This photo is of the U.S. Army balloon in the National Balloon Race which was held April 23, 1924. According to news reports more than 100,000 people attended this event at San Antonio. The Goodyear balloon was the winner. It was piloted by W. T. Van Norman and his aide, C. K. Woolam, landed near Rochester, Minn., over 1,100 miles from the starting point. This was a qualifying race for the right to attend the Gordon Bennett Cup international race held in Belgium. The U. S. Army balloon took third place. James Clark Hughes was born in Topeka, Kansas, in 1888, and served in the Mexican Border Conflict, World War I, and World War II. He used an autographic camera to take pictures of friends, family, and places in the United States and Europe during and just after World War I. A full biography of James Clark Hughes is available at the link below to Kansapedia.

Creator: Hughes, James Clark, 1888-1964
Date: April 23, 1924