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Jorge Alejandro Newbery Malagarie (27 May 1875 – 1 March 1914) was an Argentine aviator, civil servant, engineer and scientist.


Early and personal life

His father, Ralph Lamartine Newbery Purcell (born 1848) was a dentist who emigrated from
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, and settled in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
after the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, in which he fought on the
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
side of the
Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
and was recognized for his courage.


Historical context

Newbery was in the public eye between the 1890s and the first fifteen years of the 20th century, a very important time for Argentina which was characterised by an enormous immigration of Europeans which multiplied the country's demographic importance by a factor of five. The population of Argentina, which represented 0.12% of the global population in 1869, would come to make up 0.57% of mankind in 1930. and the expansion of an economy of agricultural export which increased the GDP per capita from $334 in 1875 to $1,151 in 1913. The Newbery years were years of unshakeable faith in the possibilities of Argentina, when
Rubén Darío Félix Rubén García Sarmiento (January 18, 1867 – February 6, 1916), known as Rubén Darío ( , ), was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as ''modernismo'' (modernism) that flourished at the end of ...
wrote in his famous ''Canto a la Argentina y otros poemas'': "Argentina, your day has come!" These years saw the appearance of
tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
,
Vaslav Nijinsky Vaslav (or Vatslav) Nijinsky (; rus, Вацлав Фомич Нижинский, Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky, p=ˈvatsləf fɐˈmʲitɕ nʲɪˈʐɨnskʲɪj; pl, Wacław Niżyński, ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a ballet dancer and choreog ...
dancing in the
Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón (Spanish: ''Columbus Theatre'') is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acousti ...
, the opening of the
Buenos Aires Metro The Buenos Aires Underground ( es, Subterráneo de Buenos Aires, links=no), locally known as Subte (), is a rapid transit system that serves the area of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first section of this network (Plaza de Mayo–Plaz ...
, the arrival of
Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquis of Marconi (; 25 April 187420 July 1937) was an Italians, Italian inventor and electrical engineering, electrical engineer, known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegrap ...
in Argentina in order to carry out the first radio-telephonic communication with Ireland and Canada.


Biography

Son of American-born dentist Ralph Newbery, Jorge was born 27 May 1875 in the family home on
Florida Street Florida Street ( es, Calle Florida) is a popular shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913. The pedestrian section as such starts at the intersection ...
, Buenos Aires. At the age of eight he visited the United States alone. Later, back in Argentina, he studied at
Saint Andrew's Scots School ) , latin_name = , logo = Club San Andres Crest.svg , logo_size = 180 , seal_image = , image = , image size = , alt = , caption ...
, graduating from secondary school in 1890, and subsequently traveled to the United States to study engineering at
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
. In 1893 he continued his studies at the
Drexel Institute Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, where he was a student of
Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...
, and in 1895 earned a degree in
electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
. On returning to his home country he began working as the head of the "Rio de la Plata Light and Traction Company". In 1897 he joined the
Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...
as electrical engineer during the border conflicts with
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
. He worked as a swimming teacher at the Naval School, and in 1899 he was sent to London to acquire electrical materials. His naval career lasted until 1900, when he was named Director General of Electrical, Mechanical and Lighting Installations of the Municipality of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
City, a public role which he would hold until his death. In 1904 he became Professor of
Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
at the National Industrial School (later the Otto Krause Technical School), which was founded and directed by the engineer
Otto Krause Otto Krause (July 10, 1856February 14, 1920) was an Argentine engineer and educator. Early life Krause was born in the Buenos Aires Province town of Chivilcoy to Leopoldina and Carl August Krause, both German Argentine immigrants arrived in 185 ...
in 1893. In the same year he travelled to the United States once more to attend the International Electricity Congress which took place in the city of Saint Louis, where he was vice president of the section on "Power and Light Transmission" and at which he presented an eighty-page work entitled "General considerations on the transfer of lighting services to municipal ownership", which would be included in the Annals of the Argentine Scientific Society.


