B-17 used for aerial photography. This was the last operational B-17- dubbed "Old Rotten Wings" by aircraft crew. Flown by Coast Guard crew with C&GS navigator and cameraman

Photographer Byron Hale dressed in flight gear. Oxygen mask in use as operating at 24,000 feet. Temperatures commonly approached -30 Celsius in camera compartment

Photographer Byron Hale with a roll of nine lens camera film.

The cratered face of Semispochnoi, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Semispochnoi just west of Longitude 180. In Russian Semispochnoi means "The Island of Seven Volcanoes"

One of the hazards of heavy aircraft on remote airstrips. The B-17 was a little too heavy for this airstrip

One of the hazards of heavy aircraft on remote airstrips. The B-17 was a little too heavy for this airstrip

Aerial view of Turnagain Arms, Alaska after 1963 Good Friday Earthquake. NOAA photo aircraft often help evaluate disaster damage

NOAA photo crews help ground-truth disaster damage at Turnagain Arm. Damage caused by 1963 Good Friday Earthquake

Tsunami damage at Kodiak. Fishing boats washed into town

NOAA aerial photography of damage caused by Hurricane Camille. Camille was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever strike the United States

NOAA photo crews help ground-truth disaster damage following Hurricane Camille. 20-foot storm surge left many vessels high and dry

NOAA aerial photography of damage caused by Hurricane Celia. Airport hangar destroyed and aircraft strewn about

The shrimp fleet blown aground. Damage in the wake of Hurricane Celia

Air photo mission and Launch 1255 engaged in Boston Harbor Current Study.

BC-8 aerial mapping camera. Used in the 1960's and 1970's

Modern aerial photographic equipment mounted in NOAA jet aircraft.

NOAA jet outfitted for photogrammetric missions.

Portion of photo panel to control aerial photography. These panels served to locate control points in aerial photographs

Photo panel installation north of Tuxedni Bay. These panels served to locate control points in aerial photographs

Placing photo panel for aerial photography. These panels served to locate control points in aerial photographs

Helicopter view of photo panel in Kalgin Island area. These panels served to locate control points in aerial photographs

Photogrammetrist compiling chart from aerial photographs.

Photogrammetric compilation equipment.

Rectifying camera used to make one negative from composite nine-lens photographs .

Zeiss stereoplanigraph Model C-50. A first order bridging and compilation instrument.

Photogrammetry - chart compilation office.

Photogrammetry - chart compilation office.

Photogrammetry - field data verification office.

Aerial photograph of Lake Union, Seattle. NOAA ship base in lower center of photograph.

T-Sheet with editorial comments constructed from aerial photography. Field work in vicinity of NOAA Seattle ship base on Lake Union.

Field checking aerial photographs. Identifying rocks, looking for man-made changes since photography, etc.

View from sea of Santa Barbara and mountains to north. Sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-289.

View of Point Conception looking to southeast. Sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-289.

View of San Pedro Harbor with ACTIVE and EWING. Original sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-289.

Survey H-289 with all views included on survey sheet. Sketches by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-289.

Survey H-290 from Point Conception to San Francisco. Sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-290.

View of Point Arguello. Sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-290.

View of Point Conception. Sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-290.

View of Cuyler's Harbor with ACTIVE at anchor. Sketch by William B. McMurtrie accompanying Survey H-309.

Views of Cuyler's Harbor. Sketch accompanying Survey H-2211.

The Coast Survey Plate by James McNeill Whistler. This plate was a practice copper plate engraving by Whistler.

Whistler's Anacapa Island engraving from a William B. McMurtrie sketch. The seagulls were added to give life to an otherwise sterile landscape.

South Farallon Islands as sketched by Army Captain William P. Trowbridge. Trowbridge was the West Coast tides party chief. He later worked for the Coast Survey in a civilian capacity

Coast Survey engraving of the Hudson River near West Point.

Sketch from Harper's copied from Coast Survey chart of the West Coast.

Chart of the United States West Coast from San Francisco to San Diego.

Section of West Coast chart centered on Monterey Bay.

Portland Harbor, Maine. Topographic survey Assistant Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, 1854-1858. Literally thousands of individual houses were delineated on this survey. Assistant Longfellow was the brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Topographic Survey T-735

South shore of Cape Ann by Henry L. Whiting. Topographic survey by Henry L. Whiting, 1850. Topographic Survey T-304

Map of Salem Harbor including the city and islands. Topographic survey by Assistant Henry L. Whiting, 1849-1850. Topographic survey T-303