| Availability: | In stock |
This fully assembled paper doll is attached to the background with a velcro dot and can easily be removed and re-attached. Remove the doll to play with or change her outfits.
In 1921, Bessie Coleman became a media sensation as the first Black and Native American woman to receive an aviation pilot's license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in France. At that time, Black people could not attend aviation school or be trained as pilots in the United States. Much of Coleman’s career revolved around stunt flying in air shows and other spectacles. Her ultimate aspiration, though, was to open an aviation school for Black Americans, providing space and training to those who were otherwise denied the opportunity.
On February 3, 1926, Coleman wrote to Norman Film Studios (formerly known as Norman Film Manufacturing Company) to sell the idea of producing a film using footage of her flights. She felt that she was “the most known Colored person…alive” at the time. On April 30, 1926, Coleman was in Jacksonville, Florida, preparing for an upcoming air show when she fell to her death from her newly purchased biplane. It is not clear if Norman and Coleman met in person or exchanged further correspondence after her original letter; however, the female lead of The Flying Ace is loosely based on Coleman. This representation of a female flying ace was especially symbolic: flying represented modernity and limitless horizons, and the film allowed Black women to participate in an empowering adventure that went beyond typical movie fare.
Manufactured by Of Unusual Kind. Ages 8 and up. Measures 13 x 5.5 inches, assembled doll measures 12 inches tall.
