National Championship Trophy

This is an image of the Aero Club of America 1909 national balloon championship trophy. This photo was published in the June 4, 1909 Indianapolis News which was the day before the event was hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After a close race that required official deliberation the University City of Pilot John Berry and Assistant Paul McCullough were declared the winners.
 
Unfortunately and for inexplicable reasons the newspaper chose to impose the image of Clifford Harmon who served as A. Holland Forbes' assistant in the New York in front of the trophy's base, partially obscuring it.