Ruler of the skies: balloons and aeroplanes


Aerostatics and balloons

Jorge Newbery began wanting to rule the skies when he met the Brazilian aviator
Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont (Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais, Palmira, 20 July 1873 — Guarujá, 23 July 1932) was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both l ...
(1873–1932). On 25 December 1907, Jorge Newbery and Aarón Anchorena crossed the
Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
in the balloon ''El Pampero'' before landing in
Conchillas Conchillas () is a small industrial town located within the Colonia Department, in southwestern Uruguay. Location The town is located on the coast of Río de la Plata near the stream Arroyo Conchillas, northwest of Colonia del Sacramento, the cap ...
, Uruguay. Although there had been a few previous balloon flights in Argentina, the crossing of the
Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
became a popular event. El Pampero set out from the
Sociedad Sportiva Argentina The Sociedad Sportiva Argentina was an Argentine multi-sports club sited in Buenos Aires. The headquarters were located in Florida street nº 183 while the stadium was sited in Palermo, next to Hipódromo Argentino. Originally established in 1899 ...
, located in
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, on the same land where
Campo Argentino de Polo The Campo Argentino del Polo (Argentine Polo Ground), popularly known as ''The Cathedral of Polo'', is a multi-purpose stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is currently used mostly for polo, pato and field hockey matches. The stadium, opened ...
is located nowadays. A few days later, on 13 January 1908, the Aero Club Argentino was created, with Aarón Anchorena as president and Jorge Newbery as second vicepresident. The ACA was located on the Villa Los Ombués estate of local business tycoon
Ernesto Tornquist Ernesto Carlos Tornquist (31 December 1842 – 17 June 1908) was an Argentinian entrepreneur and businessman, considered to be one of the most important entrepreneurs in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. The diversified business empire he ...
, in Barrancas de Belgrano,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
(since torn down and now the location of the Embassy of the
Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
). On 17 October his brother Eduardo (also an ACA member), together with Seargent Romero, went missing in ''El Pampero'' and their bodies were never found. These were the first two casualties in the history of flight in Argentina. Despite the tragedy and public opinion starting to consider balloon-flight to be excessively dangerous, Newbery prepared a new balloon, ''El Patriota'', and revitalised aerostatics with the help of socialist representative
Alfredo Palacios Alfredo Lorenzo Palacios (August 10, 1880 – April 20, 1965) was an Argentine socialist politician. Palacios was born in Buenos Aires, and studied law at University of Buenos Aires, after graduation he became a lawyer and taught at the univer ...
. One month after the death of his brother, on 24 November, Jorge married Sara Escalante. On 9 April 1909, Newbery wrote the first
newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
article on aviation in Argentina. Entitled "Aeronáutica", the article was featured in the Buenos Aires '' El Nacional''. By that time, Newbery was already a seasoned
aerostat An aerostat (, via French) is a lighter-than-air aircraft that gains its lift through the use of a buoyant gas. Aerostats include unpowered balloons and powered airships. A balloon may be free-flying or tethered. The average density of the cra ...
pilot, having flown these balloons four times over the Argentine landscape. He had not, however, been in or even seen a heavier-than-air craft before he wrote the article. While Newbery had promised both his mother and his wife that he would not attempt to fly again after his brother's aerial death, the article showed his family that he had broken that promise, resulting in his divorce from Escalante, with whom he had at least one child. Newbery flew an
aerostat An aerostat (, via French) is a lighter-than-air aircraft that gains its lift through the use of a buoyant gas. Aerostats include unpowered balloons and powered airships. A balloon may be free-flying or tethered. The average density of the cra ...
round-trip for the first time on 24 January 1909, making his second round-trip flight on 2 April. On 27 April, just eighteen days after publication of the aforementioned article, he was elected president of the same Aero Club Argentino which he had previously served as second vice-president. Newbery accepted, with the hope of turning around the club's dire financial situation, and continued as president until his death in 1914. He soon acquired another balloon, ''El Huracán'', with which on 28 December 1909 he broke the South American record for duration and distance by travelling 550 km in 13 hours, linking Argentina,
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
and
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, and reaching fourth place worldwide in terms of flight time and sixth place in distance. This balloon gave its name to one of the most popular
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
clubs in Buenos Aires, the
Club Atlético Huracán Club Atlético Huracán () is an Argentine sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is notable for its football team, that currently plays in the Primera División, the top level of the Argentine football ...
, founded on 1 November 1908 and nicknamed ''"globo"'' (balloon). On 5 November 1912 he broke the South American altitude record, reaching 5,100 m in the balloon ''Buenos Aires''. He took part in the
Exposición Internacional del Centenario (1910) The Exposición Internacional del Centenario (Centennial International Exposition) was an exhibition held between May and November 1910 in Buenos Aires, to commemorate the Centennial of the May Revolution in Argentina (the formation of the first l ...
in Buenos Aires by making balloon ascents over the exhibition so that visitors could view the surrounding area of Palermo and the river. Newbery made 40 balloon flights in three years. There were other Argentine aviators at this time, such as
Eduardo Bradley Eduardo Bradley (9 April 1887 – 3 June 1951) was an Argentine pilot and balloonist who in 1916 made the first balloon crossing of the Andes. He was a leading figure in the founding of civil aviation in South America. Born in the city of La Plat ...
, Lieutenant Angel María Zuloaga, Aníbal Brihuega and
Pedro Zanni Pedro Leandro Zanni (12 March 1891, Pehuajó – 29 January 1942, Campo de Mayo) was a pioneering Argentinian pilot of the early 20th century who made the then longest west-to-east flight in a non-amphibious aircraft in his circumnavigation attem ...
. Later, in memory of his brother, he had a 2,200 cubic meter balloon called ''Eduardo Newbery'' built, the largest that had ever been built in Argentina. In 1916, Bradley and Zuloaga crossed the
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
for the first time in this balloon.


Aviation

In 1910, Newbery obtained his (provisional) pilot's licence, but continued to make balloon flights until 1912. As a direct result of Newbery and the Aero Club Argentino's offer to make their park freely available to the Ministry of War, on 10 August 1912 the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Roque Sáenz Peña Roque José Antonio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Sáenz Peña Lahitte (19 March 1851 – 9 August 1914) was an Argentine politician and lawyer who served as President of Argentina from 12 October 1910 to his death in office on 9 August 1914. ...
created the Military Aviation School, the first Latin American air force. Jorge Newbery as a civilian, and Lieutenant Colonels
Enrique Mosconi Enrique Carlos Alberto Mosconi (21 February 1877 – 4 June 1940) was an Argentine military engineer, who is best known as the pioneer and organizer of petroleum exploration and extraction in Argentina. Early life Mosconi was born in Buenos A ...
, later the director of
YPF YPF S.A. (, formerly ; English: "Fiscal Oilfields") is a vertically integrated, majority state-owned Argentine energy company, engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, and the transportation, refining, and marketing of gas and petr ...
, and M. J. López were the first directors of the School, established in Palomar de Caseros. The ACA organised a public collection with which the first aircraft were acquired. On 25 May 1913 they had their first parade: 4
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
s piloted by two civilians, Newbery and Macías, and two soldiers, Goubay and Agneta. A few months later the Army issued special insignia for the two military pilots. When choosing between
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
s and
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
s, Newbery preferred the former. On 24 November 1912, Newbery crossed the
Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
in the monoplane "Centenario", a 50 HP Gnome powered Bleriot XI. He was the first to cross the river and return in the same day. Influenced by Newbery, the young Teodoro Fels, took an aeroplane from the Military Aviation School without permission and reached
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, breaking the world record for flight over water. On his return, President
Roque Sáenz Peña Roque José Antonio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Sáenz Peña Lahitte (19 March 1851 – 9 August 1914) was an Argentine politician and lawyer who served as President of Argentina from 12 October 1910 to his death in office on 9 August 1914. ...
had him arrested and promoted to
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...
for the feat. On 10 February 1914, Newbery broke the world altitude record by 65 m, reaching 6,225 m in a
Morane-Saulnier Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (aircraft manufacturer), Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Robert and Léon Morane, Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and ...
monoplane but the record was not ratified by the international commission because the previous record had not been exceeded by at least 150 m. Jorge Newbery arrived in Mendoza to attempt the first crossing of the Andes by aircraft. At the request of a woman who had seen him fly, he borrowed an aircraft from his friend Teodoro Fels, who warned him of a problem with the monoplane's wing. Jorge Newbery took off with Jiménez Lastra and did some aerobatics until 18:40, the monoplane fell violently. Jorge Newbery died in the Estancia "Los Tamarindos" in Mendoza (now
Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Gobernador Francisco Gabrielli) , better known as El Plumerillo International Airport, is located northeast of the centre of Mendoza, capital of the Men ...
), on 1 March 1914, aged 38. The
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Jorge Newbery Airfield ( es, link=no, Aeroparque "Jorge Newbery", ), commonly known as Aeroparque, is an international airport northeast of downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. The airport covers an area of and is operated by ''Aeropuertos Argen ...
in Buenos Aires commemorates his pioneering work in the promotion of aviation in Argentina.
Villa Lugano Villa Lugano is a ''Neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, barrio'' (neighbourhood) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, located in the south of the city. It has a population of approximately 114,000 people. It is delimited by Avenida Eva Perón, Avenida General P ...
in Buenos Aires claims the title of cradle of Argentine aviation, a claim also made by the district of El Palomar, seat of the First Aerial Brigade and previously the Military Aviation School. Newbery made his first flights in Villa Lugano, for which a monument was erected on the Avenida Teniente General Luis J. Dellepiane, close to Avenida Gral. Paz.


