CHARLES LINDBERGH'S PERSONAL APPLICATION FOR AIR MAIL SERVICE TWICE-SIGNED DOCUMENTS DEC. 28, 1925.
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Starting Bid:
$17,250.00 (Includes 15% Buyer's Premium)
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Bidding Ended:
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 2:00:00 AM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Wednesday, June 4, 2008 2:00:00 AM)
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Auction:
Auction 194 - Part I
Item numbers 1 though 880 in auction 194
Value Code:
P - $20,000 to $35,000 Help Icon
Item Description
Three sheets captioned at top "Information Card" 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 sheets 8.5x13" comprise one document. This is titled "Headquarters First Group (Pursuit) Selfridge Field/Mt. Clemens, Michigan" with upper left designation "JC/S.F.S. #85/P-1." (Second sheet is "P-2."). On the "name" line he boldly printed "Lindbergh Charles Augustus." At the bottom of page 2 "Signature" line is bold "Charles A. Lindbergh/2nd Lt. A.S.O.R.C." which represents Air Service, Officer Reserve Corps. The third page is a slightly smaller 8.5x10.5" and a different document number (JC/S.F.S. #99) with the same date at the top, his name (first, middle, last) and same signature and rank at the bottom. All information lines are filled in with the entries and signatures in 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 October, 1925 as an instructor for the Robertson Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis. The Robertsons contracted with the 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 of 1926. The contract air mail route #2 (CAM-2) operated between St. Louis and Chicago five days a week, headed by Lindbergh with three other pilots he had met at flight school. Twice during the ten months he flew CAM-2, Lindbergh had to bail out of his mail plane. He continued as chief pilot of CAM-2 until mid-February 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 and extensive training and service as a pilot. He lists his present address as "Amglum, Mo." He requests that his mother in Detroit, Michigan "Be Notified In Case Of Accident." He also notes his total flying time to date as "1100 Hrs.+" and notes that his "Number of crashes" is "one." All three sheets show minimal aging with a couple of narrow lines of tanning along some margin edges and 2 or 3 horizontal fold lines on each, probably from the filing process. Overall these unique and historic documents remain VF. 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. The Colonel commissioned custom-made folders for his most prized items. Included here is the beautifully constructed and N. Mint dark blue leather over board portfolio with 2 flaps that open left and right and 2 more that open upwards and downwards - with interior completely lined in deep blue grosgrain rayon fabric. Gold rules accent every fold-out section with gold stamped text on the front cover "CHARLES AUGUSTUS LINDBERGH/ORIGINAL APPLICATION/FOR/AIR MAIL SERVICE/DECEMBER 28, 1925."
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