The Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers in the Library of Congress's Manuscript Division consist of personal papers and other manuscript materials. The majority of the collection was given to the Library by the executors of Orville Wright's estate in 1949; additional items were acquired through purchase and gift between 1949 and 1999. Rights to Orville and Wilbur Wrights' unpublished writings in this collection have been dedicated to the public. Rights to Octave Chanute's unpublished writings in this collection have also been dedicated to the public, excepting any family correspondence that may allude to matters that are purely personal and are without historical and scientific interest.
Works created by the Wright Brothers, their family, and other individuals may in some cases be subject to copyright. In many of these cases, we were unable to identify a possible rightsholder and have elected to place these items online as an exercise of fair use for strictly non-commercial educational uses.
The Library of Congress provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes and makes no warranty with regard to their use for other purposes. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or holders of other rights is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. There may be content that is protected as "works for hire" (copyright may be held by the party that commissioned the original work) and/or under the copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations.
Preferred Citation:
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Folder Title, Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Materials Reproduced with Permission:
Permission has been granted to the Library of Congress to reproduce the following items. For further use or reproduction contact the rightsholders listed.