sedona legend helen frye

The Lost Photos of
Jack and Helen Frye

Love, glamour and partnership.....

Helen Varner Vanderbilt Frye, absolutely stunning in a tailored suit, heels, and mink coat, awaits the arrival of her husband Jack Frye, and Howard Hughes, at Washington D.C. after the two aviators broke a transcontinental record in the newly designed TWA Constellation airliner. Adjoining Helen on the left is Jack's personal secretary Beverley Dille. On the right is Helen Frye's close friend, society columnist Austine (Bootsi) Cassini, (later Mrs. William Randolph Hearst). See newspaper photo below of same event.
April 1944

Please click on the above photo to read caption.

Helen, and movie star Helen Parrish, at the grand opening of TWA's Intercontinental Division's, new TWA clubhouse, Washington D.C. The guests of honor were TWA's long-time President and founder, Jack Frye, and his wife, Helen, Mr. and Mrs. Harold F. Blackburn, and W.G. "Swede" Golien. July 1945.

Below, Helen and Jack are seen sitting at the table behind the pillar, while Mr Blackburn, Washington D.C. (I.C.D.) manager and his wife wave to the crowd.

This photo was captured at Jack and Helen's estate, Hillcrest Farm (the Doubleday Mansion, now the Cedars) at Falls Church, (Arlington) Virginia. This property was leased by TWA and used as a "corporate residence". It is the only known photo of Jack and Helen at this 30-room-mansion. The occasion was a TWA publicity photo shoot, the event was Jack's 41st birthday- February 18, 1945, the location was the breakfast room of the mansion. Helen and Jack are viewing a card from the Kansas City TWA Employees Club which arrived with a cake.

At a very special TWA-20-Year-Party of which Jack received his TWA 20 year pin, Helen helps her husband with a piece a cake, while guests look on in 1946.

With a look of utter admiration and love, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. is photographed gazing lovingly at Jack Frye. This photo was captured December of 1940, before the two were married in Scottsdale Arizona. Helen had just recently received a divorce from Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.

The adjoining photo was run in a Arizona Highways article about summer visitors to Phoenix, in January 1945. One would assume the photo was captured for the article. However, recently, I have discovered the photo is actually from a December 1940 photo shoot. Jack and Helen were not married yet, but were both staying at Camelback Inn, at Scottsdale Arizona. Jack had recently arrived from Kansas City in his personal plane, the Lockheed Electra NC-18137, after a delay in El Paso where he was grounded overnight due to strong headwinds.

ARIZONA ATTRACTS CELEBRITIES!
John Frye of Washington D.C., and Kansas City, and President of Transcontinental and Western Air, and Mrs. Frye, who became ranch owners in Arizona after being winter visitors.

A few years ago Mr. John Frye, president of T.W.A., and the former Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., were married at a desert ceremony in Echo Canyon, (Scottsdale) Later they purchased a ranch at Sedona, and spend some time there each year.

For a photo of the Camel Back Inn (5402 East Lincoln Drive) from the 1940's, please click here.

Note: The above magazine photo appears to be referring to the the 22,000 acre Frye-Sunshine Ranch, (currently known as the Red Gap Ranch), at Sunshine-Meteor City Arizona. However the writer mixed up the details of the two different Frye properties. Under close scrutiny it's obvious the image was captured at Deer Lick Ranch, now (Cross Creek Ranch), adjoining the Frye- Smoke Trail Ranch in Sedona Arizona. Likely it was taken in the clearing at the entrance to the current Cross Creek Ranch Estates. The mountain behind Jack and Helen is identical to Schuerman Mountain. Recently I have taken photos of the mountain and identified all the backdrop features. The reference to a "willow tree"? This was a noted adjoining landmark to the Sedona, Frye, Smoke Trail Ranch, "Willow House" for over 40 years. The 22,000 acre property mentioned was indeed the Sunshine Ranch and there were indeed 1,200 cattle kept there at the time. Date of photo most likely is 1941-1943.

All material on this webpage unless otherwise notated are Copyrighted
and the exclusive original property of the Sedona Legend Helen Frye Website.

Some of the information and photos utilized on this webpage was researched from various TWA Skyliners once owned by Paul E. Richter Jr., founder and executive vice-president of TWA.
This TWA material is now owned by his daughter Ruth Richter Holden.

To Return to the Main Page, Please Click Here

a Jack Frye

Transcontinental and Western Air

Historical Webpage

Thank you for your interest in
Sedona Legend Helen Frye

the "Jack and Helen Frye Story"