Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Southern, Neta Snook (1896-1991) [Papers of Neta Snook Southern]

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07243.004 Author/Creator: Southern, Neta Snook (1896-1991) Place Written: [various places] Type: Header Record Date: 1916-1982 Pagination: various Order a Copy

The earlier papers include a newspaper clipping advertising Snook's flight instruction and a short note most likely written by Neta Snook to her mother. There is correspondence regarding Snook's publication, photocopies of letters written by Amelia Earhart to various recipients, and correspondence from Lloyd Royer, a fellow pilot and friend of Snook's. In addition to the correspondence, the archive includes Snook's membership card to the Experimental Aircraft Association and a number of magazine and newspaper clippings regarding Snook, Earhart, and John Montijo.

Anita (Neta) Snook Southern was Amelia Earhart's flight instructor from 1920 to about 1922. She began flying in 1917 and attended the Curtiss School of Aviation in New Port News, Va in 1918. After the school closed due to flying restrictions during WW I, Snook moved West to Southern California where she worked as a flight instructor and taught Amelia Earhart.

Southern, Neta Snook, 1896-1991
Royer, Lloyd, fl. 1920-1970
Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937
Montijo, John G., 1891-1929

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources