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95. (Balloons) 6 items: Dollfus, Charles. The Orion Book of Balloons. 108 pp.
Illus. 7-1/4x8, jacket. New York: Orion Press, [1961]. Jacket worn, else very
good. [and] Hodges, Goderic. Memoirs of an Old Balloonatic. 175 pp. Illus.
9-1/4x6, jacket. First Edition. London: William Kimber, [1972]. Author's
experiences on the Western Front in a balloon. Rubberstamp of Musee des
Ballons, Belleroy. About fine. [and] Douty, Esther M. The Brave Balloonists:
America's First Airmen. [2], 95 pp. Illustrated by Victor Mays. Champaign,
Illinois, Garrard, [1974]. Extensive 3-pp. note by Crawford extending over half
title, title and contents page discussing. Karl Thomas' balloon voyage in The
Spirit of ‘76, in which Thomas attempted to cross the Atlantic. Fine. [and]
Jenkinson, Alec K. Balloons Around the World: A Register of Hot Air and Gas
Balloons with Historical and Modern Records. 8-1/4x6, wrappers. Second Edition.
[London: Jenkinson, 1975] [and] Wirth, Dick & Jerry Young. Ballooning: The
Complete Guide to Riding the Winds. 10x10, wrappers. London: Orbis, 1984.Very
good. [and] Kirschner, Edwin J. Aerospace Balloons: From Montgolfiere to Space.
10-3/4x7-1/4, wrappers. Fallbrook, CA: Aero, [1985]. (70/100)
96. (Balloons) 8 items: Hoehling, Mary. Thaddeus Lowe: America's One-Man Air
Corps. 189 pp. 7-3/4x5-1/2, jacket. Chicago: Kingston House, [1958]. Very good.
[and] Lamorisse, Albert. Le Voyage en ballon. [48] pp. Illus. throughout with
photogravures, some color. 12x8-3/4, pictorial boards. [Paris]: Hachette, 1960.
Based on the movie by Claude Lamorisse & Alain Duparc. Very good. [and]
Stehling, Kurt & William Beller. Skyhooks. 264 pp. Illus. 8-1/4x5-1/2, jacket.
First Edition. Garden City: Doubleday, 1962. Inscribed by co-author Beller on
front free endpaper. Very good. [and] Fergusson, James. Balloon Tytler. 160 pp.
Plates. 8-1/2x5-1/4, jacket. First Edition. London: Faber & Faber, [1972].
Fine. [and] Fillingham, Paul. The Balloon Book. [10], 226 pp. Illus.
9-3/4x6-1/2, Jacket. New York: David McKay, [1977]. Very good. [and] Hayes,
Will. The Complete Ballooning Book. 159 pp. Illus. 11x8-1/2, jacket. Mountain
View, CA: World Publications, [1977]. Very good. [and] Herrera, Emilio. Flying:
The Memoirs of a Spanish Aeronaut. [8], 231 pp. 9x6, paperback. Albuquerque: U.
of New Mexico Press, [1984]. [and] Hardy, Alister. Weekend with Willows: London
to Oxford in an Old-Fashioned Gas Balloon. 119 pp. Illus. by W. Robert Hodson.
7-7/8x4, jacket. Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1986. Fine. (70/100)
97. (Balloons & Airships) 6 items: Smith, Anthony. Jambo: African Balloon
Safari. 272 pp. Illus., some color. 8x5-3/4, cloth. First Edition. New York:
Dutton, 1963. Very good. [and] Baldwin, Munson. With Brass and Gas: An
Illustrated and Embellished Chronicle of Ballooning in Mid-Nineteenth Century
America. [14], 238 pp. Illus. 8x5-1/4, jacket. First Edition. Boston: Beacon
Press, [1967]. This is an unusual book. It is concerned with
ballooning in the year 1859 and with the men who dedicated their lives to that
pursuit; but, in a larger sense, it becomes a revealing comment about the
United States and its people of that time - Note. Fine. [and] Smith,
Anthony. The Dangerous Sort: The Story of a Balloon. 157, [1] pp. Illus.
