Formal Signed Portrait of Early Bird BECKWITH HAVENS - circa 1918

Large b&w gloss portrait, 8x10", signed boldly in the "dark" portion of the uniform, "Beckwith Havens".  Havens began his aviation career as a salesman for Curtiss Aeroplane Company in 1910; in 1911 Glenn Curtiss personally taught Havens to fly.  Later that same year Havens flew with the Curtiss Exhibition Team.  Havens and J.B.R. Verplanck won the 1913 Great Lakes Reliability Cruise, flying 885 miles around the shore of Michigan.  This portrait is from WWI where Havens was a test pilot at Hampton Roads.  Between 1918 and 1940, he was associated with a number of companies such as the Airship Mfg. Co., Loening, Fairchild, etc.  In WWII he rejoined the navy and commanded the naval air base at San Julian, Cuba.  He was president of the Early Birds in 1941.  Photo condition is excellent.