Historic 5.5 x 4 cardstock photo of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, signed in fountain pen at lower left, “Orville Wright.” Some light creases and scattered scuffs, otherwise fine condition. After broken propeller shafts caused weeks of delays at Kitty Hawk, Wilbur, winning a coin toss, made an unsuccessful flight attempt on December 14, 1903, damaging the Wrights’ “Flyer.” After making repairs, the Wrights finally took to the air on December 17, making two flights each from level ground into a freezing headwind gusting to twenty-seven miles an hour. Orville, making the historic first flight recorded in this photo, achieved a distance of 120 feet in twelve seconds. The civilization-changing moment in history captured in the famous first-flight photos has granted them a special cachet among collectors of aviation memorabilia—and fueled intense competition for the ever-dwindling supply of attractive signed examples. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
