International Women's Air & Space Museum

12/04/2024

When Joan Hrubec, one of the original founders of IWASM and longtime trustee and administrator, met with then Editor of the Centerville-Bellbrook Times newspaper, Sarah Rickman history came to life. On this , learn just what caused Rickman to pivot her life's passion to preserving and sharing the experiences of women in air and space - especially the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) under Nancy Harkness Love and the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).

More than 36 years later, Rickman continues to uplift and is inspired by the stories preserved and shared at IWASM. Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join her in our nearly 50 year mission to bring history to life for all!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

12/03/2024

Your contribution today during will ensure that we can continue to engage learners of all ages through diverse educational programs. Watch the video to learn more and join us in our mission to bring history to life!

Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join us in our work to preserve, educate, and inspire!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

12/03/2024

Today is ! This international day of giving is one of the many ways that you can show your support for nonprofit organizations, just like the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM). Check out why Trustee and Board Secretary, Melissa Stephenson continues to support the museum's mission and vision.

Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join us in our work to bring history to life for learners of all ages!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

12/03/2024

Today is ! This international day of giving is one of the many ways that you can show your support for nonprofit organizations, just like the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM). Check out why IWASM Trustee, Debra Perelman continues to support the museum's mission and vision.

Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join us in our work to bring history to life for learners of all ages!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

12/03/2024

Today is ! This international day of giving is one of the many ways that you can show your support for nonprofit organizations, just like the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM). Check out why aerospace engineer, women in STEM mentor, and IWASM Advisor Cynthia Calhoun continues to support the museum's mission and vision.

Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join us in our work to bring history to life for learners of all ages!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

12/03/2024

Today is ! This international day of giving is one of the many ways that you can show your support for nonprofit organizations, just like the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM). Checkout why IWASM Trustee, Toni Mullee continues to support all that we do at the museum.

Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join us in our work to bring history to life for learners of all ages!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

12/03/2024

Today is ! This international day of giving is one of the many ways that you can show your support for nonprofit organizations, just like the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM). Checkout what some of our Trustees and Advisors say as they share why they support and continue to give to IWASM.

Interesting facts about IWASM that you may not know, and how every dollar ensures our mission can continue.
✈IWASM receives no monetary support for its operations from the City of Cleveland, state of Ohio, or federal government.
✈While the official incorporation as a nonprofit was in 1976, it began in 1968 as a grassroots organization of women for women.
✈Cleveland has been the home of IWASM since 1998, and continues to serve our communities near and far!

Support for women’s history and those who’ve shaped air and space is important now more than ever. Join us in our work to bring history to life for learners of all ages!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/4fSJUmp
Call: 216-623-1111
Or scan the QR Code to learn more!

11/21/2024

The museum is closed today for tonight's home game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. We'll resume regular hours on Friday, November 22.

10/14/2024

In recognition of Indigenous People's Day, the museum is closed. IWASM recognizes the land upon which we reside and expresses our gratitude and appreciation to those who lived and worked here before us; those whose stewardship and resilient spirit makes our residence possible on this traditional homeland of the Lenape (Delaware), Shawnee, Wyandot Miami, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and other Great Lakes tribes (Chippewa, Kickapoo, Wea, Pinakahsw, and Kaskaskia). We also acknowledge the thousands of American Indians who now call Northeast Ohio home.

09/03/2024

The museum office and gift shop will be closed until Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2024. Our team will be spending some time to recharge after an action packed week of Corks on the Concourse and an amazing Cleveland National Air Show weekend.

08/26/2024

We're less than a week from this year's Corks on the Concourse event! Now, while ticket sales are closed, you can still show your support for IWASM by bidding on items from our online Silent Auction! All proceeds from the auction support the museum's continuing mission to bring women's experiences in air and space history to life. Click the link to learn more!