The sportsman

Newbery also excelled in
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
, swimming,
motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
,
fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...
and
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
, among other sports. In 1895 he took part in a historic fight to determine the superiority of boxing (defended by Newbery) or
savate Savate (), also known as boxe française, savate boxing, French boxing or French footfighting, is a French kickboxing combat sport that uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of English boxing with graceful kicking techniques. ...
(defended by Carlos Delcasse), which established boxing as a popular sport in Argentina. He won important boxing titles in 1899, 1902 and 1903. On 8 July 1903 he decisively beat professional boxer Clark. In October 1901 he won first prize for fencing with foils in the South American tournament organised by the Gymnastics and Fencing Club. In 1905 and 1906 he won the foil fencing contests organised by the Buenos Aires Jockey Club, where he also defeated the French
sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
fighting champion Berger. On 16 March 1908, representing the Buenos Aires Rowing Club, he won the 1000 m race against the champion Müller brothers. In 1910 he joined the team which established the speed record for a boat with four long oars. In 1902 he won the first prize in long-distance diving in the Luján river, covering 100 m. He was one of the personalities who most encouraged the practice of the sport in Argentina, although he is not well-remembered for this. In 1980 the
Konex Foundation Konex Foundation (''Fundación Konex'')is an Argentine cultural non-profit organization created in 1980 ''to promote, stimulate, help, and participate in any form of cultural, educational, intellectual, artistic, social, philanthropic, scientific ...
posthumously granted him the Konex Award for his supporting role in Argentine sporting history. He also played football for National Foot–Ball Club, and in 1934 they changed their name to his.


The civil servant

Jorge Newbery was Director of the Lighting Service of the Municipality of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
City until his death. As a civil servant, Newbery supported municipal control of lighting, contrary to the situation at the time in which the service was conceded to private companies. In 1903/1904 a great debate took place in Buenos Aires over the benefits of the public system versus the system of private concession. Newbery took an active role in the debate and wrote an extensive report entitled "General considerations on the transfer of lighting services to
municipal ownership A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...
", which was published in the Annals of the Argentine Scientific Society, April–June 1904. Among other arguments to support his position, Newbery wrote: Newbery also dedicated himself to researching solutions for transportation and traffic in the city of Buenos Aires, suggesting in 1908 the elimination of trams and promoting new technologies of mass transport.Larra, p. 109-139


The man of science

Newbery habitually wrote for the Annals of the Argentine Scientific Society. In 1906 he published a series of articles on the growing artificial
graphite Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on large ...
industry. In 1908 he published a study on the manufacture of "The electric incandescent light bulb called zirconium and other metallic filaments", based on his own laboratory tests, with the aims of implementing their use in Argentina. In 1910, in collaboration with the chemist Justino Thierry, he wrote a scientific-industrial book entitled "Petroleum" in which they argues for the necessity of keeping oil zones for the state.


