Remarkable vintage matte-finish 9.5 x 7 photo of the first flight of the Wright Flyer near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, "For Miss Mabel Beck, with best wishes from, Orville Wright.” Affixed to its original mount and attractively matted and framed to an overall size of 17.75 x 13.75. In fine condition, with light silvering to the darker areas of the image.
This atypically large signed photograph, which was presented to Mabel Beck, Orville Wright's devoted friend and personal secretary for nearly 40 years, depicts in crystal-clear detail the first powered, controlled, and sustained airplane flight in history. Orville Wright, age 32, is seen at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle, which operated the wing-warping mechanism. His brother, Wilbur Wright, age 36, ran alongside to help balance the machine, with this image showing him having just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine. The historic photo shoot was organized by Orville Wright, who preset the camera and had John T. Daniels, a member of the U.S. Life-Saving Station in Kill Devil Hills, squeeze the rubber bulb and trigger the shutter.
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