Harold A. "Jimmy" Erickson
"The Flying Photographer"

August 16, 1884 - February 26, 1962

Coronado, North Island  January 1910
Charles Hamilton in his Curtiss Pusher Biplane
Photo: Harry A. Erickson

The snippet below is the first reference I could find of Jimmy's existence in San Diego.  It seems to fly in the face of the date written on the negative of the photo above.

San Diego Union, December 21, 1910

Hotel Arrivals
Lakeside Inn
H. A. Erickson, Oakland

San Diego Union, May 29, 1912
Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Erickson are residing at 1129 Eleventh street.  Mr. Erickson is connected with Taylor’s art studio at Hotel del Coronado.

San Diego Union, June 3, 1912
TENT CITY CLAIMING OUTDOOR DEVOTEES
Crowd At Coronado Beach Much Larger Than on Day of Opening
View From Aeroplane
H. A. Erickson, who has the photograph concession this season, is exhibiting several scenes of Tent City and both sides of San Diego bay which he took from an aeroplane 700 feet in the air and while traveling 70 miles an hour.  The pictures are clear and sharp, and show how things look to a birdman.  Mr. Erickson’s studio is on the bay front, and is equipped for turning out high class work night or day with surprising rapidity.  With a new smokeless flash light apparatus Mr. Erickson is enabled to photograph in natural colors.  The studio has backgrounds of Tent City, the bay, Hotel del Coronado and an aeroplane, which are used for novelty pictures and post cards.

San Diego Union, July 19, 1912
Tonight at 7 o’clock H. A. Erickson of the Tent City photograph studio is to deliver a free lecture on color photography in the club rooms.  Mr. Erickson has experimented for years on color work and had produced some very wonderful pictures.  His talk tonight will be illustrated by slides made from photographs taken by himself and by Prof. Harold A. Taylor of Coronado.

Autochromes were a very labor-intensive early color process.   Here, Emma Jessop Scripps, the wife of Frederick Tudor Scripps, poses for an Autochrome photo at Braemar, the family estate where the Catamaran Hotel in Pacific Beach sits today.

San Diego Union, February 21, 1915
Mr. H. A. Erickson exhibited a number of autochromes of the Yosemite Valley and the High Sierras, which were made on an extended camping trip last summer, Thursday evening in the ballroom at Hotel del Coronado.  Mr. Erickson is assistant to Mr. Harold A. Taylor, who has done such wonderful work.

Evening Tribune, April 16, 1916
TO PHOTOGRAPH ARCTIC REGION
H. A. Erickson, Coronado photographer who has made many photographic studies of scenes throughout the west and has been assistant to Harold A. Taylor, of Coronado, whose photographic art is known in several countries has joined the John Borden Arctic expedition and will man a motion picture in the frozen north, employing his spare time to get photographic studies of his own choice.  Erickson has tried himself at the motion picture work at times for the past few years an devoted considerable time at it during the recent polo tournament at Coronado.  The Borden expedition will sail from Seattle in May.  Borden is a millionaire sportsman and explorer of Chicago.

San Diego Union, September 13, 1916
Coronadographs
Daredevil “Jimmie” (H. A.) Erickson arrived at Seattle yesterday after his tough experience in the wreck of the John Borden exploration ship Great Bear off the Alaskan coast.  Jimmie at once wired Harold A. Taylor that he is coming back to Coronado quicker that Warren Beckwith’s Pipsqueak can slip through water.  That’s going some, we’ll all admit, so Jimmie will rejoin the congregation very soon.  I hope he didn’t lose that Crown in the wreck.  Joshua Hammond lost one preparedness parade day and really, we haven’t enough to go to the North Pole and everywhere else, if they’re going to be lost.

This photo of the magnificent Hotel del Coronado was taken in the 1930s by Lee Passmore.  The hotel was built in 1888 and is about 20 miles from the Mexican border.  Fans of the movie Some Like It Hot will recognize it.  Imagine flash photos being taken at night when you read the snippet below.  (San Diego History Center photo)

San Diego Union, January 15, 1917
ECHOES OF ARAB BALL ARE HEARD
Praise Is Warm for Those Who Staged Great Spectacle at Coronado
Those whose habitat is below the international boundary must have thought from the frequency and intensity of the flashes that a great battle was going on near Hotel del Coronado.  Harold A. Taylor and his lieutenant, H. A. Erickson, were busy for some hours with their blinding flashlights.  They improvised a gallery on the front veranda where they photographed the costumes of many of the ball patrons.  It was rather a wholesale “mugging,” but both those who were photographed and those who did the photography seemed to enjoy it.

San Diego Union, May 23, 1917
AIR PHOTOGRAPHER TO ENTER SERVICE
H. A. Erickson of Coronado Ordered to Report at Hampton, Va., for Duty
H. A. Erickson, formerly a photographer employed by Harold Taylor of Coronado and recognized as one of the most daring aerial photographers in this country, received telegraphic instructions yesterday from Brigadier General George O. Squier, chief of military aviation, to report for duty at the army aeronautical experimental school at Hampton, Va.  Erickson will probably be the first American aerial photographer to be sent to France and Belgium.  The San Diego photographer is particularly fitted for the hazardous work of snapping pictures of German trenches from an airplane as he frequently has flown with Raymund V. Morris and other local aviators.  He will be equipped with the new telescopic sight gun camera recently adopted by the army.  This camera can photograph one square mile of terrain while flying at an altitude of more than one and one-half miles.  Erickson was official photographer of the John Borden Antarctic expedition which left Seattle on the steamer Great Bear in August, 1916.  The Great Bear subsequently was wrecked on a pinnacle rock off St. Matthews Island in the Bering sea.  Erickson is 34 years old and unmarried. 