9-3/4x7-1/4, jacket. First Edition. London: Allen & Unwin, [1970]. Note by
Crawford on preliminaries, ...Return to Rhodesian hell and
high water with a large hot air balloon to be used for my air-recon
outfit. Near fine. [and] Miller, Carey. Airships and Balloons. 7x4-1/2,
paperback. London: [1973]. Note by Crawford on half title: Sept. 21st 1978, Salisbury Rhod. Back from a two opps. with the
Rhodesian Armor Squadrons. On the Largest Opps. in the history of the country.
Was the first outsider to go on a combat mission with corps. [and] Ege,
Lennart. World Aircraft in Color: Balloons and Airships. 234 pp. Illus. in
color. 7x4-1/2, jacket. First American Edition. New York: Macmillan,
[1974].Includes 80 pages of color illustrations. Fine. [and] Harris, MacDonald.
The Balloonist: A Novel. 7x4-1/4, paperback. [New York]: Avon, [1977]. (70/100)
98. (Balloon History) 2 items: The Romance of Ballooning: The Story of the
Early Aeronauts. 197, [7] pp. Illus. throughout. 11-3/4x10, jacket. First
American Edition. New York: Viking, [1971]. Fine. [and] Haining, Peter. The
Dream Machines. 180 pp. Profusely illustrated. 13-1/2x9-1/2, jacket. First
American Edition. World Publishing, [1973].Accounts and depictions of balloon
ascents by writers and artists such as Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Edgar Allan Poe, George Cruikshank, Thomas Ingoldsby, Horace Walpole, etc. Near
fine. (50/80)
99. (Journals) 3 items: Punch. Vol. XXIII. iv, 274 pp. (lacking pages 227-236).
Illus. throughout with wood-engravings, some full-page. London: 1852. Includes
a number of articles and illustrations making reference to balloons and
ballooning; Crawford has indexed 15 of them in pencil on front free endpaper.
Covers worn and detached, contents marginally browned but very good. [and]. The
Wide World Magazine. 676 pp. Illus. throughout in black & white. 9-1/4x7,
contemporary half roan and embossed cloth, gilt-lettered spine. April, 1899 to
September, 1899. Includes an article by Prof. Charles Wolcott titled A Fall of Three Thousand Feet! in which the New York
aeronaut gives an account of his fall during a hot-air balloon ascent in
Venezuela in which he preformed acrobatics and was forced to land in a
parachute which didn't open properly. Light wear to binding, joints rubbed &
starting to crack. [and] Punch. Vol. CXXXI. [4], 468 pp.; [30] pp. of Punch's
Almanack. Illus. throughout, including 1 double-page color plate. 10-3/4x8-1/2,
pictorial maroon cloth. July-December, 1906. Includes various balloon-related
items, 11 of them listed by Crawford in pencil on half title.Light extremity
wear to covers, internally clean. (100/150)
100. (Reference) 3 items: American Collector. Illus. in black & white. 12x9,
wrappers. New York: September, 1943. Cover features scenic wallpaper depicting
first Paris balloon ascension. There is also a 3-page article by Carl W.
Dreppend on Relics of American Aviation History. Very
good. [and] Randers-Pehrson, N.H. & A.G. Renstrom. Aeronautic Americana: A
Bibliography of Books and Pamphlets on Aeronautics published in America before
1900. 40 pp. 9x6, printed gray wrappers. New York: The Sherman Fairchild
Publication Fund, 1943. Includes an index. Ex-library with small discarded stamp from Yale Medical Library and neatly penned
library no. [and] O'Dea, W.T. Aeronautica: Objets d'Art, Prints, Air Mail. A
Science Museum illustrated booklet. [48] pp. 6x6, pictorial wrappers. London:
Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1966. An interesting catalogue of
collectibles. (40/60)
101. (War) 3 items: Fisher, John. Airlift 1870: The Balloon and Pigeon Post in
the Siege of Paris. viii, [2], 166 pp. Plates. 8-1/2x5-1/2, jacket. First
Edition. London: Parrish, [1965]. The story of a contingent of balloonists who
aided the French government by carrying out passengers and messages during the
siege of Paris by the Prussian army. Fine. [and] Block, Eugene B. Above the
Civil War: The Story of Thaddeus Lowe, Balloonist, Inventor, Railway Builder.
