What's Wrong About No Memory of the Wright Brothers by Peter Rexford on Creators.com

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What's Wrong About No Memory of the Wright Brothers

I've long contended that there are particular words that should never be used in the same sentence. For instance, "homemade" and "helicopter." Think about it. Curiously and conversely, there are now words that are entirely appropriate for the same sentence but have little or no meaning for many people under the age of 30.

An example would be "airmail." That word may result in a quizzical look by lots of young people. First, the basic idea of mail itself is a dying concept for them. Second, doesn't most mail travel by air anyway? As for the latter, yep, much of the mail traveling across the country does go by air. Some goes by truck, but a lot goes by air. That certainly didn't used to be the case. There was a time when airmail was special and expensive.

I thought of that when I glanced at a recent collectibles auction catalog from Regency-Superior. Scheduled to take place on June 9 and 10, the sale includes plenty of classic airmail stamps from the early 1900s and scarce airmail envelopes. Though, it also includes much more. That's what was both fascinating and potentially a bit concerning.

In the sale are collectible documents, autographs, artifacts and memorabilia. There are items from Hollywood, including signed photos that range from Don Knotts to Gene Kelly. And there are political collectibles that encompass presidencies from Abe Lincoln and Ulysses Grant to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. There are items related to the Holocaust and World War II. Nazi pins and badges, SS rings and even board games German children played relating to the war. In the darkest corner of the auction, there are pieces of concentration camp uniforms, documents, photos and a pocket stopwatch from Dachau.

The array of collectibles is obviously broad. But here's what I think is concerning. Included in the sale are some remarkable items from the earliest days of aviation and airmail. Among these is a photo autographed by Charles Lindbergh, one of the most celebrated and famous airmail pilots who went on to make the first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

Why's that so special? Jets do that dozens of times a day now. Trust me. It was and will always be special.

Here's the issue. According to educators I've spoken to, a majority of high school students cannot identify who Charles Lindbergh was. The same is true for Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager or even (I'm not kidding) the Wright Brothers. Given all that, the folks at Regency-Superior have to hope high school students will not be bidding in this auction.

One of the most compelling items in the sale is a Western Union telegram written and signed by Orville and Wilbur Wright. Any document containing the signatures of both Orville and Wilbur Wright is extremely rare. Case in point. Also in the auction is a check for a telephone bill signed by Orville Wright. It's pretty cool and estimated to bring $700 or $800.

Substantially cooler is the telegram slated to sell for upwards of $8,000. The telegram was written in 1899 to a firm in South Carolina requesting a meeting. This is just a short time before the brothers from Ohio tested their "Wright Kite" at Kitty Hawk, N.C. The relatively lengthy (and therefore expensive) telegram states the meeting is "important." Proximity suggests that the meeting was related to their first flight. That would make this an important piece of history.

It's hard to say what or who will or won't be important to future generations. The Wright Brothers, Lindbergh, Earhart and even Neil Armstrong may become mere footnotes instead of groundbreaking icons. I prefer to think otherwise. The popularity and bids at auctions such as these are testimony to the pendulum, perhaps, swinging back.

For now, those who broke norms and the mold are still icons among adults. That even goes for the one guy who could get away with having the words "homemade" and "helicopter" in the same sentence. His name was Igor Sikorsky. According to historians, he didn't invent the "first" helicopter, but he did invent the first successful one. That's a big difference!

I didn't see a Sikorsky-related item in the auction but feel free to check it out for yourself at: RegencySuperior.com.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the Wright Brother's telegram has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.