San Diego Union, February 2, 1918
NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICE CREATED AT NORTH ISLAND
Many Changes in Administrative Personnel at Rockwell Field Become Effective
Many changes in the administrative personnel of the Rockwell field signal corps aviation school became effective yesterday.  A new office, that of executive officer, was created by Major General George O. Squier, chief signal officer.  The administrative personnel now includes Major John C. P. Bartholf, school commander; Captain Martin H. Ray, executive officer; Lieutenant George C. Kull, adjutant; Lieutenant Lee Prettyman, assistant adjutant; Major Theodore MacCaulay, officer in charge of flying; Captain Ernest Clark, assistant officer in charge of flying; Major Francis Longley, engineering officer; Lieutenant James Luttrell, assistant gunnery officer; Lieutenant W. F. Dyett, commanding officer flying cadet detachment; Lieutenant Harry Erickson, instructor of flying cadets in miniature range, mapping and photographic interpretation; Lieutenant Tom Bither, flying cadet instructor in practical airplanes, motors and radiotelegraphy.  Commissioned flying instructors attached to the staff of Major MacCaulay include Captains George Furrow and Ernest Shields, and Lieutenants Felix Steinle, J. M. Foote, Wayman Haney, and J. R. Worthington.  Lieutenant Colonel Henry Damm, former school commander, will leave tonight or Sunday For Washington, thence to Taylor Field, Birmingham, Ala., to assume command of a new aeronautical school at that place.  Major Barthoff is en route here from Washington and is expected to arrive Tuesday.

San Diego Union, August 28, 1923
SAN DIEGO AVIATORS ESTABLISH TWO NEW SPEED RECORDS
Successful refueling was a feature of the record-breaking flight of Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Lieut. John Richter yesterday.  Photograph shows the refueling plane piloted by Lieuts. Virgil Hines and Frank Seifert, transferring gasoline through a 40-foot hose to the big De Haviland in which Smith and Richter have established new world’s records for speed.  (Photo by H. A. Erickson)

San Diego Union, November 3, 1925
 MITCHELL CALLS WORLD GIRDLERS
Capt. Smith and Lieut. Arnold May Testify in Air Hearing in Washington.  Several military and marine corps fliers who participated in the dedication of the new flying field in Tucson Sunday, returned to North Island yesterday.  The Rockwell field contingent included Col. Harry Graham, Maj. Theodore Macaulay, Maj. H. A. Erickson, Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Lieut. Bernard Castor.  With the local military airmen were Capt. William A. Frye and Lieut. Dean Farren, Los Angeles reserve pilots.  Marine corps aviation squadron was represented by Maj. Ross Rowell, who piloted a Martin bomber, Lieuts. William J. Wallace and John Cristian and Marine Gunner D. Woderczyk.  Lieut. Leslie Arnold who flew to Kansas City to address the national convention of the United States Chamber of Commerce, will return today.  Both Arnold and Capt. Smith have been subpoenaed by Col. William Mitchell and probably will be called to Washington to testify in the court martial proceedings now under way.

Evening Tribune, May 4, 1926
AIR BOOSTERS SPEED PLANS FOR CHAPTER
All persons interested in aviation and in the establishment of a local chapter of the National Aeronautic association are invited to attend a meeting next Monday at the Cabrillo cafe immediately after the Hammer club luncheon.  The first meeting, which was held after the Hammer club luncheon yesterday, was attended by 21 men, and the first steps toward obtaining a charter in the association were taken. Those attending yesterday include Maj. Gen. J. H. Kuhn, Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Pendleton, Col. E. N. Jones, Col. Harry C. Graham, Col. Jefferson Davis, E. W. Dort, postmaster; Maj. T. C. Maculey, Harold Angier, Chester Van Dusen, Clifford Fitzgerald, A. E. Burrell, Louis, Schirm, Albert Frost, Lieut. O. R. Stillinger, Capt. Arthur J. O’Keefe, H. A. Erickson, A. C. Rich, and   E. V. Izak.  Prior to the aviation meeting Col. Frank P. Lahm, air officer of the Ninth army corps area, spoke to the Hammer club, telling of the peacetime activities of the air force and the program at present outlined as a service arm in the event of war.

San Diego Union, July 24, 1926
Daredevil Will Thrill Tent City Crowds With Leap From Airplane
Picture taken by H. A. Erickson when daredevil Dan Taylor successfully made the leap from an airplane without a parachute several weeks ago.  He will attempt it again tomorrow afternoon over Glorietta bay, with Jack Hewson of the San Diego Airport  piloting the plane.

The Spirit of St. Louis soars over Spanish Bight, the inlet that separated Coronado and North Island.  The Hotel del Coronado and the Silver Strand are visible behind the plane.  Lindbergh made a number of flights between North Island and Dutch Flats while testing the plane.  At 3:55 PM on May 10, 1927 he left Rockwell Field, the Army base on North Island enroute to Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri.  This may have been that final flight.

Erickson took this shot of Lindbergh in front of the Spirit of St. Louis on May 9, 1927 at Dutch Flats, where the Midway Post Office is today.

