CHARLES LINDBERGH TWICE-SIGNED PERSONAL APPLICATION FOR AIR MAIL SERVICE DATED DECEMBER 28, 1925.
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Winning Bid:
$5,900.00
(Includes 18% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Tuesday, November 14, 2017 10:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Tuesday, November 14, 2017 10:00:00 PM)
Item Description
9x13.75" leather over board trifold portfolio w/two flaps that open upwards/downwards and interior completely lined in deep blue grosgrain rayon fabric. Gold rules accent fold-out sections w/"Charles Augustus Lindbergh - Original Application For Air Mail Service - December 28, 1925" gold-stamped text on the front cover. Portfolio contains three sheets, two of which are captioned "Information Card" at top although each is much larger than card size. As part of the "Selfridge Field" filing system, the two larger sheets have two pairs of .25" punch holes and smaller sheet has one pair. Two 8.5x13" sheets comprise one two-page document. This has "Headquarters First Group (Pursuit) Selfridge Field - Mt. Clemens, Michigan" designation at top w/"JC/S.F.S. #85 - P-1" designation at upper left. (Second sheet is "P-2."). Lindbergh has boldly printed his full name, "Lindbergh Charles Augustus" in pencil on provided line at top of first sheet. He signed again at the bottom of second page, adding "2nd Lt. A.S.O.R.C." which represents Air Service, Officer Reserve Corps. Third page is slightly smaller 8.5x10.5" and a different document number ("JC/S.F.S. #99") w/same date at the top, as well as Lindbergh's signature (first, middle, last) and rank at the bottom. All information lines are filled in w/pencil. Lindbergh had graduated from Army Flight School in March, 1925. The Army was not recruiting pilots when he graduated although he continued to hold a 2nd Lieutenant rank in the Officer Reserve Corps. Living in Missouri and working as a barnstormer, he met the Robertson Brothers who hired him in Oct. 1925 as an instructor for the Robertson Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis. The Robertsons were contracted w/the US Government to operate an air mail route between St. Louis and Chicago. The documents offered here dated Dec. 28, 1925 were filed four months prior to Lindbergh taking the Oath of Mail Messenger in April 1926. The contract air mail route #2 (CAM-2) operated between St. Louis and Chicago five days a week, headed by Lindbergh, w/three other pilots he had met at flight school. Twice during the 10 months he flew CAM-2, Lindbergh had to bail out of his mail plane. He continued as chief pilot of CAM-2 until mid-Feb. 1927 when he left for San Diego, CA to oversee the design and construction of the Spirit of St. Louis. Among the information listed on the documents are his schooling, extensive training and service as a pilot. He lists his present address as "Amglum, Mo." and requests that his mother "Be Notified In Case Of Accident." He also lists his total flying time to date as "1100 Hrs.+" and notes that his "Number Of Crashes" as "One." All three sheets show minimal aging w/a couple narrow lines of tanning along some margin edges and two or three horizontal fold lines on each, likely from the filing process. Second sheet has tiny corner off, but o/w these unique and historic documents are Fine/VF overall. These documents were once part of a famous Americana collection assembled by Colonel Louis J. Kolb. The sale of his collection was a major auction event in Philadelphia in 1941 (and comes w/related newspaper clipping). The Colonel commissioned custom-made folders for his most prized items, such as that offered here. Comes with Hake's COA and JSA LOA.
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