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Lot 76
VANIMAN, MELVIN. 1866-1912. RARE LETTER ON AKRON LETTERHEAD.
Typed Letter Signed ("Melvin Vaniman"), Atlantic City, NJ, April 8, 1912, 1 page, to Will Craig Jr. of Philadelphia, on "Vaniman Trans-Atlantic Expedition" letterhead.
Typed Letter Signed ("Melvin Vaniman"), Atlantic City, NJ, April 8, 1912, 1 page, to Will Craig Jr. of Philadelphia, on "Vaniman Trans-Atlantic Expedition" letterhead.
3 – 4 November 2021, 13:00 PDT
Los AngelesUS$1,000 - US$1,500
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VANIMAN, MELVIN. 1866-1912.
RARE LETTER ON AKRON LETTERHEAD.
Typed Letter Signed ("Melvin Vaniman"), Atlantic City, NJ, April 8, 1912, 1 page, to Will Craig Jr. of Philadelphia, on "Vaniman Trans-Atlantic Expedition" letterhead. * WITH: "Souvenir of Balloon 'Akron'," 90 x 141 mm, postcard printed on fabric sample of the airship Akron.
RARE LETTER FROM AVIATOR 3 MONTHS BEFORE HE WOULD PERISH ON TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT.
In full: " My dear Mr. Craig:- / Your favor of Apr. 5 to hand. I would be very pleased to talk to your club on the subject assigned me if I am in this country the last week in April. I expect to make a business trip to Paris soon either by steamer or Airship, and cannot say positively at present just when that will be, but certainly before the middle of May. / Yours very truly, Melvin Vaniman."
Vaniman had attempted to fly over the North Pole in 1909 and make an earlier Trans-Atlantic crossing in 1910, both in Walter Wellman's airship America. He made his second attempt in the Goodyear-built airship Akron on July 2, 1912, nearly 3 months after this letter. Vaniman and his crew were killed just a few minutes after the Akron became airborne when it exploded possibly due to rapid internal pressure rupturing the envelope.
The accompanying postcard, also rarely seen, is printed on rubber and silk fabric developed by Goodyear with Vaniman's input and which was used for the Akron.
Typed Letter Signed ("Melvin Vaniman"), Atlantic City, NJ, April 8, 1912, 1 page, to Will Craig Jr. of Philadelphia, on "Vaniman Trans-Atlantic Expedition" letterhead. * WITH: "Souvenir of Balloon 'Akron'," 90 x 141 mm, postcard printed on fabric sample of the airship Akron.
RARE LETTER FROM AVIATOR 3 MONTHS BEFORE HE WOULD PERISH ON TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT.
In full: " My dear Mr. Craig:- / Your favor of Apr. 5 to hand. I would be very pleased to talk to your club on the subject assigned me if I am in this country the last week in April. I expect to make a business trip to Paris soon either by steamer or Airship, and cannot say positively at present just when that will be, but certainly before the middle of May. / Yours very truly, Melvin Vaniman."
Vaniman had attempted to fly over the North Pole in 1909 and make an earlier Trans-Atlantic crossing in 1910, both in Walter Wellman's airship America. He made his second attempt in the Goodyear-built airship Akron on July 2, 1912, nearly 3 months after this letter. Vaniman and his crew were killed just a few minutes after the Akron became airborne when it exploded possibly due to rapid internal pressure rupturing the envelope.
The accompanying postcard, also rarely seen, is printed on rubber and silk fabric developed by Goodyear with Vaniman's input and which was used for the Akron.



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