Glenn Curtiss's 1910 Albany-to-New York Flight and The New York Times's First Front-Page Photograph
On May 29, 1910, Glenn Curtiss, an aviator, successfully piloted a bamboo-framed biplane for 150 miles, traveling from Albany to New York City, and earned a $10,000 reward from The New York World. The New York Times closely followed this historic flight with a special train, resulting in extensive coverage across six pages, including the newspaper's inaugural front-page image of Curtiss's departure. Carr Van Anda, the managing editor of The Times, sought to chronicle important scientific milestones. The previous year, The Times had sponsored Robert Peary's expedition to the North Pole, while Frederick Cook was supported by The New York Herald. Neither succeeded, prompting a correction from The Times nearly 80 years later, detailed in an article by Jesse McKinley on September 27, 2026.
Key facts
- Glenn Curtiss flew a bamboo-framed biplane about 150 miles from Albany to New York City on May 29, 1910.
- The flight was an attempt to win a $10,000 prize offered by The New York World.
- The New York Times chartered a special train to follow the flight along steel tracks.
- The Times's coverage spanned six pages, A1 to A6, and included its first front-page photograph, showing Curtiss's takeoff from Albany's outskirts.
- Carr Van Anda, The Times's managing editor, prioritized documenting scientific and exploratory 'firsts'.
- A year before Curtiss's flight, The Times sponsored Robert Peary's North Pole expedition, while The New York Herald backed Frederick Cook's rival expedition.
- Neither Peary nor Cook is believed to have reached the North Pole, and The Times issued a correction nearly 80 years later.
- The article is part of a series marking 175 years of eyewitness journalism from The New York Times, written by Jesse McKinley, a former Albany bureau chief who joined The Times in 1988.
Entities
Artists
- Glenn Curtiss
- Robert Peary
- Frederick Cook
- Carr Van Anda
- Jesse McKinley
- Matt Dorfman
Institutions
- The New York Times
- The New York World
- The New York Herald
Locations
- Albany
- New York
- New York City
- United States
- Hudson River
- North Pole