Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservoir, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

[ Photos from Survey HAER CA-169-A  ]

More Resources

[ Data Pages from Survey HAER CA-169-A  ]
[ Photo Captions from Survey HAER CA-169-A  ]

About this Item

Title

  • Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservoir, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

Names

  • Historic American Engineering Record, creator
  • U.S. Department of the Navy, Owner
  • Maul, David, transmitter
  • Mosely, Jerry, photographer
  • Rickling, Brian S, historian
  • Architect Milford Wayne Donaldson, FAIA, Inc. , contractor
  • U.S. Department of the Navy, sponsor

Created / Published

  • Documentation compiled after 1968

Headings

  • -  launch complexes
  • -  Cold War
  • -  California--Los Angeles County--Azusa

Notes

  • -  Significance: Morris Dam Test Facility (MDTF) was built at the Morris Dam Reservoir for the purpose of obtaining basic hydrodynamic data for use in design and development of Naval Ordinance, particularly air-to-water projectiles. The Variable-Angle Launcher (VAL) and its predecessor, the Fixed-Angle Launder (FAL) were a consolidated effort between the scientific and military research and development communities. The VAL was the only structure in the nation where full scale, air launched projectiles could be tested at high velocities and variable entry angles into a body of water. MDTF served as a valuable resource during WWII and the Cold War era, spanning over 50 years. This is a unique complex where the setting has been unaltered by major modern development. The design is unique and all of its material is original. The components exhibit high quality, professional workmanship typical of contemporary naval military facilities. The facility has retained its overall feeling and appearance from the Cold War Era maintaining a strong sense of time and place.
  • -  Survey number: HAER CA-169-A
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1948 Initial Construction

Medium

  • Photo(s): 101
  • Data Page(s): 14
  • Photo Caption Page(s): 9

Call Number/Physical Location

  • HAER CAL,19-AZUSA.V,1A-

Source Collection

  • Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

Repository

Control Number

  • ca2095

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • image
  • pdf

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material.

Ultimately, it is the researcher's obligation to assess copyright or other use restrictions and obtain permission from third parties when necessary before publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscape Survey (HABS/HAER/HALS) Collection - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
  • Reproduction Number: ---
  • Call Number: HAER CAL,19-AZUSA.V,1A-
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

If an image is displaying, you can download it yourself. (Some images display only as thumbnails outside the Library of Congress because of rights considerations, but you have access to larger size images on site.)

Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

  1. If a digital image is displaying: The qualities of the digital image partially depend on whether it was made from the original or an intermediate such as a copy negative or transparency. If the Reproduction Number field above includes a reproduction number that starts with LC-DIG..., then there is a digital image that was made directly from the original and is of sufficient resolution for most publication purposes.
  2. If there is information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can use the reproduction number to purchase a copy from Duplication Services. It will be made from the source listed in the parentheses after the number.

    If only black-and-white ("b&w") sources are listed and you desire a copy showing color or tint (assuming the original has any), you can generally purchase a quality copy of the original in color by citing the Call Number listed above and including the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

  3. If there is no information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can generally purchase a quality copy through Duplication Services. Cite the Call Number listed above and include the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

Price lists, contact information, and order forms are available on the Duplication Services Web site.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Historic American Engineering Record, Creator, Owner U.S. Department Of The Navy, Brian S Rickling, Faia Architect Milford Wayne Donaldson, and Sponsor U.S. Department Of The Navy, Mosely, Jerry, photographer. Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservoir, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA. Los Angeles County California Azusa, 1968. translateds by Maul, Davidmitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/ca2095/.

APA citation style:

Historic American Engineering Record, C., U.S. Department Of The Navy, O., Rickling, B. S., Architect Milford Wayne Donaldson, F. & U.S. Department Of The Navy, S., Mosely, J., photographer. (1968) Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservoir, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA. Los Angeles County California Azusa, 1968. Maul, D., trans Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/ca2095/.

MLA citation style:

Historic American Engineering Record, Creator, et al., photographer by Mosely, Jerry. Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservoir, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA. trans by Maul, Davidmitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/ca2095/>.