188 pp. Plates. 9x6, jacket. First Edition. Berkeley: Howell-North, 1966. Professor Lowe volunteered his services to President Lincoln and
was engaged as Chief Balloonist for the Union Army to organize the first United
States military aeronautic unit, the Balloon Corps. Light extremity wear
to jacket. [and] Dupuy, Trevor Nevitt. The Military History of World War I:
Volume II. The War in the Air. [6], 98 pp. Illus. 8-1/2x7, cloth. New York:
Franklin Watts, [1967]. About fine. (50/80)
102. (Zeppelins) 4 items: Schiller, Hans von. Im Zeppelin Uber der Schweiz. 55
Bilder.Eingeleitet...Bilder von Ernst Erwin Haberkorn. 16 pp. 55 images on 24
plates. 7-1/2x5, cloth-backed boards. Zurich-Leipzig: Orell Fussli, [1930].
Ex-library copy with markings. Some wear, pp.15-16 becoming detached. [and]
Robinson, Douglas H. Famous Aircraft: The LZ129 Hindenburg. Scale drawings:
Richard Groh. [52] pp. 11x8-1/2, pictorial wrappers. New York: Arco Publishing,
[1964]. Minor extremity wear. [and] Zeppelin. Ein Bedeutendes Kapitel aus dem
Geschichtsbuch der Luftfahrt. 80 pp. Profusely illus. 10-1/2x8-1/4, jacket.
Herausgegeben Von Der Zeppelin-Metallwerke GmbH, [1968]. Numerous photographs
show the construction of the Zeppelin; also, interior and exterior shots. Fine.
[and] Grieder, Karl. Zeppeline: Giganten der Lüfte. Die Große Zeit der
Luftschiffe. 134 pp. Numerous plates. 8-1/2x10, pictorial boards. Zurich: Orell
Füssli, [1971]. Fine. (50/80)
Ephemera
103. (Allen, James-Civil War Aeronaut). Contemporary photograph portrait
painted in oil of James Allen, aeronaut. 14-1/2x12, in an elaborate gilt wooden
frame. No place: c.1870.
James Allen (1824-1897) was a native of Barrington, Rhode Island and one of New
England's first aeronauts. He became intrigued with aerial voyages after
witnessing an ascent in Wilmington, Delaware, in about 1846. After studying
aeronautics, particularly as practiced in France, he built his first balloon,
the Zephyrus in which he made a pioneer ascent from Providence, Rhode Island in
1857, accompanied by his mentor Samuel A. King. He went on to construct
numerous balloons, including the Frolic, the Monarch of the Air, the Goddess of
Liberty, and Allen's Castle in the Air. On two occasions, in 1880 and 1881,
respectively, Allen remained in the air for ten days in succession. During his
lifetime he made over 400 ascents from numerous venues including Quebec,
Paraguay and Woodward's Garden in San Francisco. Most of his balloons were
filled with carburetted hydrogen gas and on a few occasions, when away from
gas-works, he used pure hydrogen gas.
When the Civil War broke out, Allen offered to reconnoiter the Confederate
lines, via balloon, for the Union Army, thus introducing ballooning into the
military service. His first ascensions were made in Washington and subsequently
he followed the Army of the Potomac to the Peninsula and then to the Richmond
front. During McClellan's peninsular campaign Capt. Allen's
balloons were constantly employed and were a source of great annoyance to the
Confederates. From one of them Gen. Custer discovered that Yorktown was being
evacuated; from them the terrible battles of Fair Oaks, Oak Grove and
Mechanicsville were witnessed by commanding officers and dispatches dropped
down from time to time to be sent to headquarters; at another time Capt Allen,
by his observations, deterred Gen. Sedgwick from crossing the Rappahannock to
attack what he supposed an inferior force, and when the Federal troops were
before Fredericksburg, Gen. Cyrus B. Comstock, chief of engineers, ascended to
a height of 2,000 feet, were he remained for more than three hours, mapping the
heights and sketching the enemy's position.Gen. Burnside declared that Capt.
