Talbert Abrams facts for kids

Talbert "Ted" Abrams (born August 17, 1895, in Tekonsha, Michigan; died August 26, 1990) was an American photographer and pilot. He is often called the "father of aerial photography" because he helped make taking pictures from airplanes a big deal.

Early Life and Flying Lessons

Talbert Abrams was born in Tekonsha, Michigan. He learned to fly at the Curtiss Aviation School. At the same time, he worked as a mechanic for the Curtiss company. He earned his pilot's license, number 282, which was even signed by Orville Wright!

In 1917, he joined the US Marine Corps. He went to the US Navy flying school in Pensacola. After World War I, his team took pictures from the sky over Haiti. This made Abrams very interested in how useful aerial photography could be.

Building a Career in Aerial Photography

In 1920, Ted Abrams left the military. He bought an old airplane, a Curtiss JN-4, and started a small airline called ABC Airline. But he was more excited about taking photos from the air.

In 1923, he bought a Standard J-1 plane and put cameras on it. He then started the Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation. This company used airplanes to take pictures for making maps. Over the next few years, he also created:

• Abrams Instrument Corporation: This company made better cameras and tools for his aerial photography work.
• Abrams Aircraft Corporation: Started in 1937, this company built special airplanes just for taking pictures from the sky.

Ted Abrams earned his first money from aerial photography by taking a picture of a racetrack for a newspaper. Later, he used special tools called stereo-plotters to create maps. These maps helped plan and build highways. In 1937, he designed a unique airplane called "The Explorer". It was the first plane ever made only for aerial photography!

During World War II, he opened the Abrams School of Aerial Surveying and Photo Interpretation. Here, he taught these important skills to the US military. His Instrument Corporation also built cameras for spy planes during the war.

In 1961, he sold his Abrams Instrument Corporation. He then mostly retired. Ted Abrams passed away in Lansing, Michigan, on August 26, 1990, when he was 95 years old.

His Lasting Impact

Ted Abrams left a big mark on the world of photography and mapping.

• The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) gives out the Talbert Abrams Award every year. This award honors someone who has done amazing work in aerial photography and mapping.
• A mountain in the Antarctic is named after him: Mount Abrams.
• The Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University is also named in his honor.

He even received the Antarctic Service Medal for his work in "Operation Deep Freeze" at the South Pole in the 1960s. This made him one of the few people in the world to have a mountain named after them!