The centenary of the Ross & Keith Smith flight and the 50th anniversary of the moon landing

In the year in which we are celebrating the Centenary of the Ross & Keith Smith flight from London to Australia in 1919, as well as remembering the achievement of the first Moon Landing only 50 years later in 1969, we are delighted to be sending you our latest catalogue.

This sale is a real treasure trove, with many items drawn from the finest collections assembled in the last 50 years and now being offered to a new generation. More than 250 lots of pioneer aviation memorabilia, from the earliest items of correspondence carried by air in Australia (Lots 45 and 46) in 1914, to the remarkable offering of Ross & Keith Smith flight covers, documents and ephemera (Lots 14 – 20 and 62 – 75), the world’s first Trans-Pacific flight by Charles Kingsford Smith (Lots 127 – 129) in 1928 and the nostalgic last flight of the “Southern Cross” (Lot 173) in 1935.

Also on offer for collectors and students of aviation alike, are important flown covers or envelopes flown on the first QANTAS flights to carry airmails (Lots 98 and 99) in 1922, Sir Alan Cobham’s flight from England to Australia (Lots 110 to 115) in 1926, four of the six known covers carried by Captain Richard Williams on his Pacific flights (Lots 116 & 117 and 244 & 245) in 1926 as well as two rare examples carried by Bert Hinkler (Lots 124 & 125) on his flight from England.

Pioneer female aviators are well represented, with interesting pieces from Amy Johnson (Lots 28, 29, 146 and 233), Lores Bonney (Lots 178 – 181) and Jesse Miller (Lots 120, 121 & 122). The UNIQUE New Zealand Overprint Essay of 1934 used on a flown cover (Lot 167) should excite our friends from across the Tasman but undoubtedly the most unusual and remarkable item in this catalogue is the sample of lunar soil brought back to earth by the Soviet Russian Luna-16 mission (Lot 261) which we trust you will enjoy reading about and that you will come and see when it goes on display in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Happy flying,

Contents

Collectables
001-011 Aviation & Air Travel Posters
012-044 Aviation Memorabilia & Scale Models

Aerophilately
045-190 Australian First & Special Flights
062-075 Featuring the Ross & Keith Smith flight 1919-20
191-228 Commercial airmails inwards to Australasia
229-260 Rest of the World – First & Special Flights

261-261 Sample of Lunar Soil

Featured Lots