San Diego Union, May 15, 1927
LINDBERGH BID PACIFIC SHORE FAREWELL
Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh, famous air mail pilot, winging his way over Mission Beach enroute from San Diego to Paris.  Lindbergh flew low over the seaside pleasure resort where he spent many pleasant hours swimming while awaiting the completion of his monoplane.  Photo by Maj. H. A. Erickson, air service reserves.  (This photo was probably a paste-up of an Erickson aerial of the Mission Beach Amusement Center and a separate shot of the Spirit of St. Louis taken by Erickson.  It almost certainly was not taken on Lindbergh's departure from San Diego on May 10th)

Lindbergh returned to San Diego in the Spirit of St. Louis on September 21, 1927 to the largest crowds ever assembled in the city, speaking at a sold-out crowd at Balboa Stadium.  The photo above appears to be the one he took on May 9, 1927 with the "Keep Out" sign and "He did!" possibly added by Erickson.  The photo below was taken at Dutch Flats, with either the plane or Lindbergh added later.

San Diego Union, October 18, 1927
NEED OF AIRPORT HERE STRESSED BY U. S. EXPERT
The tremendous importance of San Diego’s establishing and maintaining an airport at the earliest practicable moment if it is to compete with Los Angeles, San Francisco and other coast cities in the future field of aviation, was pointed out yesterday by Capt. Walter Parkin, aeronautic inspector of the United States department of commerce.  Captain Parken spoke briefly at a meeting of the San Diego chapter, National Aeronautic association’s airport committee, which held its first conference at the chamber of commerce.  Parkin’s statements were of the utmost significance, according the the airport committee inasmuch as they showed conclusively that the day when San Diego could sit bad idly and reap the benefits of commercial, military and naval aviation is gone.  Those attending the local  chapter of the National Aeronautic association airport meeting yesterday in addition to Captain Parkin, were W. W. Gibson, Harold Angier, Harvey Atherton, Walter Austin, Charles Easterbrook, Lou Blodgett, Dr. Roy Campbell, Ed Davidson, William Ellison, H. A. Erickson, Gilman Obst, Gordon Gray, George Killion, B. F. Mahoney, Ray McClintock, Capt. Frank R. McCrary, Howard Morin, George H. Prudden, William Bober, T. Claude Ryan, William Van Dusen and Roy Campbell, jr.

Evening Tribune, February 2, 1928
ADDRESSES BOARD ON PHOTOGRAPHY
Taking for his subject, “The Past and Future of Aerial Photography,” H. A. Erickson, local aerial photographer and the first man to ever take a picture from an airplane, addressed the local realty board at its regular Wednesday luncheon.  “Photography from the air is an industry still very much in its infancy and it offers truly remarkable opportunities for those who undertake it seriously,” said Erickson  “There is, without a doubt, no other way for getting such a comprehensive idea of any particular community as from the air.  San Diego offers flying conditions which are equalled in only one other place in the world -- the Nile river region.”  William A Colston, vice president of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad company, spoke on the shipping situation in San Diego.

San Diego Union, May 5, 1928
LEGION PICKS BODY TO HELP AVIATION
Designed to co-operate with the chamber of commerce in staging the massed airplane flights here Aug. 16, and to help promote aviation, an American Legion aviation committee today was appointed by Al Roache, commander of San Diego post No. 6.  The personnel of the committee is as follows:  Maj. T. C. Macaulay, George Prudden, John J. Coker, Frank Van Valen, H. A. Erickson, Lieut. B. P. Donnelly, N. M Rouletto, D. W. Campbell and Maj. A. L. Snead, commandant of Rockwell field.

San Diego Union, May 13, 1928
TO BE GRADUATED FROM AIR SCHOOL
Mel. S. Kennedy First Student to Complete Course in Aerial Photography
Mel. S. Kennedy, employed by the Shell Oil company at Fresno, will have the distinction of being the first graduate of a civilian school of aerial photography in the United States when he winds up his course of instruction under H. A. Erickson next Tuesday.  In addition to taking the aerial photography and map work, Kennedy is taking a course in flying with the Ryan Aeronautical corporation of this city.  The course which Erickson is giving covers all phases of aerial photography and map work, both laboratory and field, and takes three months.  Erickson has developed many novel instruments in his local plant for the purpose of doing map work quickly and with accuracy.  Aerial mapping, he declares, is proving of great interest to large corporations, especially those in oil work, as it can be used as a basis for geological investigation.  It also is said to be extremely valuable in any work where it is necessary to make a map showing every feature of topography and culture.

Evening Tribune, August 16, 1928
Dean of Air Shooters Hangs By Toes When Taking Picture
(Maj. H. A. Erickson left, his first aerial photograph, above and a recent one below.  At left he is taking a picture from the air) 

