Aviation and Space Exploration Autographs and Memorabilia Gift Ideas

WALTER HINTON. Photograph inscribed and signed: "To Lionel Aucoin/From his friend/Walter Hinton". Sepia, 5x7. In May 1919, Hinton was the co-pilot of the U.S. Navy's NC-4, one of four Navy Curtiss flying boats built during WWI to provide patrol cover for American shipping in the Atlantic against German U-boats. The NC-4, with a crew of six, left Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York City on May 8, 1919, reaching Portugal on May 27, 1919 in the first crossing of the Atlantic by air. Pencil note (unknown hand, possibly Aucoin's) on verso: "Rec'd From/Washington, D.C./4-9-35". Light vertical crease at right margin. Fine condition.

JOHN GLENN and GHERMAN TITOV Collection containing pieces signed by the two space explorers Comprises: (1) JOHN GLENN. Photograph signed: "John Glenn". Color, 5¼x½. Pictured with the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule, in which he became the first American to make multiple orbits of the Earth. Fine condition. (2) GHERMAN TITOV. Photograph signed in Russian. Color, 4x5½. Signed above shoulder, signature light but legible. Signed photographs of the first U.S. and Soviet astronauts to make multiple orbits. Lieutenant Colonel JOHN H. GLENN, JR., who was selected as one of the seven Project Mercury astronauts in 1959, was launched into space on February 20, 1962. In a mission that lasted four hours and 54 minutes, Glenn made three complete orbits in his Friendship 7 capsule, and he became the first U.S. astronaut to manually pilot his ship when he had to compensate for a malfunctioning yaw reaction jet. On October 29, 1998, 36 years later, U.S. Senator John H. Glenn, Jr. of Ohio returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery,orbiting the Earth 134 times on the nine day mission.

AL WORDEN Color official NASA publicity photograph shown sitting behind a miniature of a space craft. Photograph inscribed and signed: "To Arthur -/With Warmest/Personal Regards/Al Worden". Color, 8x10. Official NASA photograph. Mimeographed caption on verso. Taken at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas in May 1966, the month after Worden was among the 19 astronauts selected by NASA. Alfred Merrill "Al" Worden (1932-2020) was serving in the U.S. Air Force when he was among the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. A member of the astronaut support crew for Apollo 9 and the backup command module pilot for Apollo 12, Worden was the command module pilot for Apollo 15 (July 26-August 7, 1971). He logged 38 minutes of EVAs outside the "Endeavor". Worden was later President of Maris Worden Aerospace, Inc. and Vice President of BF Goodrich Aerospace (Bucksville, Ohio). Slightly creased at blank corners. Minor surface creases (not evident head on), 1 at facial image. Fine condition.

JOHN H. GLENN, JR. With the right stuff. ALS: "John Glenn/Major USMC". 1p, 7¼x10½. California, MD, 1958 February 16. To Larry, in full: "I believe the note on the chart is self explanatory. Sorry I couldn't send the other navigation charts but they have some info that is still classified as confidential. Best of luck in your exhibits this year. Also enclosing your dollar. Thanks for your thoughtfulness". Major John Glenn of the United States Marine Corps wrote this letter dated February 16, 1958, regarding a request for some of his navigational charts. Glenn had conducted missions as a test pilot (1954-1959) that were considered classified in the interest of national security. Just seven months prior to this letter, Glenn had completed the first transcontinental nonstop supersonic flight from California to New York (July 15, 1957). For accomplishing this record-setting flight, which lasted 3 hours and 23 minutes with an average speed of 725 miles per hour, Glenn received his fifth Distinguished Flying Cross. Glenn's aviation career began in World War II (1939-1945), during which he flew 59 missions; by the close of the Korean conflict (1950-1953), he had completed an additional 63 missions.

