Report on the National Air Museum 



Sm : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activities 

 of the National Air Museum for the fiscal year ended June oO, 1955 : 



STATUS OF PROPOSED NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM BUILDING 



The advancement of plans for the construction of the National Air 

 Museum building involves procurement of a site and planning of the 

 structure. The requirements for a site are that it shall be of adequate 

 size, in a location accessible to the maximum number of visitors, and 

 close to other Smithsonian buildings. The most desirable site would 

 be on Independence Avenue between 9th and 12th Streets, south to 

 C Street. On November 5, 1954, formal application was made by the 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to the National Capital 

 Planning Commission for assignment of tliis site to the National 

 Air Museum. Action by the Commission was delayed by their con- 

 sideration of a plan for developing southwest Washington submitted 

 by the New York firm of Webb & Knapp, headed by William Zecken- 

 dorf. On June 14, 1955, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, using a large map especially prepared for the purpose, showed 

 the Commission that the location of the National Air Museum build- 

 ing on the proposed site would not conflict with the Zeckendorf plan 

 but instead would enhance the South Mall, which is one of the features 

 of that plan. With the close of the fiscal year, action on this appli- 

 cation was still pending. 



In the previous annual report grateful acknowledgment was made 

 to the Aircraft Industries Association and the Air Transport Associa- 

 tion for providing the Smithsonian Institution with funds for a study 

 of building plans for a National Air Museum building. The archi- 

 tectural firm of McKim, Mead & White of New York City was chosen. 

 The study began early in July when the Navy made available to the 

 National Air Museum a helicopter, pilot, and photographer, and 

 views of the Mall area were made from various angles and altitudes. 

 Shortly thereafter the architects made a detailed examination on the 

 ground of the reconmiended site and studied the requirements of the 

 building. 



It is important to realize that an aeronautical museum has never 

 yet been constructed. Existing collections of aircraft make use of 

 existing buildings. For example : a group of notable aircraft in Ger- 

 many, prior to World War II was displayed in a railroad station ; in 

 France, their famous air mementos are in a former balloon assembly 



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