Munsey's Magazine, October 1910

# Munsey's Magazine, October 1910

"The Bird Men" by Isaac F. Marcosson surveys the pioneer aviators of 1910. The article profiles the characteristics shared among fliers including Wilbur and Orville Wright, Glenn Curtiss, Charles K. Hamilton, and Walter Brookins—noting their birdlike facial features, taciturn manner, caution, and what Wright termed "the feel of the air," an intuitive sensitivity to atmospheric conditions.

The piece recounts their rapid rises to fame: Curtiss's victory at Rheims, Hamilton's New York-to-Philadelphia flight, and Brookins's altitude record of 6,200 feet. The Wrights receive extended treatment, described as secretive inventors who emerged from years of struggle in their Dayton bicycle shop. The article emphasizes their teamwork and rigorous debate, illustrating with anecdotes their wit and unwavering commitment to precision—notably their refusal to fly for President Taft when wind conditions were unfavorable, despite the $25,000 government contract at stake. Accompanying photographs feature the aviators and their machines.