Lot 812

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Description:

EARLY MARINE CORPS AVIATOR'S PHOTO ALBUMS
Outstanding collection of over 700 photographs featuring pioneer U.S. Marine aviators and related subjects. The images are contained within two large photo albums, each 10 1/2" x 13 1/2", assembled by a member of the Marine Corps' First Aviation Group, based at Quantico, Virginia. The photos were taken throughout the early 1920's, and depict an impressive variety of flying machines, wrecks, aerial views, landscapes, events, and people. The collection includes more than 120 photographs of military and civilian airplanes, many used by the Marine Corps and featuring their insignia, and others used by the armies and navies of the United States and a number of other nations. The planes pictured include the Corps' de Havilland DH-4 and Vought VE-9, the Boeing PW-9 fighter, the Waco 9, the Ford Trimotor, the Fokker F.VII freighter, the Douglas C-1 freighter, the Curtiss R3C racer, the Curtiss NC-3 flying boat, the Martin MB.7 bomber, and dozens of others. Distinct from these intact machines, the grouping also features more than 85 shots of air crashes, some of them with fatalities, a testimony to the hazards faced by early aviators. The First Aviation Group traveled widely, and our photographer captured scenes ranging from Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, New York, and Washington D.C., to France, Guam, Nicaragua, the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, the Panama Canal, and Hawaii, many taken from the air. He captures events as distinct as the inauguration of Calvin Coolidge, the Ku Klux Klan's march on Washington in 1925, the National Air Races of 1925 and 1926, the burning of US Army transport ships in Mallows Bay, a rail accident near Fredericksburg, a forest fire near Quantico, and a solar eclipse in New York. Also featured are several important advancements in military technology, including the aircraft carriers USS Langley and USS Saratoga (the latter is pictured from the air on her launching day), the rigid airships USS Shenandoah, USS Los Angeles, and TC-4, parachute jumps, catapult launches from ships, a Lewis machine gun with a built-in camera (and the pictures it took), and early Army M1917 and Mark VIII tanks. Other photos depict Marine Commandant JOHN LEJEUNE (1867-1942) inspecting the fliers' equipment, bombing practice on the Potomac River, night flying experiments, the unit's bulldog mascot, and Marine planes spraying pesticides to combat mosquitoes. Ships depicted include the aforementioned USS Langley and USS Saratoga, the USS Leviathan (originally the German liner SS Vaterland, impounded by the American government upon their entry into World War I), the British cruiser HMS Raleigh, the destroyers USS Shirk and USS Selfridge, and the transport USS Henderson, which transported the Marines to Nicaragua. The majority of the photos are captioned, often humorously, by the photographer. Altogether, the albums contain a fascinating collection of images that depict many different aspects of military life and technology in the early1920's, with a particular focus on the evolution of military aviation. Several images are moderately toned, but overall the condition is excellent.

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Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

December 9, 2015 10:30 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000