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Eugene Jacques Bullard

Object Details

Physical Description
Bust of Bullard wearing aviator's cap, goggles and scarf.
Summary
A bronze bust by African American artist Eddie Dixon (born in 1950) commemorates Eugene Jacques Bullard (1895-1961), the first and only African American combat pilot in World War I. The stoic facial expression illustrates the courage and perseverance Bullard exuded both in the air and on the ground. A leather helmet, goggles, and layered clothing shows early flying attire worn by pilots. Flying gear like these offered limited protection in extreme weather conditions, flight altitudes, and enemy gunfire. Born in Columbus, Georgia, the realities of racial violence inspired Bullard to leave home at a young age to seek out a better life. He felt less racism in France, and Bullard subsequently flew for the French instead of the United States military. During his lifetime, Bullard was a celebrated war hero in France and received fifteen decorations by the French government. In the United States, his achievements were largely unknown or ignored. Posthumously, the U.S. Air Force recognized Bullard’s valiancy in combat with a commissioned rank of second lieutenant in 1994.
Carolyn Russo
Please see article on Eugene Bullard here: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/eugene-j-bullard by Dominick Pisano
Date
1990
Artist
Eddie Dixon
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Credit Line
Gift of McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Inventory Number
A19920064000
Type
ART-Sculpture
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Medium
Sculpture, Bust, Eugene Bullard, Lafayette Flying Corps
Dimensions
3-D (overall): 24.8 × 19 × 54.6cm, 14.5kg (9 3/4 in. × 7 1/2 in. × 1 ft. 9 1/2 in., 32lb.)
3-D (Base): 17.8 × 17.8cm (7 × 7 in.)
Record ID
nasm_A19920064000
Metadata Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv90d19cdab-f0eb-47a1-9d34-dc12e484c7c1

Related Object Groups

  • 4 images in a grid

    Race, Policy, and Ethics

Thanks to Verizon for support of this Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past project.
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
Thanks to Verizon for support of this Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past project.
These files consist of 3D scans of historical objects in the collections of the Smithsonian and may be downloaded by you only for non-commercial, educational, and personal uses subject to this disclaimer (https://3d.si.edu/disclaimer) and in accordance with the Terms of Use (https://3d.si.edu/termsofuse).
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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