Victor Wilfred Pagé

Born in 1885, Victor Wilfred Pagé built a reputation as a practical explainer of new technology. He wrote extensively on automotive and aeronautical subjects, and his books were aimed at working readers who wanted usable guidance rather than theory alone. Surviving records of his publications show a long run of manuals and treatises on cars, motorcycles, tractors, and airplanes.

Pagé was also active in early aviation. The Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame says he graduated from Classical High School in Providence in 1904, published an aviation book by 1909, and established New England's first airplane manufacturing facility in Providence later that year. The same source credits him with designing and building an early aluminum propeller and helping form the Rhode Island Aeronautical Society in 1911.

During World War I, he served as a commissioned aeronautical engineering officer in France, and his 1918 book Aviation Engines reflects that deep technical experience. He remained a prolific contributor on motor vehicles as well, with articles for Scientific American and many widely circulated repair manuals. He died in 1947.