Meet the dean of American air photographers.  He took the first sky photograph in the United States.  He helped develop aerial photography for the United States army.  He has stood on his nose, landed on mountains, had his film burn in his had from friction and now is the photographic section -- by himself -- for the air service on the Pacific Coast.  Maj. H. A. Erickson is his official title.  To the photographic and air fraternities he’s known as “Jimmie”.  
A Dangerous Stunt 
Erickson took his first air picture during his first trip into the air.  In the winter of 1911 he went aloft in a Curtis pusher-type biplane, ascended 800 feet and, with fear and trembling, “shot”.  In those days photographer and pilot sat on cane seats, away out in front.  Nothing hindered their vision.  They sat on thin air -- almost.  The picture he got that day was fair for an amateur of today.  It was the best product of an expert then.  Its comparison with modern air pictures represents the development of aerial photography.  Since the first flight, Erickson has been aloft hundreds of times.  He was the first passenger to ride in the “Spirit of St. Louis” with Col. Lindbergh.  He’s made thousands of pictures for air maps. 
Photographs Forest Fires 
His most spectacular work, he says, has been the photographing of forest fires.  “Over these fires,” he explains, “one finds the air very rough.  On occasion I have literally hung on by my toes.  “You shoot up, then drop down, suddenly, far and fast.  No I never go aloft, even for a simple photographic flight, without parachute equipment.  Bumpy air offers difficulties in fire flying, particularly at low altitudes.”  When the United States entered the war, Erickson recalls, there were many types of cameras in this country, chiefly from foreign designers.  No development of consequence had been undertaken with mapping cameras, then only dreams of a few men doing aerial work.  “During the first six months of the war,” he says, “a number of cameras were developed in the United States.  The first American aerial mapping cameras were designed then.
War Trained Photographers 
“Personnel has developed from the war.  Aerial photographers were trained during the war, and some of these brought back their new knowledge to their professions, but few went into the trade as a business.  Consequently there are few good sky photographers today.”  Today picture taking from altitudes, particularly the making of maps, becomes very involved.  Often Erickson has occasion to map an area 100 miles long and 20 miles wide.  This involves a number of parallel flights 100 miles long.  Each must be accurate as to latitude and altitude.  As a result, such maps become more accurate than engineers‘ computations, for the camera tells a true story.  Erickson is probably better known than any other commercial photographer in the world.  His monogram, “The Flying Photographer,” was attached to thousands of pictures of Lindbergh and his famous plane.  They have traveled to the corners of the world.

San Diego Union, August 17, 1928
MIGHTY AERIAL DRAMA STAGED WITHOUT SINGLE ACCIDENT
SPECTACULAR GROUP TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS THRILL VISITORS TO NORTH ISLAND AIR BASE
‘Thank God They Are Our Ships,’ Observes Onlooker Awed by Thought of What Would Happen If Exhibited Power of More Than 50,000 Horses Were Invaders.
Roaring war birds straining to be in their element. the power or more than 50.000 horses combined in a deafening diapason or sound, an even louder drumming as the winged coursers of the air spurned the ground into an all-enveloping cloud of dust and were off in twos and threes, in fives and sixes and finally in dozens.
This was North Island yesterday morning as the big flight of 222 army and navy planes got under way to make the greatest aerial concentration in the history at the world. Never before had so many planes been in the air at one place. The flight exceeded the famed mass night or 1918 when 212 army planes went aloft from Rockwell field in jubilant celebration of the end or the World war.
 Then more dust clouds. diminishing roars of throttled engines and silence as the travelers of the heights came back to earth—makers of aviation history.  Spectators dug out their eyes, tried to brush government dust off their clothes in amazed realization that such a flight operation could have been conducted without a single accident to mar it.
 PERFECTION IS AMAZING
At 1135 a. m. the vast flying field stretching across North Island was silent.  On the army side. stretching almost from the ocean to the middle of the field was a long line of planes, all toeing an imaginary deadline.  The line was more than a. mile long and on it were poised 82 army fighting craft.
On the navy side many more warbirds were resting. They were grouped in formations as they would appear in the air.  Vees and vees of vees were resting their wheels on the ground, while in the waters or the way farther east were the seaplanes of the navy.
Then came a burst of sound as of a bunch of firecrackers going off. An army plane's engine had been started.
FLY 100 FEET APART
 Over at headquarters the pilots were getting their last instructions.  We'l1 take off in echelon and  follow the island around to the left.  I don't. want you to fly more than 100 apart.  Don‘t fly any tighter than that and don't fly any looser."
It was Lieut. Burgess addressing his flight.
More firecrackers popped.  The sound ran down the field like a grass fire across a prairie. Dust clouds began to form as the whirling propellers sent blasts of air ‘back from their blades.
Then at 11:30 a. m. the first formation took off.  It took off in echelon, the second ship behind and to the right of the first, the third behind and to the right of the second. Thus the long line of army planes began the flight by threes. Rapidly the dust cloud approached the navy side of the fie1d as the army ships went aloft in their three-plane formations, perfectly. without a hitch. They circled to the left and swung out of sight down towards the Silver Strand.
NAVY TAKES UP REFRAIN
As the roars grew louder near the field center the navy craft. waiting for the army to go aloft. took up the refrain. Roars came from the brazen throats behind which lurked the
power of hundreds of horses. Louder and louder was the sound.
Then, after the last army plane had safely cleared the ground the first of the navy planes began taking off at 11:45 a. m.
They used a different take-off formation than the army.  Instead of being lined in a long string across the field the navy ships were in the formations they expected to take when in the air.
By threes they took off first, in vast diamond-shaped formations. Then they took off as vees of vees, dozens at a time. The air smoked with the dust of the island.  Gaining altitude
they took up their formations and like the army ships swung to the left around the edge or the island and also like the army planes they swung down the Strand toward Imperial
Beach.
Then they, too, passed from the view of those on the flying field, to reappear later as they swung back over the island after crossing the reviewing stand on Lindbergh field. The sight of the planes in review was lost to those on the island, but they had the thrilling spectacle of the takeoffs and the landings to make up for what they missed.
Then an army plane swung down.
"What? an accident,” acclaimed those on the field.
No, nothing like that. It was merely an army plane coming in from Santa Monica with Dr. Ford A. Carpenter, former San Diego weather man. who was to lecture during the afternoon to a reserve class.
LANDINGS ALMOST PERFECT
Soon the army planes began to come down, still in their echelon formation. Wind whistled through the struts as they swung down over the hangars and touched the ground again. The landings generally were perfect.  Those that were not were so far from being dangerous that
these was no question of an accident.
It took longer for the army planes to come down than it did for them to go aloft. But in a short time they were again lined up across the field as they were before the big flight started.
The navy planes stayed up longer.  Vees and vees of vees swung by again and again, dropping a few planes as each circled. Down came the navy craft in formation, as they had taken the air. It was an inspiring spectacle to see so many ships of the air come down without a hint of an accident.

