Pilot Edward Gardner's aviation goggles

Eddie Gardner, American, 1888 - 1921 · 1918-1919

Pilot Eddie Gardner wore these airmail goggles while flying mail for the Post Office Department’s airmail service from August 1918 until April 1919. The small metal and mesh goggles can be folded up to be easily carried in a coat or jacket pocket. While flying for the Department, Gardner piloted at least three different types of aircraft, including the Curtiss JN-4H “Jenny,” the Standard JR-1, and the Curtiss R-4. Each of these biplanes had open cockpits. The Department required its pilots to fly in almost every type of weather in order to keep the mail moving on time. The airplanes’ compasses were often unreliable, so pilots often made their way navigating by visual clues on the ground--following railroad tracks, rivers, and other landmarks to find their way. Goggles such as these helped the pilots see the ground more clearly.