The popular figure

Newbery has been considered to be the first popular non-political Argentine
idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
. Before his time, only political idols had existed. Crowds gathered to watch his aerial feats and the news media defined his as a "sportsman". In his promotion of sports, Jorge Newbery anticipated a still-embryonic lifestyle which focused on the development of the body and its potential, exercising self-control and
training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or Physical fitness, fitness that relate to specific practicality, useful Competence (human resources), competencies. Training has specific goals of improving on ...
. One characteristic of Newbery's personality was the absence of
fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
: he was known as "Mr Courage". Newbery's "feats" had enormous popular impact. For example, on breaking the South American record in the balloon "Huracán" in 1909, the
Club Atlético Huracán Club Atlético Huracán () is an Argentine sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is notable for its football team, that currently plays in the Primera División, the top level of the Argentine football ...
asked Newbery if they could use the balloon's image as their club's emblem. In one paragraph of his response, the aviator said: The
Club Atlético Huracán Club Atlético Huracán () is an Argentine sports club from the Parque Patricios neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is notable for its football team, that currently plays in the Primera División, the top level of the Argentine football ...
then adopted it as the symbol on their shirts, and after achieving two consecutive promotions (passing from the third division to the second, and thence to the first) the directorial commission sent Newbery a letter saying:


Jorge Newbery in popular culture

Jorge Newbery has been one of the most frequently mentioned people and one of the people to whom the most tangos have been dedicated. Among these must be mentioned the reference made by Celedonio Flores in the song Corrientes y Esmeralda, which mentions how "el cajetilla" (slang: a young, rich and refined man) hit the "guapos" (men fighting with knives) who "stopped" there at the beginning of the 20th century. Other tangos dedicated to Newbery are "Jorge Newbery", by Aquiles Barbieri, "Prendete del Aeroplano", by José Escurra, "De Pura Cepa", by
Roberto Firpo Roberto Firpo (May 10, 1884June 14, 1969) was an Argentine tango pianist, composer, and leader. Firpo was among the first innovators of the classic tango music genre. He was the establisher of the piano in the tango orchestra. Firpo was born ...
, "Newbery", by Luciano Ríos, "Un recuerdo a Newbery", by José Arturo Severino, "Tu Sueño", by
Eduardo Arolas Eduardo Arolas (February 24, 1892 – September 29, 1924) was an Argentine tango bandoneon player, leader and composer. Arolas first learned to play the guitar before learning the bandoneon which became his instrument of choice. His nickname w ...
and "El Pampero", by Luis Sanmartino. A film was also made about his life: '' Más allá del sol'' (Beyond the sun, 1975), by Hugo Fregonese, with Germán Kraus in the leading role. The government of Buenos Aires annually awards the Jorge Newbery Prize to the most prominent sportspeople of the year. The tragic death of Newbery helped to fix his position as an idol of Argentina, as later happenend with
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inte ...
. His funeral at
Recoleta Cemetery La Recoleta Cemetery ( es, Cementerio de la Recoleta) is a cemetery located in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, ...
was on a scale never seen before for a person unrelated to political activity. A mausoleum financed by public donations was built in 1937 at
La Chacarita Cemetery Cementerio de la Chacarita in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known as the National Cemetery and is the largest in Argentina. Location The cemetery is in the barrio or district of Chacarita, in the western part of Buenos Aires. Its main entrance i ...
. Airports * The
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Jorge Newbery Airfield ( es, link=no, Aeroparque "Jorge Newbery", ), commonly known as Aeroparque, is an international airport northeast of downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. The airport covers an area of and is operated by ''Aeropuertos Argen ...
airport in Buenos Aires is named after him. Schools * School of technical aeronautics education number 8 "Jorge Newbery". Football clubs * Club Atlético Jorge Newberyhttp://newberylaprida.blogspot.com. (
Laprida, Buenos Aires Laprida is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the administrative centre for Laprida Partido. Attractions *Museo Archivo Histórico Hugo H. Diez (Hugo Diez Museum & Historical archive) *Laguna El Paraíso, lake, located 4 k ...
, Argentina), founded 1 May 1917. * Club Atlético Jorge Newbery ( Aguilares,
Tucumán Province Tucumán () is the most densely populated, and the second-smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the province has the capital of San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neigh ...
, Argentina), founded 8 April 1917. * Club Atlético Jorge Newbery (
Venado Tuerto Venado Tuerto () (Spanish for ''One Eyed Deer'') is a city in the south-west of the , 322 km from the provincial capital. It has about 76,000 inhabitants (). History Venado Tuerto was founded on April 26, 1884 by Eduardo Casey, born in L ...
,
Santa Fe Province The Province of Santa Fe ( es, Provincia de Santa Fe, ) is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco Province, Chaco (divided by the 28th ...
, Argentina), founded 11 July 1917. * Club Football Jorge Newbery ( Junín, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina), founded 13 January 1913. * Club Atlético Jorge Newbery (
Rufino, Santa Fe Rufino is a city in the Provinces of Argentina, province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe, Argentina. It has 18,980 inhabitants as per the . It lies on the southwest of the province, from the main metropolitan area of the province Greater Rosario, f ...
, Argentina), founded 12 October 1917. * Club Jorge Newbery Mutual Social y Deportiva, Ucacha,
Córdoba Province, Argentina Córdoba () is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Its neighboring provinces are (clockwise from the north) Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja, and Catamarca. Together with Sant ...
, founded 25 May 1910. https://web.archive.org/web/20090226194412/http://www.eam.iua.edu.ar/hist_newbery.asp * Club Jorge Newbery de Versaille