Allen's ‘continued successes' enabled the officers to direct movements, which
it would have been difficult or impossible to order without his
cooperation. (The National Cyclopaedia, p. 210).
His success during the Civil War led to another military commission. In 1867,
at the recommendation of Prof. Thaddeus S.C. Lowe, himself a skilled aeronaut,
the government of Brazil commissioned Allen to use his aeronautic expertise to
assist them in subduing a rebellion in Paraguay. Accompanied by his brother
Ezra, he served the Brazilian government for thirteen months, providing Brazil
with critical information on Paraguayan positions and fortifications which
enabled Brazil to put down the rebellion.
(4000/6000)
104. (Ashtray) Square ashtray with embossed brass sides, the bottom consisting
of a loosely inserted ceramic tile (of an earlier date than the sides) with
hand-painted vignette of Blanchard in his balloon rendered in ochre, blue and
rose, captioned Blanchard 1785. 4-1/2x4-1/2.
Lovely folk rendition on a tile of the balloon in which Blanchard & Jeffries
crossed the English Channel in 1785. (70/100)
105. (Balloon Chair) Louis XVI-style chair, the back incorporating a stylized
hot-air balloon. Fluted and reed legs with carved rosettes at the top of each
leg. Approx. 35 high, stained hardwood, woven cane seat. A handsome
example. (700/1000)
106. (Bookmark) Cloth bookmark made of a piece of the balloon Explorer II,
issued by the National Geographic Society and featuring a picture of the
balloon, captioned: This fabric bookmark is a part of the
balloon ‘Explorer II' which in the service of science attained a world's
altitude record of 72,395 feet above sea level on November 11, 1935.
Washington D.C.: 1935.
The back of the bookmark provides statistics on Explorer II, including the
altitude reached, the times of take off and landing, the capacity of the bag
(3,700,000 cubic feet), the flight personnel, etc. (50/80)
107. (Broadside) Large broadside advertising the ascension of the balloon Le
Pole Nord from the Champ-de-Mars, piloted by M. Gustave Lambert. Titled: Première Ascension aérostatique du ballon Le Pole Nord executee le
Dimanche 27 Juin. a Cinq Heures, au profit de l'Expedition de M. Gustave
Lambert. 24-3/4x18 Paris: A. Vallee, c.1870.The center of the
broadside depicts a small vignette of the balloon Le Pole Nord (with a smaller
balloon in the background). The remainder of the broadside consists of text
which describes the background and history of Lambert's balloon, as well as the
scientific aims of his proposed mission. It is stated that this giant balloon
will carry 12 people, amongst them an astronomer, two doctors, a chemist and a
designer, and that they will conduct a wide array of meteorological and
atmospheric studies (based on the models of M. Glaisher), all of which will be
supported by a ground crew stationed at 500 different observatories all over
Europe. Gustave Lambert is cited in Tissandier, p.26, as being the author of
Locomotion Mecanique dans l'air et dans l'eau, Paris: 1864. Printed on thin
brittle paper, somewhat browned with extremity tears and chipping (some large
chips), 1 small repair on verso. (200/300)
108. (Medal) Gilt bronze souvenir medal commemorating Henry Giffard's captive
balloon at the Worlds Fair in Paris, 1878. 2 in diameter, the front of
the medal depicts Giffard's captive balloon hovering over the Tuileries with
the caption Panorama de Paris, 1878; the back of the
medal is inscribed, Souvenir de Mon Ascension dans le Grand
Ballon Captif a Vapeur de Mr. Henry Giffard.[Paris: 1878]. Malpas
103/104: The largest gas balloon ever built, this giant
carried over 30,000 passengers up above Paris during the World's Fair
season. This striking appears to be a variant with characteristics of
both Malpas 103 & 104; like 103 the balloon has 1 looping line on each side;
like 104 it has 4 handling lines to the left and 5 to the right. With eye-ring,
but lacking ribbon.
(80/120)
109. (Medal) Silver medal commemorating the Montgolfier balloon ascent of 1783.
