Title: Richard Virgil Grace
Dates: ca. 1910-1945
Collection Number: 00120
Quantity: 300 items
Abstract: This collection consists primarily of photographs from Grace's professional life. Images include scenes from various movies and his aircrafts crashes, Grace's promotional car crash, and images of Grace acting in films. The collection also includes photographs from Grace's time in Europe serving in WWI, as well as photos with friends and family at home and abroad.
Provenance: The collection was donated to the SHSND by Cyril Grace on November 4, 1972.
Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyrights: Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Related Collection:
10109 Richard V. Grace
Biographical Sketch
Richard Virgil Grace was born on January 10, 1898, in Morris, Minnesota. As a young boy Grace moved to the Mohall, North Dakota area with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Grace, and his two brothers, Alonzo and Cyril. It was during those years immediately after the turn of the century that the young Grace saw his first airplane at a county fair. Enthralled with the flimsy aircraft, Grace decided then and there that aviation would be his life's work. It was a promise that he kept with a vengeance.
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, after years of self-imposed isolation, Grace got his opportunity to fly in the fledgling air force of his country. Lt. Grace quickly advanced as a fighter and bomber pilot. In 1918, the 20 year old pilot flew over the German island fortress of Helgoland and dropped three one hundred pound bombs from his Navy aircraft. His daring and skill won him fame and, unfortunately, a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in the line of duty. His experience over France, Belgium, and Germany proved to be beneficial upon his return to the United States and civilian life. During the 1920s and 1930s, Richard Grace was an unmatched stunt man and crash pilot for Hollywood during the movie industry's "Golden Age." Walking on the wings of aircraft in flight, jumping from one plane to another, or crashing into the ground at between 90 and 110 mph was all in a day's work for Grace. During one stunt on a plane's wing, Grace's clothes were torn from his body by the winds produced by the 100 mph air speed. Grace completed the scene naked and gave his producers some fabulous - but unusable - film footage. He is perhaps best known for his forty-seven crash landings for various movies between 1927 and 1940. During that time, he broke 81 bones and suffered countless bruises and cuts. Grace was the leader of a nine-man stunt pilot group known as the "Squadron of Death." By the beginning of World War II, Grace alone survived the many crashes. A prolific writer, this courageous pilot authored many articles and books dealing with his own experiences as well as fictionalized stories about flying. For Grace, however, the advent of World War II was another opportunity to fly military aircraft in an open conflict with the Luftwaffe. Despite his age, 46, the barn-storming stunt flyer was given an active commission as captain in the United States Army Air Corps.
As a pilot of one of the legendary B-17 "Flying Fortress," Grace was sent to England to join the U.S. Eighth Air Force (Army Air Corps) in daytime raids on Nazi Germany. By 1944, Captain Grace made regular bombing runs over the Third Reich; in the process, he received another wound and subsequently received his second Purple Heart. In 1945, at the war's end, Grace was the oldest pilot in the service. He earned the nickname "Lucky" from the younger pilots for both his prewar and war experiences. With the end of hostilities after the surrender of Germany and Japan, Grace returned home to his wife Christine, whom he had married in 1938.
The life of Captain, later Major, Grace was one filled with excitement and action. Since he first saw an airplane in flight as a boy, to his death-defying antics as stunt pilot, Grace pushed his profession to its limits and beyond. A prolific writer, the aviator put to paper his experiences as a fighter in both war and peacetime. His success in publishing his stories mirrored his career in the cockpit. Major Richard V. Grace died in June, 1965, at the age of 67. His wife Christine died in 1955; they had no children. Grace was survived by two brothers, Dr. Alonzo Grace of the University of Illinois, and Dr. Cyril Grace of Northwestern State College of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Dr. Grace was a former president of Mayville State College, Mayville, North Dakota.
