#1 - Charles Lindbergh

Original piece of fabric from The Spirit of St. Louis, approximately 2 x 3, signed in fountain pen “C. A. Lindbergh” and dated in another hand September 6, 1927. The September 6 date indicates that Lindbergh signed this while he was in Montana; on the same day, he flew from Butte to Helena, returning to Butte on September 7 for several days of much-needed rest. Handsomely shadow-box matted and framed with a photo and engraved explanatory plaque to an overall size of 31.25 x 23.25. The signature is just a shade light, in keeping with the nature of the material, but quite clear. Apart from some light wrinkling, the item is in fine, clean condition.

The provenance of this extraordinary relic can be traced to James E. Morrow, a member of the welcoming committee for the triumphant American tour following Lindbergh’s historic flight. (Morrow was reportedly a relative of Anne Spencer Morrow, who became Mrs. Charles Lindbergh in 1929; James E. Morrow was also the name of Anne’s paternal grandfather.) Soon after Lindbergh’s return from France, millionaire aviation enthusiast Harry Guggenheim dipped into a promotional fund he had set up with his father, Daniel, to sponsor a nationwide tour for Lindbergh and the plane he made famous. Over a three-month period from July to October 1927, Lindbergh flew and touched down the Spirit of St. Louis in all forty-eight states, gave hundreds of speeches, and rode in countless parades, where he was greeted as a conquering hero by unprecedented adoring throngs. At the conclusion of the tour, Morrow presented the item to his daughter, Vera M. Morrow (1907–2004), who had earlier accompanied him to the legendary ticker-tape parade for Lindbergh in Manhattan on June 21, 1927. The item remained in Vera’s possession until 1999. While small remnants from the Spirit of St. Louis appear on the market from time to time, examples of this size—constituting some six square inches of fabric, in addition to having Lindbergh’s signature, are of the greatest scarcity and desirability. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.

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