1-1/2 in diameter, the front of the medal depicts busts of the
Montgolfier brothers, captioned Stephan & Joseph
Montgolfier; the back of the medal shows their balloon and is captioned
at top, First Ascent of Man and at bottom, 1783.
[Birmingham Mint: c.1970-80]. Malpas 456: Tarnished. (40/60)
110. (Medal) Rectangular silver medal of the balloon The Nassau, being a
long-distance flight commemorative. 2x1, the front of the medal depicts
the balloon The Nassau, captioned below The Nassau, 1836./
.999 Fine Silver One Ounce; the back of the medal is imprinted Madison Mint. Housed in original acetate case. [Madison
Mint: 1973]. Malpas 310: In 1836 Charles Green and two
passengers made the first true long-distance balloon flight from London to
Weilburg, Germany. (See lots 50 & 51 in this sale). (50/80)
111. (Medal) Bronze medal commemorating the flights of the Marquis d'Arlandes
and Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Professor Charles and M. Robert in
1783. 2 in diameter, the front of the medal is embossed with two
balloons, commemorating the two flights with the motto Audacia Felix above and the caption Aera
Permearunt XXI. Nov. L.F. d'Arlandes et F. Pilatre. I Dec. J.A.C. Charles et
M.N. Robert Anno MDCCLXXXIII below; the back of the medal bears a circle
of stars around the statement Patefacto per abra itinere a
Josepho et Stephano Montgolfier V. Junii. MDCCLXXXIII. Rei Memoriam posteritati
tradi jussit Ludovicus XVI Anno MDCCLXXXIV. Housed in blue cardboard
box. [Paris: French Mint,, c.1976]. This medal celebrates the earliest manned
balloon flights. On November 21, 1783 two aristocrats, the Marquis d'Arlandes
and Pilatre de Rozier travelled five miles across Paris in a Montgolfier
hot-air balloon. Then, on Dec. 1, 1783, Professor Charles and M. Robert
ascended in a hydrogen balloon from the Jardin des Tuilleries; their voyage was
in two stages, first with both balloonists as far as Nesle, nine leagues from
Paris, and then with Prof. Charles alone, for another one and a half leagues.
Reproduction of the original. (40/70)
112. (Medal) Bronze medal commemorating the third manned balloon flight in the
balloon Le Flesselles from the city of Lyon in 1784. 1-3/4 in diameter,
the front of the medal depicts Genius seated on a lion with a balloon in the
sky above surrounded by the motto Que Ne Peut Le
Genie; inscribed below the emblem are the words, Medaille Frapp. en Vertu du ne sous Cript fait a Lyon par les
soins de M. Achetecuier off. de Monsieur Frere du Roi. The back of the
medal is inscribed, L'Aerostat, nomme le de Flesselles, de
100 p. de D. sur 118 de H. S'est eleve a 1400 T. Des Brotteaux a Lyon monte par
MM. Montgolfier. Pilatre de Rosier. Charle Prince de Ligne. Les C. de Laurencin
de la Porte d'Anglefort le M. de Dampiere et M. Fontaine. Le 19 jer.
1784. Sealed in plastic, in original blue cardboard box. [Paris: French
Mint, 1976]There were seven passenger on the third manned balloon flight,
including Joseph de Montgolfier, in the only flight he ever made. The giant
Montgolfier balloon was almost 142 feet tall and 116 feet in diameter. The
flight was a near disaster when one of the parts was damaged by fire, resulting
in a very rapid descent; fortunately, no one was injured. Reproduction of the
original. (40/70)
113. (Medal) Bronze medal bearing tribute to the Montgolfier brothers' first
demonstration of a balloon in 1783. 1-1/2 in diameter, the front of the
medal features superimposed busts of the Montgolfier brothers surrounded by the
motto, Jose et Etien Montgolfier. Pour avoir rendu l'air
navigable; the back of the medal depicts a balloon and winged genius in
the air above a seated woman with lions and the motto, Attonitus Orbis Terrarum and Itinere per
Aera Felicitere Tentato Anno MDCCLXXXIII. Sealed in plastic, in original
blue cardboard box.
[Paris: French Mint, 1976]. On June 4, 1783, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier
gave the first public demonstration of their invention of the balloon.
