Airy Somethings: the Extraordinary Life of the Aviation Pioneer
Horatio Barber had business partnerships with several men during his two years in Ontario. In Cobalt, he ran a stock exchange, and in Larder Lake, he established a branch office of his Toronto brokerage, Canada Mines. In the first installment of the Co-Stars series, we featured Mr. Browne and Mr. Moore, two Cobalt men who … Continue reading Horatio Barber and his Cobalt Co-Star J.H. Hunter
While researching Horatio Claude Barber, we uncovered several interesting stories related to his associates. This is the first in a series that features the people who played a supporting role in his Canadian career as a stockbroker in Cobalt and Larder Lake. Cobalt Co-Stars Browne and Moore Barber’s company, the Cobalt Open Call Mining Exchange opened … Continue reading Horatio Barber and his Cobalt Co-Stars Browne and Moore
Barber’s Open Call Mining Exchange was in the heart of Cobalt’s commercial district, “The Square.” All were welcome to join, as long as they could afford the $50 membership fee. The building was located on Argentite Street, opposite to where the Golden Age Club is located today. By the end of 1906, Barber had moved … Continue reading Wildcat
It is possible that the image from the March 1909 edition of Punch was on Barber’s mind when he wrote Airy Nothings, a small book of six chapters and a poem. Horatio penned the curious volume while he was on a fortnight’s leave in Torquay. Most of the chapters are lightly disguised accounts of his … Continue reading Why Airy Somethings?
In this case, “F” is for “Fraudster.” Horatio Barber was a stock promoter in Cobalt in 1906 and then in 1907, he shifted his focus to Larder Lake. There he and his associates promoted the Larder Lake Proprietary Gold Fields Mine. First order of business was organizing a company. Directors of a mining company, especially … Continue reading The “F” Word
Barber created quite the stir when he unveiled his Valkyrie “canard” style aeroplane. Dennis Simanaitis has written a two part article about Horatio Barber’s Valkyrie. – this link take you to part 2
YESTERDAY, WE HAD Horatio Barber’s Valkyrie demonstrating its short take-off capability by charging directly at admiring crowds. Today in Part 2, the Valkyrie continues to entertain, becomes the world’s first air transport (of sorts), and provides me with a fine GMax project.
On the Valkyrie’s Crowd-Pleasing. Kenneth Munson wrote in his Pioneer Aircraft 1903-1914 – The Pocket Encyclopaedia of World Aircraft in Color,
“On 4 July 1911, Barber created a little piece of history by flying from Shoreham to Hove with the first item of freight ever sent by air: a carton of Osram electric light bulbs. He donated the £100 that he received to the Royal Aero Club….”
Barber Heritage. Despite these successes, by April 1912 Barber considered the syndicate a commercial failure and sold its assets to…
View original post 284 more words
When conducting historical research it's always a treat to uncover connections to famous people. Of course, one must tread with caution before stating absolutely that Horatio Barber had ties to inventor Thomas Alva Edison and the WWI Ace known as The Red Baron and the early 18th century pirate Stede Bonnet. In Airy Somethings, our … Continue reading Name Dropping
Horatio Barber enjoyed celebrity as an aviation pioneer in the early 1910s. He joined the ranks of other wealthy British flyers and he considered his work a “hobby”. He announced his retirement from aviation in 1912 explaining that it was too expensive to build a new plane every two to three months. In 1964, in … Continue reading Straighten up and Fly Right
Horatio Barber was an excellent self-promoter. Due to the nature of the man and the nature of his businesses, his name was often in the news. While he worked as a stockbroker in Canada, he submitted media releases and large, wordy advertisements to the newspapers around the world. Later, while involved in aviation in the … Continue reading Horatio Barber is back in Headline News!
My advance copy of Airy Somethings has arrived! The proof reading is underway and I am up to Chapter 2 titled, "1893 to 1897: Barber in Australia. Travels, Adventures and a Taste for Gold." After I brightened the image of an Open Call at Hannan’s, I recalled the question that set our research project into … Continue reading What is an Open Call Exchange?
Horatio Claude Barber 