Nice little #sketch of 1930s speed flier Frank Hawks. Look for my biography of him next year sometime. (Oregon Sunday Journal, Nov. 3, 1935. Artist: A. R. Slaymaker) — #avgeeks

“Bethlehem Steel Co. Athletic Field, Bethlehem, Pa.” Imagine watching a Steel League #baseball game here during #ww1. Some sportswriters called the circuit the “Steal League” because it signed so many big league players. This facility still stands, as Steel Field Grandstand at Moravian University.

A favorite figure from my latest book, Battlefields: The Chicago White Sox and the Great War — Sgt. Walter Smiley, U.S. Army. He wrote several pieces about his experience as the team's drill sergeant during 1917 spring training. (Chicago Herald, March 4, 1917) — @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social

With author Bruce S. Allardice (left) and host Jacob Pomrenke (right) at the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) convention in Cleveland last Saturday. I spoke about my book Battlefields: The Chicago White Sox and the Great War, from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social. (SABR photo)

Mentioned in my book The Turtle and the Dreamboat (Potomac Books, 2022) — “Mrs. Polly Encke, metal worker of the Hawaiian air materiel area, works on the [B-29] Pacusan Dreamboat at Hickam field while Maj. J. R. Kerr, aircraft engineer, looks on.” (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Sep. 6, 1946) — #avgeeks

Love it when a city gives you unintended art.

Ad #illustration for the Westland Wapiti, Yeovil UK. Makes me dizzy just to look at it! (The Aeroplane, October 16, 1929. Artist: John R?) — #avgeeks

Big Daddy, USMC — "Here’s the biggest player on the field at practice sessions of the Navy-Marine All-Star team. He’s End Gene Lipscomb, 6 foot 5 inches tall, 267 pounds. Lipscomb came into the Marines from Miller High in Detroit, Mich. He’s from Camp Pendleton." (San Diego Union, July 19, 1953)

You don’t expect a submarine on Lake Erie, but here it is: USS Cod, #WW2 museum ship, Cleveland waterfront.

Ad #illustration for Pratts ethyl gasoline. (The Aeroplane, September 11, 1929. #Artist unknown.) — #avgeeks

Who's going to put this on a tee or sweatshirt? — Ad for Heston Air Park, outside London. (The Aeroplane, August 28, 1929. #Artist unknown.) — #avgeeks

Manuscript submitted! Look for Frank's bio next year from Texas A&M University Press. — #avgeeks

From research for his bio: “Big Daddy (Eugene) Lipscomb (Los Angeles, 1953-55; Baltimore, 1956-60; Pittsburgh, 1961-62) is regarded by most experts as the strongest man ever to have played pro football. He stood 6 ft. 6 in., weighed 288 pounds! He died May 10, 1963.” — Bob Sudyk, King Features, 1963

Float plane in ad for Exide Batteries, UK. (The Aeroplane, September 11, 1929. Artist unknown.) — #avgeeks #illustration

Nearly a century old, but a Ford Tri-motor is still impressive when you stand beside one. Liberty Aviation Museum, Port Clinton OH USA, 2014. — #avgeeks

De Havilland DH98 Mosquito and Messerschmitt ME 262A Schwalbe (Swallow), Tuesday, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton OH USA. — #avgeeks

“Fifinella—the official mascot of the Women Airforce Service Pilots—was originally created for the 319th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment stationed at the Municipal Airport of Houston, Texas, in January 1943.” 1/2 — National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Baseball abstract (right field corner), Huntington Park, 2021.

It’s Trimotor Tuesday! Ad illustration for the Westland IV. (The Aeroplane, August 28, 1929. Artist unknown.) — #avgeeks #illustration

Crude metal toy, circa 1930s, apparently modeled on the Texas Company (Texaco) fleet of aeroplanes. Rests on my filing cabinet for good luck as I finish writing my bio of aviator Frank Hawks, who flew for Texaco. — #abgeeks

Ad #illustration for Fairey Aircraft, UK, (The Aeroplane, August 28, 1929. Artist unknown.) - #avgeeks

Another storm in central Ohio, clearing the heat and smoke.

These two #ww1 doughboys didn’t make it into my book, Battlefields: The Chicago White Sox and the Great War. But you’ll find lots of great photos instead. Out now from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social.

De Havilland Hound. Ad for the Airscrew Co., Surrey UK (The Aeroplane, October 24, 1928. Artist unknown.) — #avgeeks #illustration

Gorgeous ad for Fairey Aircraft, UK. (The Aeroplane, December 5, 1928. Artist: G. Wallcousins.) #aviation #art #avgeeks

Baltimore Colts Coach Weeb Ewbank said huge defensive tackle Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb gathered up the entire backfield, sorted through them, and kept the man with the ball. (Cleveland Press, November 17, 1958. Artist unknown.)

Requested an interlibrary loan five years ago of a couple of books written by newsman and commentator Lowell Thomas. This one was signed, something I’ve rarely seen in a circulating book. Love the green ink. It was a thing, 80-100 years ago.

Front view of a model of the Northrop Gamma. Texaco owned a Gamma called “Sky Chief,” flown by speed king Frank Hawks in 1934. “What with all these dials and gadgets the cockpit must resemble the cab of a locomotive,” Sportsman Pilot magazine said. — #avgeeks

My favorite 4th of July story. (@mcfarland.bsky.social, 2015)

Lovely bit of baseball art from the Chicago Examiner after the White Sox saw five rainouts during their first eight home games in 1918. (Artist unknown.)