Early group leaving for Havana on a Pan American F-7 Flight

Vintage photos from The State Archives of Florida shot before WWII. The State Archives of Florida is the central repository for the archives of Florida State Government. It is mandated by law to collect, preserve, and make available for research the historically significant records of the State, as well as private manuscripts, local government records, photographs, and other materials that complement the official State records. The images included here are part of The Florida Memory Program, which provides Web-based access to primary records that illustrate significant moments in Florida's history. The project also provides educational resources for students of all ages, and makes available collections for historical research. Florida Memory's goal is to make the collections of the State Archives available to the largest possible audience. Florida Memory is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services.

At age 20, while studying in Germany, Dutch student Anthony Fokker built his initial aircraft, the Spin (Spider) - to fly in his home country. In 1912, in Berlin, he founded Fokker Aeroplanbau and later, Fokker Aviatik GmbH. Fokker sold several Fokker Spin monoplanes to the German government and supplied the German Army in World War I. To allow machine gun firing through the arc of the propeller, Fokker developed a synchronization gear. Fokker Eindecker aircraft became the most feared aircraft over the western front, leading to a period of German air superiority. In 1919, Fokker returned to the Netherlands and founded Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek near Amsterdam. He renamed the company to avoid using the Fokker brand because of his World War I involvement. After relocation, many Fokker C.I and C.IV military airplanes were delivered to Russia, Romania. Success came on the commercial market, too, with the development of the Fokker F.VII, a high-winged aircraft capable of taking on various types of engines. In the 1920s, Fokker became the world's largest aircraft manufacturer. His greatest success was the 1925 F.VIIa/3m trimotor passenger aircraft, which was used by 54 airline companies worldwide and captured 40% of the American market. Fokker continued to build military planes, delivering them to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Foreign military customers eventually included Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Hungary, and Italy. In 1923, Anthony Fokker moved to the United States and established an American branch of his company, the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, which was renamed the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America. In 1930, this company merged with General Motors Corporation. Soon, unhappy with GM management, Fokker resigned. On December 23, 1939, he died in New York City. In Europe, the Fokker factories were confiscated by the Germans. At the end of the war, the factories were completely stripped by the Germans and destroyed by Allied bombing. Post-World War II brought rebuilding to the company. A new factory was built next near Amsterdam in 1951. In 1958, the F-27 Friendship was introduced, Fokker's most successful postwar airliner, reaching almost 800 units sold. Fokker contributed to many European aircraft and satellite projects, as well as to the Ariane rocket.

• Florida Flights of Fancy
• The golden age of Pan Am - The Telegraph
• 28 Trimotor Images: PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search Engine ...
• Zelda Fitzgerald | missshitsville
• 63 Pan american airways Images - PICRYL
• Early group leaving for Havana on a Pan American F-7 Flight - Flickr
• women's suffrage - missshitsville
• 15 Fokker fvii Images: PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search ...
• The Roaring 1920s – By Miles Hodges - The Spiritual Pilgrim
• Twenties | missshitsville