Reproduction of the original. (40/70)
114. (Miscellaneous) Box of ephemera consisting of newspaper clipping,
pamphlets, photocopies, magazines, journals, miscellaneous illustrations, etc.
from John Crawford's files.
Includes an envelope of newspaper clippings with information on the
transatlantic balloon effort by Karl Thomas, 1976; newspaper clippings of the
first Catalina Island balloon race, 1964; numerous photocopies, some from
encyclopedias, reference books and rare books, on various aspects of ballooning
for a book Crawford had planned on writing; color postcards from Chateau de
Balleroy; group of photocopies from the Connecticut Courant, Hartford Daily
Courant and other 19th-century American newspapers, recording balloon ascents;
the magazine, Post, November 9, 1963, with an article titled Epic balloon trip over darkest Africa; letter from aeronaut
Bob Sparks mentioning that he will be making a trans-Atlantic attempt in 1975
from the Boston area; program from Executive Communications Hot Air Balloon
Championships, 1982; 2 issues of Life Magazine: March 9, 1942 (Cover: U.S.
Barrage Balloon) & July 6, 1962 (Cover: High old time in a
balloon); 6 vintage color postcards featuring the airships the U.S.S.
Shenandoah, and U.S.S. Los Angeles; 7 issues of the German journal, Der
Freiballoon (1976: nos. 1 & 3; 1977: nos. 2-5); 10 issues of National
Geographic (including Vol.XXXV, No.5, May 1919 with an article on Helium, the New Balloon Gas); Then: 1901. London: The
Limited, 1972. Wrappers.; 2 decks of cards with balloon depictions on backs.
(100/200)
115. (Patches) 6 embroidered patches from ballooning events: Round patch
(4 in diameter) with embroidered balloon in blue yellow and red
surrounded by the words, Flamboyant Balloons South
Africa; Round patch (4 in diameter) with embroidered balloon
flying over South Africa with the words, Republic Festival
Balloon Race South Africa 1981; Balloon-shaped patch (about 6
high) with embroidered balloon in center surrounded by words South African Ballooning World Champs 1981 and with a U.S.
flag embroidered at bottom; Rectangular patch (4 high) in red white and
blue bearing the balloon Odyssey in the center, surrounded by the words Trans-Atlantic Balloon Flight 1975 and at bottom Bob Sparks, Pilot; 2 wrap-around blue bands embroidered
with the word crew. (40/60)
116. (Pin) 18 karat yellow and white gold stick pin with a round medallion at
top featuring Blanchard & Jeffries' balloon, in relief, flying over the English
Channel, a lighthouse on the Cliff of Dover, also in relief, in the foreground;
the setting sun takes the form of an inset diamond. Approx. 2-1/4 long.
Victorian velvet and satin-lined morocco case with gilt imprint of Robert
Sawers Goldsmith & Silversmith, Edinburgh. United Kingdom?: at least 150 years
old. Rare commemorative piece celebrating the first manned balloon flight
across the English Channel in 1785. The small diamond is an Indian old mine
cut, making this piece at least 150 years old and possibly as early as the end
of the 18th century. (700/1000)
117. (Pins) 4 ballooning pins from various events: Red, white & blue enameled
pin in the shape of Bob Spark's balloon, the Odyssey with N9V5 lettered vertically in one of the balloon's stripes
and with Bob Sparks name on back. Approx. 1-1/2 high; Blue, yellow and
red enameled lapel pin in the shape of a balloon, lettered Flamboyant Balloons in the center. Approx. 1 high.
From the South African event; Round sterling tie-tack featuring a balloon in
the center, surrounded by the words, World Hot Air Balloon
Championship. Approx. 3/4 in diameter; Green, red & violet
enameled lapel pin in the shape of a balloon. Approx. 1 high.
Malpas 309: The third pin, a sterling silver tie tack, commemorates the first
world hot air balloon championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1973.