Sources:
Fargo Forum, June 26, 1965, page 8
Richard V. Grace Papers
Photographs Inventory
00001 Richard Grace in uniform ca. 1915
00002 Richard Grace holding a cigarette ca. 1915
00003 Richard Grace in front of a house ca. 1915
00004 Man with hands on hips ca. 1915
00005 Two men in uniform on a ship ca. 1915
00006 People on fantail of ship ca. 1915
00007 Man in uniform in front of bamboo ca. 1915
00008 Man in front of large building ca. 1915
00009 Man in uniform in front of house ca. 1915
00010 Man and woman in front of large building ca. 1915
00011 Man in uniform in rigging of ship ca. 1915
00012 Man in pea coat on deck of ship ca. 1915
00013 Man in uniform on deck of ship ca. 1915
00014 Triple exposure of woman ca. 1915
00015 Five men leaning on a boat ca. 1915
00016 Man and woman against a railing ca. 1915
00017 Two men crouching in front of bamboo ca. 1915
00018 Two men in front of biplane ca. 1915
00019 Bridge of steamship underway ca. 1915
00020 Palm tree lined street of Los Angeles, CA ca. 1915
00021 Man and woman on a sidewalk ca. 1915
00022 Richard Grace signing a copy of his book, Visibility Unlimited ca. 1915
00023 Man in front of a biplane ca. 1915
00024 Richard Grace and another man posing ca. 1915
00025 Richard Grace in aviator clothing ca. 1915
00026 Richard Grace in front of a plane ca. 1915
00027 Man in uniform and another man in front of farming equipment ca. 1915
00028 Man in aviator clothing in front of a small office ca. 1915
00029 Man leaning out from roof of tall building ca. 1915
00030 Two men with a movie camera ca. 1915
00031 Main in front of an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00032 Richard Grace and two other men in front of a helicopter ca. 1915
00033 Group of men in front of a helicopter ca. 1915
00034 Upside down biplane ca. 1915
00035 Richard Grace talking with another man ca. 1915
00036 Richard Grace holding a puppy ca. 1915
00037 Man behind a fence ca. 1915
00038 Autographed photo of Richard Grace wearing flying helmet ca. 1915
00039 Man driving an oxcart in front of a biplane ca. 1915
00040 Uniformed man in front of an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00041 Man lifting railroad wheels ca. 1915
00042 Aerial view of amphibious aircraft base ca. 1915
00043 View from a cockpit ca. 1915
00044 Group of uniformed men in front of an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00045 Uniformed man with four women ca. 1915
00046 Uniformed man with three women ca. 1915
00047 Uniformed man with two women ca. 1915
00048 Uniformed man with woman ca. 1915
00049 Uniformed man with four women who are saluting ca. 1915
00050 Man with arms around a porch post ca. 1915
00051 Man petting a dog ca. 1915
00052 Man in naval uniform with two other men ca. 1915
00053 Woman looking up ca. 1915
00054 Man in chair with a book ca. 1915
00055 Man and a woman outdoors ca. 1915
00056 Man in chair reading a newspaper ca. 1915
00057 Man in naval uniform with two other men ca. 1915
00058 Richard Grace in aviator clothing with another man ca. 1915
00059 Men in uniform on an airboat ca. 1915
00060 Crowd of people round a biplane ca. 1915
00061 Flying biplane ca. 1915
00062 Man in naval uniform ca. 1915
00063 Man in uniform on deck of ship ca. 1915
00064 Biplane over a field, "My field, Federated Fliers, Minneapolis, MN" ca. 1915
00065 Biplane on the ground ca. 1915
00066 Four men sitting on a crate ca. 1915
00067 People standing around a car ca. 1915
00068 Biplane on the ground ca. 1915
00069 Airplane in flight ca. 1915
00070 Griswold in uniform ca. 1915
00071 Men in uniform behind a biplane with a bucking mule on it ca. 1915
00072 Men standing on a boardwalk ca. 1915
