Description:

Orville Wright Signed First Flight Photograph cachet on postcard bearing a section of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer and a metal spar fitting from the 1905 Wright Flyer

ORVILLE WRIGHT (1871-1948) Postcard Photograph Signed "Orville Wright" depicting the December 17, 1903, Wright Brothers first flight as the cachet of a commemorative postcard, 7" x 5", 2¢ 1928 U.S. commemorative stamp honoring the 25th anniversary of the flight affixed, pictorially postmarked Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, December 17, 1928. Slight tear at lower edge. Affixed beneath the postage stamp are a 3/4 inch by 1/2 inch section of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer and a 1 inch by 7/8 inch metal spar fitting from the 1905 Wright Flyer.

Provenance included. The fabric was part of the covering of the original 1903 Kitty Hawk Wright Flyer. The Wright Flyer was refurbished by Orville Wright in 1926-1927 in preparation for its being sent to the Science Museum in London where it was displayed until 1948. The plane was re-covered with new muslin. Harvey D. Geyer (1891-1952), a Wright employee since 1910, was appointed the technical advisor to the Wright Estate upon Orville's death in 1948. This fabric was part of a larger swatch upon which was penned "Fabric from / Wright Brothers / 'Kitty Hawk' / Harvey D. Geyer / 3-2-51." The spar fitting was in a collection of spar fittings given to Louis P. Christman (1893-1972) for his work in restoring the 1905 Wright Flyer and comes from his family; Christman had worked closely with Orville Wright at the Smithsonian in 1947 to produce an accurate set of drawings since the Wright brothers had never drawn complete plans during the building and flying of the plane. Christman's drawings are well documented in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Present is a signed raised seal certificate, 5.5" x 8.5", from the Expert Committee of The Philatelic Foundation, picturing the postcard here offered: "Signature of Orville Wright, on large private postcard for 25th Anniversary of Wright Brothers First Flight, 'Kitty Hawk N.C. Dec 17, 1928' pmk. Tying No. 649 single. And we are of the opinion that: It is genuine, the postcard with a tear at bottom, and pieces of fabric and metal, affixed below the stamp, attributed, respectively, to the 1903 & 1905 Wright Flyers."

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