Click here for more information 🔗 https://conta.cc/3AtGney

Corks 2024 Auction is now LIVE! Greetings International Women's, Show your support for the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM) during this year’s Corks on the Concourse Silent Auction. We

08/22/2024

Only 2 days left to secure your spot at the 2024 Corks on the Concourse with us! Join the International Women’s Air & Space Museum, local woman-owned business Karen King Catering, and the incomparable Jaime Kravitz () for a night of history, entertainment, trivia, and excitement heading into the air show weekend. Money earned at the event directly support the museum’s ongoing mission. Click the link to get your tickets before they’re gone! https://bit.ly/3VaqRuI

08/21/2024

Only three days left to secure your tickets to this year's Corks on the Concourse event happening NEXT Friday, August 30!

✈️Click the link to learn more about what to expect, preview the silent auction (going "Live" this Sunday online), and more. Don't miss out on this amazing chance to support the museum's mission to preserve, educate and bring history to life for learners of all ages.

🚀Oh! And make sure to share with your friends! Click🔗 here to learn more: https://conta.cc/3yzx0cZ

Secure your tickets to Corks on the Concourse 2024! Hello International Women's, Don't miss out on attending IWASM's Corks on the Concourse 2024 happening Friday, August 30! Deadline to Register: THIS

08/09/2024

Hi again, Chinmayee here! As a part of the America 250-Ohio grant, we have placed a lot of our focus on what Ohio has brought and achieved in the realm of women's air and space history. In fact, in Ohio, we are often at the center of early aeronautical advancements. Did you know the Aerial Nurse Corps of America, one of the first official air ambulances, was founded by Ohio native Lauretta Schimmoler? In fact, she was inspired to organize air ambulance service after flying through and witnessing the aftermath of the Lorain county tornado of 1924. Pictured are some images of Lauretta Schimmoler's newspaper clippings of various articles on The Aerial Nurse Corps of America (ANCOA). It's been very interesting to learn about how active and highly publicized the ANCOA was during the war years, with Hollywood stars such as Carole Landis even joining their cause!

However, we have also placed importance on highlighting the history of international women and women of color. Women like Willa Brown, Bessie Coleman, Marina Raskova, Anésia Pinheiro Machado, etc. were all incredibly prominent figures in the history of their nations as well as women's aeronautical history at an international level. In fact, my favorite board at IWASM is titled "Visitors to the ISS," which details all the nations and the female space travelers that have visited the International Space Station, showcasing just how varied and diverse the world of aeronautics truly is, especially when looking at space travel. Did you know that each country often has their own term for space traveler (who we call "astronaut")? Although not quite related to aeronautics, I found this article in our collection titled, "After they leave, Cleveland will never be the same," describes Cleveland's involvement in an international program (beginning in 1957) to exchange people, ideas, languages, and "love, from people to people throughout the world." A beautiful sentiment and image, that I believe really encompasses just how worldly our very own Cleveland has always been!
📸 1: IWASM is home to at least four dedicated scrapbooks sharing the activities of the ANCOA. IWASM 1983.17.
📸 2: Magazine spread about the Cleveland International Program.
📸 3: IWASM exhibit panel detailing international women to the ISS.

08/07/2024

Hi there! My name is Chinmayee and I'll be taking over IWASM's socials this week! I'm going into my third year at The Ohio State University, where I'm studying History and English, on the Pre-Law track. My love for women's history paired with my interests in Intellectual Property law have gotten me interested in museum work, which brought me to IWASM's internship program this summer!

This summer, I have had the opportunity to work as a part of America 250-Ohio's grant funded project, where my fellow interns and I analyzed parts of IWASM's diverse collection in order to create supplemental resources on women's aeronautical history for educators. Our aim is to shine more light into the various aspects of women's history within the STEM field that are often not known or shared. Part of my own historical studies at OSU has focused on women's social and cultural history, and I have been very excited to be a part of IWASM's intern team in order to further this goal of ours.

