Augustus Post

Born in Brooklyn in 1873, Augustus Thomas Post Jr. became known as one of the great enthusiasts of early transportation. He studied at Amherst College and Harvard Law School, then threw himself into the new worlds of motoring and flight rather than settling into a conventional career. He was involved in the movement that led to the American Automobile Association and later helped found the Aero Club of America.

Post was not just an organizer but a participant. He raced and toured in early automobiles, took up ballooning around 1900, and became one of the first Americans to fly after the Wright brothers opened the way. Over the years he built a public reputation as a lecturer, editor, and promoter of aviation, sharing the excitement of new technology with audiences who were watching the modern age arrive in real time.

He was also a writer with unusually broad interests: part travel enthusiast, part aviation witness, part performer. Accounts of his life describe him not only as an automotive and aviation pioneer, but also as a musician, actor, and lecturer. He died in 1952, leaving behind the portrait of a restless, curious figure who seemed eager to try every new form of movement the century had to offer.