Captain Bowen’s Kodachromes

On December 16th, 1960 a Trans World Airlines Lockheed Super Constellation collided midair over Brooklyn with a United Airlines Douglas DC-8. The T.W.A. flight — a slow moving propeller plane — was heading from Columbus, Ohio en route to LaGuardia. The other plane, a much more advanced jetliner, was destined for Idlewild airport (JFK) with 77 passengers from Chicago. All together, the crash killed 134 people, being one of the worst air disasters at the time. It is a fascinating story that was highlighted extremely well on the NY Times City Room blog.

The coverage included additional information about T.W.A. co-pilot Dean Bowen that, as well as being a skilled aviator, he was also a talented photographer. Through his travels he used Kodachrome to document life as he saw it. One commenter even pointed readers to a Flickr set of Bowen’s images.

(via A Continuous Lean)