The Spirit of St. Louis + Airplane Fabric - FIRST EDITION - Charles Lindbergh for Sale

The Spirit of St. Louis + Airplane Fabric - FIRST EDITION - Charles Lindbergh For Sale

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The Spirit of St. Louis + Airplane Fabric - FIRST EDITION - Charles Lindbergh:
$7250.00

The Spirit of St. Louis with Fabric from Airplane

LINDBERGH,Charles

Publisher:Charles Scribner's Son

Location:New York, NY

Date:1953

Binding:Octavo, full bound blue cloth board with gilt stamped title to spine and illustration to front.

Edition:FIRST EDITION

Printing:1st Printing

Description:

SIGNED with FABRIC. First Edition, First Printing of Charles A. Lindbergh's The Spirit of St. Louis with the author's signature tipped-in to the title page. More notably, on p.540, the last page of text wherein Lindbergh discusses the construction of the aircraft, there exists tipped-in fabric from the airplane (one piece likely the steel-tube fuselage, which was wrapped in silver-doped Grade A Pimacottonfabric) with a note below stating "Pieces of fabric removed from the 'Spirit of St. Louis' when it was recovered in 1928 by the Smithsonian Institution. Gift to Esther B. Mueller From Col. Charles A. Lindbergh."

Fabric Measurements in Inches:

Piece One (Top) - 2.25 x 1 x 2.25 x 1.5

Piece Two (Bottom) - 3 x 1.125 x 3 x 1.25

Esther B. Mueller, as identified in the book on p.517, was a contributor to TheSpiritof St. Louis and Curator of the Lindbergh Collection of the Missouri Historical Society. She was responsible for identifying the decorations, awards, trophies, and gifts presented to Captain Lindbergh in connection with the flights of the "Spirit of St. Louis."

Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974), nicknamed Slim, Lucky Lindy and The Lone Eagle, was a pioneering aviator who began his illustrious career in the skies as an US Air Mail pilot. At the age of just 25, he emerged from obscurity to capture the $25,000 Orteig Prize for his solo non-stop flight from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927. The event rocketed him to international fame, and there was "tremendous public hysteria" in America. He was awarded the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his legendary flight. His fame meant that he was able to champion the development of commercial aviation and Air Mail services in the United States, making him one of the leading figures responsible for the progression of aviation technology at the time. Following his son, Charles Jr, being kidnapped and murdered in the "Crime of the Century" in 1932 - a result of Lindbergh's fame - his family moved overseas. They returned as America joined the second world war, with Lindbergh flying numerous combat missions in the Pacific Theatre. Following the second world war, Lindbergh styled himself as an explorer, inventor and prize-winning author, as well as an environmentalist - a truly remarkable man.

Condition:

Binding tight and square. Original full-bound cloth boards present clean and unmarked but for small dark blue spots to bottom front near hinge and bottom fore-edge corner. Light spotting to rear hinge. Mild edge-wear and rubbing to corners with moderate wear to head and foot of spine. Light creases to cloth diagonally across spine. Title bright and well-retained. Bright top-stain with nearly clean text-blocks showing a bit of age-toning and some very faint spots. Internally clean and bright but for some mild spotting scattered throughout. Prior owner signature, notes and date to font pastedown, additional notes tipped-in opposite title page detailing origin, and signature to title page. Presenting with the tipped in signature of the author on the title page with note detailing source. Signature and date of prior owner to p.517 where she is identified as a contributor to the book. P.540, detailing plane's construction, tipped-in fabric from the Spirit of St. Louis airplane with prior owner's notes regarding same. Original dust jacket presents well with bright front panel. Rear panel moderately age-toned, more so to edges, with some light shelf-wear. Edges about clean with a light crease to bottom front and one tiny, nearly unremarkable chip to top rear. Very light rubbing to corners. Moderate wear to head and foot of spine with some loss and a few small closed tears. Title toned but well-preserved. Flaps clean with age-toning to edges. Original price of $5.00 not clipped. A very special example.