📸 1: I'm pictured here standing next to one of my favorite exhibits sharing the story of Tracy Pilurs and her Pretty Purple Puddytat plane.

📸 2: This is an image of a replica of Harriet Quimby's plane, Bleriot XI. The Barbie next to the plane is seen wearing a purple satin flying jumpsuit which is made to replicate Quimby's own outfit, which she designed herself in order to comfortably and stylishly make history!

08/03/2024

Hi everyone! This is Isabella and for my final post I wanted to put a spotlight on my favorite painting that I have discovered while doing inventory. This painting is oil on board by Alexander Vyatkin, a Ukrainian artist born in 1922. Three Russian female pilots are shown in this piece: Marina Raskova, B. Grizodubova, and C. Osipenko. They all participated in what set out to be a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East on a Hydroplane-ANT-37 in 1938. This flight would become the fabled flight of the Rodina (you can see the name on the nose in Cyrillic). While the flight never completed it’s original flight plan – due to a miscalculation on fuel supplies resulting in all three parachuting out and a countrywide search – all of them survived and had impacted WWII history. They would all go on to serve as pilots during WWII in the three all-female bombing squadrons under the leadership of Raskova, herself. Raskova died during the war, but was honored with a burial inside the Kremlin Wall in Moscow. Along with the painting was information on the pilots in both English and Russian as well as some information on the artist.

📸 1-5 - Accompanying the oil on canvas painting of the "Flight of the Rodina," are descriptions in both English and Russian, including newspaper clippings about their flight. IWASM Collections 1992.30.

08/02/2024

Hi everyone it’s Isabella! For this post I wanted to show you a little bit of what I do day to day for my project. Like Kenzie I have been working with and learning about museum collections. One aspect of collections is taking an inventory of everything in a given collection. This video shows the inventory process for our framed pieces. First, I unwrap and assess the piece, this includes writing down a description, taking measurements, and recording any damage. Then, I rewrap the object in non-acidic paper (acidic paper can potentially damage items), write on accession numbers, and add the information to our online database.

The piece featured in the video is one of my favorite finds thus far. It is a piece of fabric from Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B plane! This was the aircraft that Amelia Earhart used when she became the first woman to make a nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic on May 20-21, 1932. That wasn’t the last record Earhart would break in that plane. On August 24-25 of the same year, she became the first woman to complete a solo nonstop transcontinental flight. We actually have two of these pieces at the museum! While the one in the video is stored in collections, the other is on display as a part of our Amelia Earhart exhibit!

🎥 1 - Enjoy this video of my inventory of our framed artifacts/artwork.

07/30/2024

Summer Intern Spotlight...

Hi! My name is Isabella and I’ll be taking over the IWASM social media this week! I am a rising junior at Bryn Mawr College where I am studying Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and History of Art. I have always loved museums and after taking some courses in museum studies at school I wanted to gain some experience working at one. That is what led me here!

My project this summer is inventorying the museum’s framed collections and helping to design storage for these artifacts in our collections room. Inventorying lets us better understand what exactly is a part of the collections, and I am able to ensure that all of the pieces are properly wrapped and cared for. One of my favorite things about doing this inventory is that you truly do not know what you are going to find! Items in the framed collection range from paintings and photographs to vintage mapigators (a navigational tool) and pieces of fabric from famous planes.

Photos:
📸 1: Hi all! It's me, Isabella standing in front of one of my favorite exhibits "The Impact of Katharine Wright."
📸 2: Vintage mapigator: A navigation instrument used for plotting by early pilots. IWASM Collection1992.07.
📸 3: WASP art print: An art print of an oil painting by Gil Cohen titled: WASP Special Delivery. This painting shows five Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) planning a mission to ferry five p-38 Lightning fighters to a port for embarkation. Their background is the tarmac of the Lockheed Aircraft Plant in Burbank, CA during the late autumn of 1944. IWASM Collection 2015.15.1.