00073 Man standing in front of an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00074 Men in uniform at an airbase ca. 1915
00075 Men in uniform in front of an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00076 Two men in a garden ca. 1915
00077 Man in cloak with a bayonet on a rifle ca. 1915
00078 Man in a cockpit ca. 1915
00079 Large group of men in various uniforms posing ca. 1915
00080 - 00081 Men in uniform in a garden ca. 1915
00082 Men in uniform posing in front of a wooden building ca. 1915
00083 Men posing outdoors ca. 1915
00084 Aerial photo of European city ca. 1915
00085 Captured German blimp ca. 1915
00086 European seaside city ca. 1915
00087 Seaplane plying next to another plane ca. 1915
00088 Biplanes on display ca. 1915
00089 Photo from roof of European church ca. 1915
00090 St. Christina church ca. 1915
00091 – 00094 European city ca. 1915
00095 Flying biplane ca. 1915
00096 Sailing ship ca. 1915
00097 Boat ca. 1915
00098 Man in uniform holding a box ca. 1915
00099 - 00100 Man in uniform in a ventilation funnel ca. 1915
00101 – 00102 Zeppelin ca. 1915
00103 Biplane in target sights ca. 1915
00104 Four men in uniform on ruins ca. 1915
00105 Men in uniform in a car ca. 1915
00106 Richard Grace standing next to one of Caesar's roads ca. 1915
00107 – 00108 Aerial view of a coastline ca. 1915
00109 Soldiers outside of a café ca. 1915
00110 Zeppelin ca. 1915
00111 Soldier standing under an arch ca. 1915
00112 Bombed city ca. 1915
00113 Two soldiers at the Colosseum ca. 1915
00114 Soldiers sitting on a bridge ca. 1915
00115 Tree lined road ca. 1915
00116 European city ca. 1915
00117 Road in Rome ca. 1915
00118 Soldier standing in rocks ca. 1915
00119 View from a biplane cockpit ca. 1915
00120 European city ca. 1915
00121 City as seen from a biplane cockpit ca. 1915
00122 Biplane surrounded by men ca. 1915
00123 Steamship under way ca. 1915
00124 European city ca. 1915
00125 Aerial view of a city ca. 1915
00126 Coastline ca. 1915
00127 Bartender polishing glasses ca. 1915
00128 Women doing laundry ca. 1915
00129 Two men and a child on a street corner ca. 1915
00130 Aerial view of a city ca. 1915
00131 Trees and houses in the distance ca. 1915
00132 Soldier sitting on a bridge ca. 1915
00133 Railyard near Rome ca. 1915
00134 Roofs in a European city ca. 1915
00135 Small building overlooking the ocean ca. 1915
00136 Oceanside cliff ca. 1915
00137 St. Christina church interior ca. 1915
00138 Orvieto Cathedral exterior ca. 1915
00139 Aerial view of European farms ca. 1915
00140 Boats at anchor in seaside town ca. 1915
00141 View of city from above ca. 1915
00142 Aerial view of European city ca. 1915
00143 Amphibious aircraft under way ca. 1915
00144 Amphibious aircraft in a hanger ca. 1915
00145 Amphibious aircraft sunk at dock ca. 1915
00146 Amphibious aircraft in flight ca. 1915
00147 Amphibious aircraft in a hanger with group of men outside ca. 1915
00148 Amphibious aircraft taxiing to dock ca. 1915
00149 Amphibious aircraft afloat ca. 1915
00150 Amphibious aircraft being pushed out by man ca. 1915
00151 – 00152 Amphibious aircraft in flight ca. 1915
00152 Amphibious aircraft in flight ca. 1915
00153 Amphibious aircraft in hanger with group of men outside ca. 1915
00154 Amphibious aircraft crashed on the beach ca. 1915
00155 Amphibious aircraft just above the waves ca. 1915
00156 Amphibious aircraft with two men posing alongside ca. 1915
00157 Amphibious aircraft and hangers ca. 1915
00158 Amphibious aircrafts pulled up on the beach ca. 1915
00159 Amphibious aircraft with a man standing on a float ca. 1915
00160 Amphibious aircraft with man leaning against it ca. 1915
00161 Amphibious aircraft and hangers ca. 1915
00162 Amphibious aircraft taking off ca. 1915
