Description:

Orville Wright
Dayton, OH, October 19, 1937
O. Wright TLS "first to...fly" Incredible Letter About Dawn of Flight
TLS

A typed letter signed by Orville Wright in which he responds to a controversial claim about the first flight. 2pp, measuring, 6.5" x 10.75", Dayton, Ohio, dated October 19, 1937. Signed "Orville Wright" and addressed to amateur aviator Fred L. Black. The letter is accompanied by a photograph of Wright's plane in a French museum display, copyright M. Rol & Co., Paris. Flattened mail folds. Light toning along edges along with minor ink marks to the top margins of both pages. There is a small tear at the bottom of the second page. The photograph has minor loss at the margins. Toning on the verso, with a copyright stamp and pencil notations.

Wright responds to the recently published book on German aviator Gustave Whitehead and its controversial claim that Whitehead mastered the first powered flight before Wright. In part:
"I have not seen the book 'Lost Flights of Gustave Whitehead', but I did see the story on the same subject printed in 'Popular Aviation' of January, 1935, and signed by Stella Randolph and Harvey Phillips…The book is interesting in showing how easy it is, after an interval of 35 years, to get affidavits on matters which are utterly false...I believe I told you of the statements of eye-witnesses secured by A.V. Roe to establish his claim to having been the first Englishman to fly. Unfortunately for Roe I had in my possession letters written by himself at the time that proved the statements of his witnesses false. Moore-Brabazon told me that he would have been helpless in refuting these statements, producing twenty-five years after the event, excepting for the evidence which I was able to furnish. In the case of Whitehead the designs of the machine is in itself enough to refute the statement that the machine flew…"

Wright addresses several rumors that resurfaced after the 1937 publication of "Lost Flight of Gustave Whitehead", and an earlier article titled, "Did Whitehead Precede Wright in World's First Powered Flight?" published in Popular Aviation in 1935. In both cases, authors Stella Randolph and Harvey Phillips insisted that Whitehead had successfully made powered flights in 1901 and 1902, concluding that the German aviator pioneered the motor-operated airplane before the Wright brothers' monumental flight in 1903. Randolph and Harvey based their conclusions on alleged eyewitness accounts, however, zero photographic evidence existed for Whitehead's supposed flight. Furthermore, Whitehead had gained a reputation by the turn of the century as an aviator who frequently issued press releases detailing successful flights without any concrete evidence to back up his claims. As such, the majority of flight enthusiasts and historians have dismissed such claims.

In his letter, Wright also mentions a scandal between John Moore-Brabazon, the first Englishman to pilot a motor-powered airplane, and A.V. Roe, a fellow aviator and plane manufacturer who challenged Moore-Brabazon for his title. Wright draws a parallel between the Moore-Brabazon conflict and his own predicament with the claims in Randolph and Phillips' book.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 6.5" x 10.75"
  • Medium: TLS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

August 27, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000