Incredible draft autograph letter in pencil, unsigned, three pages, 8 x 10.5, no date. Letter to Igor Sikorski. In part: “Upon return…I find a letter from our friend Henry J. White in the mail. Enclosed was your letter to Henry [White], dated November 17, wherein you invite him and myself to come to Bridgeport. I am very sorry indeed not to have known this prior to my trip. In spite of a very tight schedule I would certainly have called off everything in order to use this opportunity of making your acquaintance. Another and even greater surprise in my mail was your autobiography with the kind dedication. I began to read the book immediately and am profoundly impressed. Your name and pioneering work in the fields of aviation in general and helicopters in particular was well familiar to me, of course, but & most of the finest details and particularly the incredible odds you had to cope with were new and fascinating reading indeed. The book is the story of a man who determinedly and faithfully followed his star. For a younger man like myself it sets an inspiring example. I can only hope and pray that my life shall be equally blessed and that I too shall live to see the day when my boyhood dream has become reality.” In fine condition, with punch and staple holes to top edge.
Most likely written in the mid-1950s, this letter reflects von Braun’s respect and admiration for Sikorsky, as he states that he “would have called off everything” for a chance to meet. At this point is his career, von Braun was studying the potential of his rocket design, particularly the V-2, for both military and research purposes. This work eventually paved the way for America’s manned space program. Henry White was acquainted with both men, acting as Sikorsky’s sales manager and occasional test pilot, while serving as a translator for von Braun and helping with his 1950 novel, The Mars Project. An outstanding letter that provides a small glimpse into one of the great minds behind the space program, praising an aviation pioneer whose accomplishments he aspired to emulate. Pre-certified Steve Zarelli and RR Auction COA.
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