00163 Amphibious aircraft on the beach ca. 1915
00164 Amphibious aircraft in flight ca. 1915
00165 Amphibious aircraft wreck with two men standing with it ca. 1915
00166 Two aircraft in flight ca. 1940
00167 Several aircraft in flight ca. 1940
00168 Richard Grace next to an airplane ca. 1940
00169 Man with a broom next to an airplane ca. 1940
00170 Aircraft in flight ca. 1940
00171 Richard Grace standing on a biplanes upper wing ca. 1920
00172 Richard Grace hanging underneath a biplane in flight ca. 1920
00173 Richard Grace standing on a biplanes upper wing ca. 1920
00174 Richard Grace in front of a wrecked airplane ca. 1920
00175 Wrecked airplane ca. 1920
00176 Aircraft crashing into the ground ca. 1920
00177 Man in front of a wrecked biplane ca. 1920
00178 Men standing around a wrecked biplane ca. 1920
00179 Wrecked airplane ca. 1920
00180 Men standing around a wrecked biplane ca. 1920
00181 Richard Grace's wrecked plane in Hawaii ca. 1920
00182 Airplane wreck on a movie set ca. 1920
00183 Soldier with rifle in front of wrecked aircraft ca. 1920
00184 Soldiers with a wrecked biplane ca. 1920
00185 Amphibious aircraft sunk on the beach ca. 1920
00186 Richard Grace's wrecked plane in Hawaii ca. 1920
00187 Airplane crashing into a barn ca. 1920
00188 Richard Grace's wrecked plane in Hawaii ca. 1920
00189 Four men standing in front of a biplane ca. 1915
00190 Man watching a flying biplane ca. 1915
00191 Four men in uniform, "The Beautiful and the Damned" ca. 1915
00192 – 00193 Amphibious aircraft base from the air ca. 1915
00194 Ruins ca. 1915
00195 Small island with ruins on it ca. 1915
00196 Soldier sitting on a floatplane ca. 1915
00197 Funeral in Italy ca. 1915
00198 Group of mechanics posing with an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00199 Two pilots in an amphibious aircraft ca. 1915
00200 Three women in bathing suits ca. 1915
00201 Man in suit standing in bushes ca. 1915
00202 Stunt in a biplane ca. 1915
00203 Actors in a biplane Richard Grace crashed for movie "Wings" ca. 1915
00204 Biplanes flying over mountains for the movie "Wings" ca. 1915
00205 Two biplanes flying above the clouds ca. 1915
00206 Biplane flying above a field ca. 1915
00207 Richard Grace in a flight suit posing in front of an airplane ca. 1940
00208 Amphibious aircraft crashed on the beach ca. 1915
00209 – 00210 Richard Grace wearing neck brace after wreck in "Wings" ca. 1927
00211 – 00212 Richard Grace portrait ca. 1935
00213 – 00217 Richard Grace portrait 1939
00218 Richard Grace portrait ca. 1930
00219 – 00220 Richard Grace portrait ca. 1920
00221 Richard Grace portrait in front of car crash wall ca. 1920
00222 Richard Grace portrait holding large light bulb ca. 1920
00223 – 00225 Richard Grace portrait ca. 1920
00226 Richard Grace holding an object on set of "Wings" ca. 1920
00227 Richard Grace sitting on railing ca. 1920
00228 Richard Grace in airplane with movie camera ca. 1920
00229 Richard Grace with four other actors ca. 1920
00230 Richard Grace on set standing on a shelf about to be hit by a chair ca. 1920
00231 Richard Grace with three other men next to a wrecked airplane ca. 1920
00232 Richard Grace on a movie set with a man and a woman and some airplane parts ca. 1920
00233 Richard Grace in a promotional photo for "The Flying Fool" ca. 1926
00234 Richard Grace and Bill Wellman next to an airplane ca. 1920
00235 Richard Grace and three men next to an airplane ca. 1920
00236 Richard Grace speaking with Buddy Rogers who is in an airplane ca. 1920
00237 Richard Grace, Leo Nomis, E. H. Robinson, Frank Clark, Paul Lukas, and William A. Wellman around an airplane ca. 1920
00238 Richard Grace on set with two other men ca. 1920