Villa Real district,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
City,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
founded 12 October 1942. Streets * Calle Jorge Newbery ( Junín, Buenos Aires Province). The municipality renamed the street, previously named "Junín", on 12 March 1914, 11 days after Newbery's death. * Calle Jorge Newbery (
Venado Tuerto Venado Tuerto () (Spanish for ''One Eyed Deer'') is a city in the south-west of the , 322 km from the provincial capital. It has about 76,000 inhabitants (). History Venado Tuerto was founded on April 26, 1884 by Eduardo Casey, born in L ...
,
Santa Fe Province The Province of Santa Fe ( es, Provincia de Santa Fe, ) is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco Province, Chaco (divided by the 28th ...
). The Club Atlético Jorge Newbery is situated on this street. * Calle Jorge Newbery (Viedma (Rio Negro)). This street is the main route of entry to this provincial capital. * Calle Jorge Newbery (
Rosario, Santa Fe Rosario () is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most p ...
). On this avenue is located the Rosario International Airport. * Calle Jorge Newbery (Ucacha). This street is the main access to the premises of the Club Jorge Newbery, and was named on the club's centenary on 25 May 2010. Train stations * Jorge Newbery station (
Hurlingham, Buenos Aires Hurlingham (28 September) is an Argentine city, capital of the Hurlingham Partido in the province of Buenos Aires., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency It is located in the western part of Greater Buenos Aires. History Hurling ...
)


See also

*
Aerostat An aerostat (, via French) is a lighter-than-air aircraft that gains its lift through the use of a buoyant gas. Aerostats include unpowered balloons and powered airships. A balloon may be free-flying or tethered. The average density of the cra ...
*
History of aviation The history of aviation extends for more than two thousand years, from the earliest forms of aviation such as kites and attempts at tower jumping to supersonic and hypersonic flight by powered, heavier-than-air jets. Kite flying in Chin ...
* página de Wikipedia sobre Jorge Newbery (Español)


Notes


Bibliography

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External links

* * *
Argentine newsreel with images of Jorge Newbery (video)
* * * * * *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newbery, Jorge 1875 births 1914 deaths Argentine aviators Argentine engineers Argentine male boxers Argentine Navy personnel Argentine people of American descent Argentine people of English descent Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Argentina Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery Electrical engineers Sportspeople from Buenos Aires Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1914