Aviator Glenn Curtiss and his wife Lena with a Curtiss biplane at Dominguez Field, 1909

Photograph of aviator Glenn Curtiss, the first man to fly an airplane west of the Rockies, and his wife Lena with a Curtiss biplane at Dominguez Field, 1909. Lena is sitting at the controls of the aircraft at center and is holding the steering wheel while looking to the right. She is wearing a long dress and a large dark hat. Her husband is standing on the ground slightly left of center and is holding on to the frame of the airplane. He is wearing a dark suit and a dark cap and has a thick mustache. The canvas covered wooden wings of the aircraft are behind the couple, and the plane's engine is mounted between the wings.