(80/120)
118. (Plate) Ceramic plate featuring a balloon lettered with the year 1912
surrounded by calender leaves featuring the months of that year; backdrop
consists of a landscape of cliffs and pine trees with the sea in the
background;. Captioned: Compliments of The Loomis Brothers
Co., Granby, Conn. The blue border of the plate includes a motif of
repeating balloons in gilt. The back of the plate is stamped Sterling China and bears the mark of a crown. Measures
8-1/4 in diameter. (Granby, CT: 1912).Fine. (100/150)
119. (Postcards, etc.) 13 items: Vintage sepia photograph postcard depicting
the Strobel airship taking off from Waterville, Maine, Contemporary ink
annotation on verso dated Sept. 2,-08. This airship is also known as the
Knabenschu airship. Not postally used. Maine: 1908. [and] Vintage sepia
photograph postcard depicting the Boomerang airship in flames. It was piloted
by aeronaut Charles Jones, and this view would be right before its fatal crash
in 1908. There is some question as to whether the flames shown are the product
of photographic manipulation. The front of the postcard bears the date Sept. 2,
‘08. Not postally used. [and] German photograph postcard featuring a crowd,
including Count Zeppelin & the Kaiser, with a portion of the LZ 6 Zeppelin in
the background, captioned on front: Der Kaiser begrusst den
Grafen Zeppelin nach der Landung. Not postally used. [and] German
photograph postcard showing a Zeppelin nearing a hanger, captioned on front,
Der Dresdner Flugplatz, Kaditz, Abstieg des Luftkreuzers
Zeppelin. Not postally used. [and] 8 modern postcards depicting aviation
leaders & flights. c.1975. [and] Aeronaut Charles Dollfus' card, signed by him,
Dec. 6, 1977, given to John Crawford on the occasion of Dollfus' 80th birthday.
All items in fine condition. (100/150)
120. (Postal Covers & Stamps) 5 items: 1938 German Zeppelin cover (the LZ 130),
typed on front Mit Luftschiff Graf Zeppelin an Werner
Fischer Marburg/Lahn Ohrenklinik (Deutschhausstr.3). Postmarked
Frankfurt (Main) 1.12.38. With an Olympic postmarked German Zeppelin stamp on
verso. Sieger 456 with Scott C60, 50pf tied. Scarce. [and] American Zeppelin
cover via First East-bound flight of Zeppelin Von
Hindburg, stamped and postmarked (New York, May 11, 1936), with 3
postage stamps. Correctly back-stamped with German postmark on verso. Sieger
409 with Scott C8, C20, 773. Strong impression of Zeppelin vignette on
front.[and] American Zeppelin cover stamped: Tactical
Training Flight, U.S.S. Akron Carrying Mail, United States Navy, 1932,
with 2 stamps and postmarked Lakehurst, N.J., Aug. 1, 1932. Mellone 8/1/32-1.2
with back stamp. Scott 718, C12, tied. [and] 2 postage stamps, one American,
featuring the balloon Jupiter, 1859-1959, the other Brazilian, depicting
Brazilian aeronaut Santos-Dumont's airship circling the Eiffel Tower, 1901
(partially cancelled). (150/250)
121. (Puzzle) Five piece color-lithographed puzzle on heavy coated cardstock.
The puzzle comes together to form a handsome landscape of rivers flowing into a
sea (or bay) dotted with occasional buildings and boats; in the foreground
rises a large balloon with two passengers.The five verticle strips of the
puzzle each bear one letter of the word Above in the
upper margin and the three central panels feature the phrase Up in a Balloon in the lower margin. 6-3/4x8-7/8. No place:
late 19th-early 20th century. Attractive child's puzzle in extremely good
condition with only a few minor corner creases and small nick from bottom
corner of third panel. (80/120)
122. (Sign) Hand-painted wooden sign (on composite board) for Brunskill Sign Artist featuring a vignette of a balloon
flying over a river flanked by steep cliffs and boulders; across part of a
cliff is the sign painter himself suspended from a rope where he has written:
Lettering put on Anything. This vignette is contained
in a roundel, as if one were viewing the scene through the porthole of a plush
sailing vessel. A square cartouche, slightly overlaps the balloon vignette, but
its former lettering has been painted over. 18-1/4x12-3/4 in a rustic
green wooden frame. No place: c.1920.An interesting sign, painted in a
19th-century style, in shades of blue, brown, red, bronze and white, with a
nicely rendered vignette of a balloon which is possibly marooned on one of the
rocks in the river. There is a crack across the center of the sign, affecting
the balloon vignette and a few pieces of paint are chipped off. There are also
nail holes in the four corners. (200/300)
123. (Sign) Color-printed aluminum sign for Diamond Dyes depicting five
children dancing around a balloon, a rural scene in the background. The lower
margin of the sign says The Standard Package Dyes of the
World 19-3/4x11-1/2. Wadswroth, Ohio: Desperate Sign Co., c.1940's.A
few minor scratches and stains to sign, otherwise quite attractive. (70/100).
