Above: Paul Redfern: Columbia's Myster y In Flight exhibi t runs through November 1 at the Richland County Library. Columbian Paul Redfern and his plane, the Port of Brunswick, left Sea Island, Georgia, to fly nonstop to Brazil 82 years ago. The plane and Redfern disappeared somewhere in South America and were never heard from again. The Redfern story has been well documented in many publications,

including The Columbia

Star, but a new exhibit at the Richland County Public Library in downtown Columbia looks at Redfern's life here and highlights current efforts to keep the Redfern legacy alive.

The exhibit features a recently discovered newspaper article that, surprisingly, shows Redfern was first admired in Columbia for his musical ability, especially with the violin. The 1916 article explains that his music teacher "discovered this slim, rather pale boy with dreamy eyes and soft waving hair, and his quaint instrument and wonderful talent..." The article, along with photographs and mementoes graciously provided by the Paul Rinaldo Redfern Aviation Society (PRRAS), are included in the exhibit.

Right: Debra Bloom sets up the Redfern exhibit. A photograph of the bronze plaque commemorating the Redfern airfield that was located on the site of present day Dreher High School is also featured. The plaque was presented to the high school in 1982, and the ceremony to erect the historical marker was attended by Redfern's sister, Ruth Sanders, and three women who were friends with Redfern in Columbia. When the old Dreher High School was torn down, the marker disappeared. Despite the efforts of the PRRAS to find and recover the plaque, its disappearance, like Redfern and his plane, remains a mystery.

In 2007, the PRRAS was organized to preserve Redfern's memory and achievements. Each year on August 25, the anniversary of Redfern's flight, the organization meets to remember his heroic effort in 1927 to fly non- stop from North America to South America. The society plans events to commemorate and honor Redfern. This year, they will discuss an upcoming book about Redfern being written by Dr. Warner M. Montgomery and the plans of a Dutch expedition sponsored by National Geographic- Europe to discover and recover the remains of Redfern's plane.

Paul Redfern: Columbia's

Mystery In Flight will be on display until November 1 in the Walker Local History Room on the Third Level of the Richland County Public Library in downtown Columbia.

Currently the Main Library also features a display in the Wachovia Gallery entitled

In Fiore (Italian for In Bloom) that explores the colors and textures of the floral photography of Virginia artist Shana Gammon. The recently acquired Tyrone Geter charcoal illustrations

from the book Little Tree

Growing in the Shade are also on display in the Baker and Baker Conference Room on the Garden Level, along with 20 other pieces of public artwork located throughout the building.

For more information on the exhibit, call 929- 3402 or visit www.myrcpl.com to discover the variety of resources available at the Richland County Public Library.