RICKENBACKER, THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES FOR FOKKER AIRCRAFT, WRITES TO HIS LIFELONG FRIEND, CHARLES EDISON, THE SON OF INVENTOR THOMAS A. EDISON, REGARDING MUSIC FOR A PRESENTATION AND RECORDING BY EDISON'S COMPANY   EDDIE RICKENBACKER. TLS: "E.V. Rickenbacker" as Vice President of Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America, 1p, 8x10¾. New York City, 1929 July 11. On company letterhead to Mr. Charles Edison, Laboratory of Thomas A. Edison, Orange, New Jersey. Begins: "My dear Sir". In full: "Unfortunately I have been absent from the city for several weeks, which has caused the delay in replying to yours of May 23rd. It is with regret that I note my favorite musical number is nost (sic) listed, It being First-Andantino by Lemare. My second choice is 'Midnight Bells' by Kreisler for the violin. In addition to these might suggest the following:- Caprice Viennois - Kreisler, Rigoletto - Caro Nome (Verdi) Songs of the Volga Boatmen (Russian Folk Song) Trees - Kilmer-Rasbach).

IGOR SIKORSKY Helicopter pioneer. Photograph signed: "I. Sikorsky/July 9/1943". Sepia, 8¼x10 overall, image 7x9 (one surface). Sikorsky, a pioneer in the advancement of the helicopter and naval aircraft, constructed and flew the first multi-motored airplane in 1913. He built the first amphibian American Clipper, which pioneered transoceanic commercial flights in 1931. In 1939, Sikorsky developed the first practical American helicopter. He is enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Lightly creased, not at signature. Light vertical surface scuff at right blank background. Overall, fine condition.

APOLLO-SOYUZ CREW Limited edition lithograph (35x23) by George Bishop signed in pencil by astronauts Stafford and Slayton and by cosmonauts Leonov and Kubasov, framed in the Gallery of History style to 43x41 Printed Art signed in Pencil: "Tom Stafford", "D.K. Slayton", "V. Kubasov" and "A. Leonov" beneath image. Color, 35x23. Numbered 245/1500. Lithograph by artist George Bishop, published by Pacific Coast Galaxy Inc., pictures the U.S. Apollo 18 and U.S.S.R. Soyuz 19 spacecrafts about to dock in space on July 17, 1975. Each nation's flag and flight emblem and words Apollo and Soyuz in English and Russian are part of the image. THOMAS P. STAFFORD (b.1930) was the commander and DONALD SLAYTON (1924-1993) was the docking module pilot of Apollo 18. ALEXEI LEONOV (b.1934) was the commander and VALERI N. KUBASOV (1935-2014) was the flight engineer of Soyuz 19. Vance Brand, command module pilot of Apollo 18, did not sign. Fine condition. Framed in Gallery of History style: 43x41¼.

COLUMBIA First space mission to land in New Mexico. Inscribed photograph signed with 33-word inscription: "Jack Lousma" and "Gordon Fullerton". Color, 16x20 overall, image 10¾x13½ (two surfaces). Captioned by astronaut Lousma: "Columbia III-March 22-30, 1982" and inscribed by him: "To Stan Jacobsen-With many thanks for your friendship, support and patience over many years and after many patches, flags, and pictures! You have helped people around the world realize the personality and significance of space flight". This was FULLERTON's (1936-2013) first space flight. LOUSMA (b.1936) was aboard the Skylab 2 mission (July 26-September 25, 1973). STAN JACOBSEN was Assistant Chief of the Publications Branch at NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. With input from the astronauts themselves, his staff designed the space mission insignias. The Columbia (STS-3) mission was the first to use an alternate shuttle landing site, changed from Edwards Air Force Base, California to White Sands, New Mexico due to wet conditions on the Edwards dry lake bed landing site.

GENE CERNAN. Photograph Montage titled, inscribed and signed: "Gene Cernan". Color, 24x20 overall, affixed signature sheet, 15x2½, penned by Cernan, in full: "The flight of 'America and Challenger' to the Moon./To Stan Jacobson - with our sincere thanks for your helping/us share this great adventure - our Best Wishes - Gene - Ron - Jack". Printed at left: "Apollo XVII/Dec. 7-19, 1972". Eleven color photos mounted. The command module was America. The lunar module was Challenger. All three Apollo 17 astronaut names are printed but only Cernan signed. Eleven photographs, a bit faded from sunlight, show the crew, launch, Moon scenes and splashdown. STAN JACOBSON was Assistant Chief of the Publications Branch at NASA's Manned Space Center in Houston. After consulting with the astronauts involved, Jacobson and his staff designed the space mission patches. Photos have lightened a bit due to exposure to light. Mount is slightly creased and stained at lower left corner. Upper right border of mount surface nicked.