124. (Sparks, Bob-Pins, etc.) 4 ballooning mementos created by Bob Sparks:
Sterling silver charm of a winged balloon commemorating the first untethered
balloon ascent, November 21, 1783, by Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis
d'Arlandes, near Paris. Approx. 1/2 high, attached to original printed
card; Gold-toned lapel pin of a winged balloon commemorating the first
untethered balloon ascent, November 21, 1783, by Pilatre de Rozier and the
Marquis d'Arlandes, near Paris. Approx. 1/2 high, attached to original
printed card; Round pewter (?) pin reproducing an antique French coat button
showing an aeronaut outfitted with oars. The original button
was carried by Bob Sparks on his first attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a
balloon. 1-1/4 in diameter, attached to original printed card;
Round silver-colored lapel pin reproducing an antique French coat button
showing an aeronaut outfitted with oars. Approx. 1/2 in diameter,
attached to original printed card. (40/60)
125. (Stereoview). Stereoview, probably of the ascension of Felix Nadar's
ballon Le Géant over Paris, a crowd of spectators below. 3-1/4x6-3/4,
mounted on yellow board. [Paris: c.1863]
Nadar staged flights of his huge balloon Le Géant to raise funds to do further
research on mechanical flight. A handsome photographic view, just faintly
soiled, bearing the contemporary ink name Thomas Freer on the verso, together
with the words Balloon Ascension Paris. (70/100)
126. (Wood-engravings) 3 items: Large wood-engraving by J. Hill titled The Transatlantic Balloon Voyage showing four men inside a
balloon dispatching carrier-pigeons with letters for The
Daily Graphic. 15-3/4x12-3/4, mounted to cardboard backing. New York:
July 29, 1873. [and] Large wood-engraving by J. Hill titled The Transatlantic Balloon Voyage showing a pilot hanging
from a small balloon repairing the valve on a larger balloon. 15-3/4x12,
mounted to cardboard backing. New York: July 24, 1873. [and] Wood-engraved
plate showing 15 different famous balloon and airship ascensions (including
Montgolfier, Pilatre de Rozier, Blanchard, etc.) titled Mechanische Technik and with captions (in German)
describing the 15 scenes. 10-1/2x13-1/4, matted. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus,
c.1870. (150/250)
127. (Zeppelin & Balloon Depictions) 3 items: Journal titled The Youth's
Companion, New England Edition, May 19, 1910 with front cover depicting the
ascension of the New England Aero Club's balloon Boston which took place in
Pittsfield, Mass. 16-1/2x11-1/2, self-wrappers. Center crease and long
tear along crease affecting contents but not legibility, some internal soiling.
[and] 1-page advertisement for Aspromet & Co. (from The Literary Digest, Oct.
5, 1918), featuring a large black & white drawing of a dirigible balloon in the
foreground with several other crafts as well as the hangers below, in the
background. Aspromet & Company's APM (asbestos protected metal) was used as a
covering for airship hangers. Fine. [and] 1 leaf from The Literary Digest,
Sept. 7, 1929, with an article titled Detroit's All-Metal
Dirigible with a black & white photographic illustration of the same.
Fine. (50/80)
Lots 1. ACKROYD through 32. HODGSON
Lots 33. INTERNATIONAL through 62. SANTOS-DUMONT
Lots. 63. TISSANDIER through 94. BALLOONS
Lots 95. BALLOONS through 127. ZEPPELIN