San Diego Union, December 18, 1928
SAN DIEGO FLIERS HONOR WRIGHT
Many Local Celebrities Make Short Addresses on Special Memorial Meeting
As a tribute to the Wright brothers and the 25th anniversary of the flight of man a special program was held yesterday at the Pacific Technical University, 2119 Kettner boulevard.  P. H. Heron was toastmaster.  The program was opened with the showing of pictures of first flights taken by the war department and followed by a special radio program broadcast from Los Angeles through the courtesy of the Richfield Oil company.  An interesting talk was made by Mayor Harry Clark.  He was followed by J. Allison Moore, who spoke on ‘San Diego, first to adopt air regulations.”  After these talks the following were introduced:  Major H. A. Erickson, pioneer in aerial photography and the first to take pictures from an airplane; Jimmie Russel, pioneer parachute man; Howard Morin, pioneer newspaper man in aviation in the United States and the first to use radio in an airplane; Capt. Frank Seifert, first to refuel a plane in midair; Don Hall, engineer and designer of Colonel Lindbergh’s famous transatlantic plane, and Miss Margaret Crosson, Alaskan aviatrix.  Another interesting feature of the program was a talk by Claude Ryan, pioneer commercial aviator, who spoke on “Prospects for Aviation.”  Talks also were made by Roy Knabenshue, pioneer dirigible pilot and manufacturer, and Roy Campbell, jr, president of San Diego Air Service corporation and Major Albert Smith.

San Diego Union, January 30, 1929
AIR CORPS SEEKS 20 PHOTOGRAPHERS
An opening for 20 “flying photographers” in the 477th photo section, air corps reserve, is announced by Maj. H. A. Erickson, local aerial photographer.  Erickson declared that the photo section which recently was moved from here to Los Angeles, now is to be re-established at San Diego, and will have a sufficient amount of equipment and material to carry on actual problems of aerial mapping.  There is an opening for 20 young men who wish to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn aerial photography and mapping by enlisting in the reserve unit, Erickson said.  Those interested may communicate with him here.

Evening Tribune, August 10, 1929
FLYING PHOTOGRAPHER SELECTS NEW ROADSTER
H. A. Erickson, who has earned a fine reputation as a flying commercial photographer is shown here with his new Studebaker President roadster purchased from the J. R. Townsend Co, Inc.  The sale was made by Earl Crawford of the Townsend staff.

San Diego Union, May 23, 1930
AERIAL PHOTOS LUNCHEON TOPIC
Some of the remarkable advances in aerial photography, especially as applied to aerial surveys, were detailed to the members of the Reserve Officers’ Association yesterday by Maj. H. A. Erickson, Air Reserve, known as “the flying photographer”.  Erickson told of aerial “shots” made recently of Mt. Rainier by an army photographer at a distance of several hundred miles when mist and haze were so thick that the peak was indiscernible to the naked eye.   Capt. D. H. Carpenter, commandant of the naval hospital, will be the speaker at the Reserve luncheon next Thursday.

Evening Tribune, July 4, 1930
Maps. S. D. With Air Camera
Upper - Map of San Diego made by Maj. H. A. Erickson from an altitude of 12,000 feet (Copyright, Maj. H. A. Erickson) Lower -- Erickson studying vertical pictures of blocks containing the Tribune-Union building through a stereoscope which brings the buildings into relief. 
An area of 50 square miles, embracing the major portion of San Diego and all of Coronado, was mapped with an aerial camera recently by Maj. H. A. Erickson.  Erickson made the map from 95 negatives exposed at an altitude of 12,000 feet above the ground level.  Since Erickson first began to make air pictures, hw has turned out thousands of maps, but has made none faster than that showing the city.  Within two days he had “flown the job,” developed the negatives and completed the map.  The area contained in the completed map shows the city from Boundary street, south of National City; from Mission Valley on the north and from Euclid avenue on the east.  Erickson flew over the entire territory during two and one-half hours in the air.  The resulting map was made to a scale of one inch to 1000 feet and shows the city under a microscope.  The picture has been enlarged to a photograph six feet by eight feet, now on display at First and Broadway.  In making such a map, Erickson first flies in parallel lines, the big mapping camera pointed straight down.  Exposures of the negative, which unrolls in the camera much like a motion picture film, are made often enough to permit overlap of 60 per cent.  This prevents “holes,” or missed areas.  After the prints are made, they are pinned together on a large board, properly overlapped and numbered.  This constitutes an index.  Then the numbers are removed and the edges trimmed, after which he completes the map.

Evening Tribune, February 3, 1931
AIR RESERVE ASSOCIATION IS FORMED
With organization of the Air Reserve association of San Diego completed last Sunday when Capt. William Van V. Stewart, Capt. Lester King and Lieut. William Van Dusen were elected to the board of governors, the flyers are to have the benefit of using two planes from Rockwell field each Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. at Lindbergh Field, according to Van Dusen.  Formerly the reserve flyers had to go to North Island for their practice and instruction.  The new arrangement will save much time for those who are in business here.  Lieut. William Groen of the army air service has been assigned to full-time instruction of the local reserves.  He will coach them in military flying at Lindbergh field on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  A flyer will be allowed only a half-hour at a time.  Van Dusen is in charge of the time allocation.  Some 40 local officers an enlisted men make up the reserve association.  A Class in military subjects is conducted each Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.  The group had a total of 116 hours in the air last month.  Officers were elected last Tuesday, as follows: Maj. H. A. Erickson, president; Capt. J. Allison Moore, vice president; Sergt. W. D. Lucy, secretary, an dLieut. Harry Haw, treasurer.  These men, and Lieut. Ray Clark, unit instructor, comprise the board of governors with the three elected Sunday.

