Van Gogh and America’s First Patented Helicopter
A huge easel holds a reproduction of van Gogh’s “ Three Sunflowers in a Vase,” painted by Cameron Cross in 1996.
Huge easel with reproduction of van Gogh’s “Three Sunflowers in a Vase”
The 24 by 32 ft painting on the 80 ft tall steel easel, weighing 40,000 lbs, can be seen from Interstate 70 half a mile away. Near the easel and painting, the High Plains Museum displays a replica of America’s first patented helicopter, designed by William J. Purvis and Charles A. Wilson in 1909. It has two 7 hp gasoline engines driving two counter rotating blades.
Replica of helicopter designed by Purvis and Williams in 1909
Where can you see all this? In Goodland, in the northwestern corner of Kansas. Why did we fly to Goodland? We will come to that in a moment. First, the stories of the painting and helicopter. Cameron Cross originally intended to paint giant replicas of seven van Gogh sunflower paintings. Two paintings in Altona, Canada and Emerald, Australia have been finish