Donor's Family Lays Claim To Museum's Wright Airplane

News Discussion
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The family of a notorious early 20th Century bon vivant draft dodger are laying claim to a priceless Wright Model B airplane that has been at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute for most of the last century. According to the New York Times, the descendents of Grover Bergdoll say the museum's account of how it came into the lofty piece of American history doesn't add up and they've concluded, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that their fast-living dear old dad couldn't have actually given the Franklin the plane in 1933. Now they want it back.

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/donors-family-lays-claim-to-museums-wright-airplane
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I believe “Greed” has reared up it’s ugly head. Just grant it to the museum and go home and be happy, it has been taken care of for the last 80 years and displayed for the public to see and appreciate. Grandpappy’s legacy will be better for it.

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I should have finished collage. I had to look up “bon vivant” and “scofflaw” on my PC dictionary :laughing: Good article Russ!

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It is spelled ‘colege’.

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See what I mean? I should have finished! (Its actually college).

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We should al bee collagen edjudicated!

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I know the correct spelling of ‘college’ is ‘college’. What I meant is that the correct incorrect spelling is ‘colege’. I hope that clarifies.

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Thanks for the clarification, although some of us got it.

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Museum might charge storage costs for the time they’ve had it.

The jurisdiction may have laws covering abandoned property.
(I vaguely recall there are for marine, internationally. There are where I live for things effectively abandoned such as in storage facilities and on side of road, costs add up, property may be auctioned, original owner may get anything over costs total.

Sounds like lawyer fodder. :-o)

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I think that there’s a decent chance (60-40) that Grover Bergdoll’s descendants could get the plane back, which might be worth $5–$10 million. The museum can’t prove it was donated, and Bergdoll likely couldn’t have given it away while hiding in Germany.

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My Dad always said possession is 9/10ths of the law

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Or the federal government still owns it and can give it to the museum.

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Excellent point since the article says the US government seized the owner’s assets when he moved to Germany.

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I agree with the general thread here. Don’t be grubbing money and leave the plane where it has been and taken care of all this time. Something like this aircraft, when You start to move it and remove it from its controlled environment, it will fall apart in your hands and You will have a pile of wood and fabric, not worth scrap.

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Katharina says US government seized the airplane when her father ran off to Germany. So her beef is properly with the US government?
How did the museum physically get custody of the airplane?

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Eye have two larf at vis kinda subjekt , personally eyd role it owt dores and catchit on lite , it ownly would ,string an paper stuff init . Know more fun berning

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