San Diego Union, February 28, 1931
FLYING GROUPS DANCE TONIGHT
More than 200 flying enthusiasts are expected to attend the aviation dance this evening at 8:30 in the San Diego Athletic Club, under the auspices of the Air Reserve association of San Diego, committee members said yesterday.  Record holders, aces and pioneers of the air lanes will attend in numbers, according to Lt. William Van Dusen, chairman.  Among those present will be Maj. Ross Rowell, Maj. T. C. Macaulay, Capt. F. O. D. Hunter, Maj. J. B. McClasky, Lt. Apollo Soucek, Raymond B. Morris, Com. A. C. Reid, M. A. Hawkes, Maj. Carl Spatz, Maj. F. T. Evans, T. Claude Ryan, James Russell, P. A. MacDonough, Maj. H. A. Erickson and Howard Morin.  Col. Alberto S. Hart, Lt. Col. Federico Miralles and Capt. Enrique Laurent, Mexican officers who are organizing reserve units at principal points throughout Mexico, will be guests of honor.  All pilots are invited to attend, and may make reservations through Van Dusen at the chamber of commerce until noon today.  Major Erickson and Capt. J. Allison Moore are also on the dance committee.

Evening Tribune, April 15, 1931

San Diego Union, July 3, 1931
PHOTOGRAPHERS HOLD MEETING
Movies of Recent Plane Maneuvers Feature of Entertainment Program
The July meeting of the Photographers’ association of San Diego was held last night at the Sheer studio as the guests of J. M. Sheer.  The feature of the entertainment program was the showing of motion pictures by Maj. H. A. Erickson of several groups of planes which participated in the recent massing of army planes in several eastern cities.  These pictures showed the efficiency with which the government forces could gather at any given place in event of a national emergency.  Refreshments were served.  Those present were: C. L. Mantor, Sidney Hamilton, Bob Thompson, Thomas L. Miller, C. B Swope, R. H. Adams, G. C. Courtney, Oral Beacon, E. J. Campbell, O. H. McCoy, Jean McCoy, Geo. Traetmer, O. A. Tunnell, Harold E. Lutes, H. A. Erickson, W. E. Averrett, James Melas, Jack Vreeland, Geo. J. Vreeland, Ruth B. Key, Lola Gibson, Dolly Hauffman, Nelly Temby, Melvin Sykes, Margaret Sykes, Frank Lasswell, J. M. Sheer, M. O. Shallenberg, C. A. Phair, Herbert R. Fitch, Roger Van Kolen, Laurence Jordan, L. O. Fournier, W. C. Morton, Hugh S. Wallace and Augustus Hesley.

San Diego Union, July 11, 1931
ERICKSON ARRIVES WITH SON AT CAMP
CAMP JOHN P. PRYOR, Del Monte, Calif, July 10 (Special)
Maj. Harry A. Erickson of San Diego arrived at Camp John P. Pryor with his son, James and two companions.  The three boys will be students at Citizens’ Military Training camp for the next 30 days  Major Erickson has been prominent in aerial photography.  He is at present taking a series of aerial photos of the terrain surrounding San Diego, for the U. S. Army, under the direction of Brig. Van Deman, U. S. A. retired.  Leaving the camp for Crissy field, San Francisco, Major Erickson not only expressed his satisfaction with the camp at Del Monte, but also promised his son an early visit by plane.

San Diego Union, July 14, 1931





San Diego Union, September 9, 1931




San Diego Union, September 30, 1931

San Diego Union, February 20, 1934
BLAME FOR ARMY AIRMAIL CRASHES PUT ON CONGRESS
Congress must bear the blame for recent crashes of army planes detailed to the airmail service, killing three fliers, Lt. Col. H. A. Erickson, U. S. A. air corps reserve officer and president of the department of California, Reserve Officers’ association of the United States, said yesterday.  “Due to lack of appropriations, the war department has been compelled for months to limit flying time of pilots in the air corps to only four hours a month,” he said.  “Suddenly, as the result of a presidential edict abolishing airmail contracts, these army fliers have been ordered to take the place of regular airmail pilots who have flown their respective routes four to six hours a day for many months.  If congress had appropriated enough money in the last two or three years to allow air corps pilots plenty of cross-country cruises so they could learn by experience the hazards of wind and weather, we probably would not have have several brilliant young fliers dead and costly airplanes demolished.  Because of false economy, these pilots have had to stay close to their fields, doing mostly formation flying to save gasoline cost.  The army will learn to fly the mails.  It always has responded with ‘can do’ to any orders given it.  But the cost of learning has been lives lost and planes destroyed because congress has been penurious.  Congress has handed out millions for other purposes and has begrudged pennies to the army.  It is time for the public to demand that the army be given money properly to do the jobs given it."

San Diego Union, March 28, 1934
LIGHTS TO SPOT ‘HOSTILE’ PLANES
Featured by an antiaircraft searchlight display, the annual dinner of the San Diego Reserve Officers’ association will be held in the armory, Fifteenth and F sts, tomorrow, 6:30 p.m.  Col. H. A. Moorhead will be host.  Officers for the year will be elected.  After dinner searchlight batteries will give an exhibition of disclosing the location of two “enemy” planes piloted by Lt. Robert Hutton and W. Arnet Speer.  The planes will fly over the city at i o’clock.  H. A. Erickson will make an aerial photograph of the searchlight batteries from an altitude of 2000 feet.

Evening Tribune, October 3, 1934

San Diego Union, October 10, 1934
2 LOCAL RESERVE AVIATORS ATTEND CAPT. SELFF RITES
Flying an army plane and carrying a large bouquet of flowers, Lt. Col. H. A. Erickson and Lt. Arnet Speer, both of the army air corps reserves, flew from Rockwell field yesterday to March field, Riverside for the funeral of Capt. Robert Selff, killed Tuesday when an army bomber crashed near Bishop.  Capt. Selff formerly was stationed at Rockwell field and was the unit instructor for San Diego army air corps reserves.  Erickson and Speer returned to San Diego last night.

Martin B-12A

On October 2, 1934, Captain Robert E. Selff, Commanding Officer of the famous 11th Bombardment Group was piloting a Martin B-12A bomber when clear air turbulence caused one wing to separate from the aircraft.  The plane crashed into a snow covered canyon in the Inyo National Forest near the Mammoth Ranger Station, about 50 miles north of the town of Bishop, killing Captain Selff and two other crew members. A fourth crew member saw the wing's aileron vibrating wildly and parachuted from the craft just before the wing failed. The aircraft was part of a group of 20 aircraft making a formation flight to Yosemite from March Field.  Captain Selff entered the Army Air Service during World War I.  He graduated from the photographic training school at Langley Field, Virginia, and served at many posts in the US and abroad in variety of roles, including test pilot.  In 1931 he was transferred to March Field, California, and eventually served as adjutant.  Captain Selff's flight log book showed 2,633 hours prior to his last flight. He flew a large variety of aircraft during his career.

San Diego Union, April 13, 1935

San Diego Union, June 28, 1935
WEEKLY MASSED FLIGHTS PLANNED BY ARMY PLANES
Army airplane squadrons will fly over San Diego every Friday so visitors to the Exposition may see mass flights, Lt. Col. William H. Simpson, army representative to the Exposition, said last night.  He spoke on military strategy of the World war at a dinner meeting of the Reserve Officers’ association in Maryland hotel.  Lt. Col. Simpson said the mass flights would be at night on alternate weeks.  He said he hoped that the searchlight batteries of the national guard would demonstrate the spotting of planes at night.  The association adopted a resolution commending Maj. H. P. Kayser for allowing reserve officers to maneuver with R.O.T.C. cadets and another thanking the national guard for cooperation.  A committee was formed to plan for presentation of an efficiency trophy for national guard batteries.  Lt. Col. H. A. Erickson reported on the national convention.  Members stood in silence as a tribute to the late Seth Howard, adjutant general of California, and voted to send condolences to his family.  No meetings will be held in July and August.  The next meeting will be the night of Sept. 5 at Maryland hotel.

San Diego Union, November 24, 1935

San Diego Union, January 22, 1936
Erickson Prizes Signed Picture Of Edward VIII
A photograph of Edward VIII autographed “Edward P., 1920” is one of the prized possessions of H. A. Erickson, “flying photographer.”  The picture is a memento of a visit of the then Prince of Wales to San Diego April 7, 1920.  Erickson, then a captain in the army air service, was pinch-hitting for a member of the Union photographic staff.  With a party of prominent civic officials, army and navy officers, he boarded H.M.S. Renown outside of Pt. Loma to greet the prince.  The photographer was able to talk with him aboard the warship.  The  photograph was taken later in the stadium.  It was sent that night to the prince, who autographed and returned it.  The “P.” signifies prince, Erickson explained.

England's George V died on January 20, 1936. Edward VIII was to have been crowned as his successor but abdicated the throne in order to marry American Wallace Warfield Simpson, a divorcee previously wed to North Island Commanding Officer Earl Spencer.  Rumors persist that Edward and Wallace met at the Hotel del Coronado during his 1920 visit, but the Spencers had departed North Island in 1919

San Diego Union, February 20, 1936
ILLNESS FATAL TO WORLD WAR AIR CHIEF
The dynamic career of Brig. Gen. William Mitchell -- “stormy petrel” of the army air force -- was closed today by death.  Mitchell, frequent San Diego visitor, was affectionately known as “Billy’ to the United States airmen he commanded in the World war.  He died unexpectedly late yesterday at a New York hospital of heart disease.  The Associated Press stated that his condition, although not serious, had been weakened by influenza complications.  He was 57.  Mitchell’s book, “Winged Defense,” which contained articles he had written in 1924 in the Saturday Evening Post dealing with the development and possibilities of modern air power, contains a photograph made by Col. H. A. Erickson, San Diego’s “flying photographer.”  The picture was made from a plane and shows two army planes making the first midair refueling contact, in 1923.  Lt. Frank Siefert and Lt. Virgil Hines flew the plane carrying the fuel, while in the other plane were Lts. Lowell Smith and J. P. Richter.



City Hall, now the County Administration Building, 1600 Pacific Highway, was almost complete when this photo was taken in 1937.

