   4
Printed articles about Bruno, 1932-1962
Box   4
Clippings
Memorabilia
Box   4
1927-1948
Box   5
1949-1963
Package   6
Oversize memorabilia
Box   6
Books of photographs from Aviation Writers' Tour, 1943 September 16-17
Box   6
Goodyear Trophy Race, 1947
Subseries: Recordings
Disc 41A/1-3
Interview by Gloria Swanson with Bruno concerning his career, undated
Disc 42A/1-5
25th Anniversary Tributes to Charles Lindbergh, arranged by Bruno, 1952 May 19-20
Disc 43A/1
Song by Sydney Nesbitt inspired by Wings Over America, 1943 April 28
Audio 323A
Lotos Club dinner honoring General Hoyt Vandenberg; presided over by Harry Bruno with introduction by General James Doolittle, 1953 May 26