00239 Richard Grace on set of "Lilac Time" with Earnest Hillaird and Grace Sarmond ca. 1928
00240 Richard Grace on set with an a man and woman crouching on the ground ca. 1920
00241 Richard Grace on set holding two men apart ca. 1920
00242 Richard Grace on set putting on his coat with a man pointing at his face ca. 1920
00243 Contrails of a bomber squadron ca. 1940
00244 Royal Air Force squadron, every member has shot down at least three enemy airplanes May 1918
00245 Four images of biplanes and men standing near them ca. 1918
00246 Woman with "Mother" written below the image and a series of place names and dates surrounding 1918
00247 European city ca. 1918
00248 Three biplane dogfight scene from "Lilac Time" ca. 1928
00249 Unused number
00250 Bomber going down in flames ca. 1940
00251 Bomber with smoke trail behind it ca. 1940
00252 Drawing of man leaping from one flying airplane to another ca. 1920
00253 Man hanging underneath a flying biplane ca. 1920
00254 Man hanging underneath a flying biplane ca. 1920
00255 Richard Grace on top of a flying biplane's wing ca. 1920
00256 Close up photo of a crashing biplane ca. 1920
00257 Crowd admiring a crashed airplane ca. 1920
00258 Soldiers with a wrecked biplane ca. 1920
00259 Crashed biplane in a field ca. 1920
00260 Biplane hitting the ground ca. 1920
00261 Crashed biplane in a field ca. 1920
00262 Two men in a crashed biplane ca. 1920
00263 Man and woman draped over a crashed biplane ca. 1920
00264 Airplane hitting the ground ca. 1930
00265 Biplane flying over a crashed airplane ca. 1930
00266 Movie set of soldiers on a crashed airplane in a village ca. 1930
00267 Airplane crashing into a creek ca. 1930
00268 Biplane crashing into the ground ca. 1930
00269 Crashed biplane in a field ca. 1930
00270 Richard Grace sitting in front of a crashed airplane with several other men ca. 1930
00271 Richard Grace and another man in front of a crashed biplane ca. 1930
00272 – 00273 "Wings" movie set of soldiers charging with biplanes flying over them ca. 1927
00274 "Wings" movie set of soldiers and trenches ca. 1927
00275 Men digging trenches for "Wings" ca. 1927
00276 Biplanes at a small field airport ca. 1927
00277 Soldiers pointing guns at cameramen on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00278 Trucks rolling out of a small town on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00279 French biplane taking off for German lines ca. 1915
00280 Troops with trucks on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00281 Crashed biplane on a movie set ca. 1927
00282 Battle scene on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00283 Buildings used on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00284 – 00285 Trenches on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00286 Blimp used for shooting on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00287 Trench construction on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00288 Biplane on set of "Young Eagles" ca. 1930
00289 "The Lost Squadron" movie set ca. 1932
00290 – 00291 Battle scene on set of "Wings" ca. 1927
00292 Richard Grace pointing to tire after General Tire Test crash 5/1930
00293 Richard Grace and another man with car used for General Tire Test crash 5/1930
00294 Richard Grace and camera crew assembled for General Tire Test crash 5/1930
00295 Richard Grace preparing for General Tire Test crash 5/1930
00296 Moment car impacted wall during the General Tire Test crash 5/1930
00297 – 00298 Dornier Do 335 Pfeil Number 105 ca. 1945
00299 Richard Grace and a Lieutenant Colonel in front of a bomber 3/27/1945
00300 Richard Grace looking out of a bomber window 4/15/1945
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