San Diego Union, November 2, 1937
VETS SEE MOVIE OF AIR PROGRESS
Progress of airmail and passenger development from California to New York was illustrated graphically by two motion picture reels shown to the Hammer club yesterday through the courtesy of an airline.  The pictures contrasted the airmail and passenger planes in operation when the transcontinental service was inaugurated 10 years ago with the present day all-metal multi-motored airliners.   Various phases in the operation of the huge planes, including the functions of the ground crews and mechanical safety devices, were explained by Charles Urback, resident airlines manager.  H. A. Erickson was chairman.

San Diego Union, April 23, 1939
FLYING PHOTOGRAPHER SCORES ‘DIRECT HIT’ ON SAN DIEGO FROM PT LOMA TO BUSINESS SECTION AND HARBOR AREA
“ . . . . and right there is where I work!”  Yes, you can point to your office building, your hotel, or perhaps your apartment house in this unusual picture -- San Diego from the air.  Pt. Loma, the city stadium, Fifth ave. and Broadway, the waterfront . . . H. A. (Jimmy) Erickson, flying photographer, scored a direct “hit” on down-town San Diego when he clicked his camera shutter and “shot” this photo.  (Copyright, 1939, H. A. Erickson)

San Diego Union, July 7, 1942
Horses Banned From Beaches By Supervisors
An ordinance regulating the use of beaches in unincorporated areas of the county was adopted yesterday by the county supervisors.  Acting on the recommendation of Crowell Eddy, county assessor, the supervisors unanimously agreed to follow a policy not to permit the use of photographic negatives owned by the county to by any person except those authorized by military and naval authorities.  Eddy explained that many of these aerial negatives show strategic locations in San Diego county.  In acting on Eddy’s recommendation, the board denied permission to H. A. Erickson, local photographer, to make enlargements from certain negatives.

San Diego Union, March 10, 1944
Applicants File For Airport, Harbor Jobs
Byrl Phelps, assistant city engineer, and Reed McClure, a Burbank engineer, have filed applications with the city civil service commission for the position of assistant port director of the San Diego harbor department, the harbor commission was advised yesterday.  The commission further was advised 11 persons have filed for the position of airport manager.  The include Lynn Drebert of the harbor engineering department, acting airport manager; Gordon McKinney, chief controller of the civil aeronautics administration on Lindbergh field; L. L Bucklew, H. A. Erickson, William S. Hays, Richard M. Reed, Willard F. Hellman, W. D. Woodward, Leo K. Carlile, Frederick Fillhart and William D. Thompson.  The pay scale of airport manager is $220 to $267 a month with an emergency maximum of $275. 

San Diego Union, October 18, 1946
NOTICE is hereby given that the partnership of Erickson and Rozelle Photographers is dissolved as of Oct 16, 1946.  H. A. ERICKSON, H. W. ROZELLE

Sacramento Bee, February 26, 1962
ERICKSON -- In this city, February 26, 1962, Harry A Erickson, loving husband of Mary F. Erickson, father of James P. Erickson, and Francis Otis, also survived by six grandchildren and four great grandchildren, a native of Finland, aged 77 years.  Friends may call at LOMBARD AND COMPANY, 2930 Auburn Blvd., and are invited to attend services Wednesday at 8:30 AM, thence to St Philomenes Church where a requiem mass will be said at 9 AM.  The rosary 8 PM this (Tuesday) evening.  Interment Thursday at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, Calif.

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Jimmy Erickson, Howard Rozelle and John Fry



Howard Rozelle with his aerial camera

In 1978 I was a director of the Pacific Beach Town Council and noticed that Howard Rozelle was on the agenda for one of our monthly meetings.  I had spent a lot of time in the photo archives of the San Diego Historical Society -- then still part of Title Insurance and Trust Company -- and was familiar with his work, mostly aerial photographs of San Diego, shot on the weekends.  During the week Howard was a mechanic known as "Rosie" at Courtesy Chevrolet.  It turned out that Howard had retired from Courtesy and wanted to sell his collection of 7,000 negatives.  He hoped the town council would buy them and keep them in Pacific Beach.  The council barely had enough money to pay the $50 monthly rental, which was a gift anyhow from Vern Taylor.  Howard was disappointed, but he and I hit it off immediately and began spending time together.  He was born in 1910 (I in 1943) and introduced me to people in the San Diego Lens & Shutter Club, many of whom MADE their own cameras and ground their own lenses.  It quickly became one of those "My uncle has a barn -- let's put on a play" scenarios.  We incorporated the Pacific Beach Historical Society and had our first meeting in the old library at Ingraham and Felspar.  Howard bought slide film in bulk and began transferring his photos onto slides that were shown at our monthly meetings.  On occasion, he would mention H. A. "Jimmy" Erickson, with whom he had a brief partnership in 1946.  I gather Jimmy was difficult to work with, and something of a braggart -- "I took the first aerial photograph, Lindbergh lived with me when the Spirit of St. Louis was being built."  In working with the photo collections at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, the National Archives and the Library of Congress there was talk that the same photos had been sold by Jimmy to different institutions.  Howard passed away July 4, 1991 and the historical society had fewer and fewer people able to help put on meetings, or even attend.  As the co-founder and president in perpetuity, I publish a monthly newsletter and maintain a web presence, which is how I came to receive an email from Tom Hanson in Seattle, asking about Jimmy Erickson.  Tom was researching the ill-fated 1916 John Borden Arctic expedition and had questions about photographer H. A. "Jimmy" Erickson.  Tom's query prompted me to do a little research in the archives of the San Diego Union and the San Diego Evening Tribune.  This web page is the result.

John Fry, Pacific Beach, May 3, 2020