Rudy Arnold (1902–1966)''Animals Aloft'' /ref> was an American photographer who specialized in aviation photography.
Photography
Arnold began his career working as a photographer for the
New York American
:''Includes coverage of New York Journal-American and its predecessors New York Journal, The Journal, New York American and New York Evening Journal''
The ''New York Journal-American'' was a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1937 ...
. In the 1920s he quit the newspaper business to focus on aviation photography. He initially set up business at Curtiss Field in
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. He later moved to
Floyd Bennett Field
Floyd Bennett Field is an airfield in the Marine Park, Brooklyn, Marine Park neighborhood of southeast Brooklyn in New York City, along the shore of Jamaica Bay. The airport originally hosted commercial and general aviation traffic before bein ...
in Brooklyn, New York which became an important stopping point in transatlantic aviation in the 1930s and 1940s. The airport was unsuccessful as a commercial operation and became the home of many record breaking flights in the "Golden Era of Aviation". Arnold captured photos many of the historical aircraft and pilots of this time including
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...
and
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
. He captured the only photograph of the start of
Douglas Corrigan
Douglas Corrigan (born Clyde Groce Corrigan; January 22, 1907 – December 9, 1995) was an American aviator, nicknamed "Wrong Way" in 1938. After a transcontinental flight in July from Long Beach, California, to New York City, he then flew from ...
's "accidental" transatlantic flight.
Arnold's collection of photographs is currently held by the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.