Description:

Wright Brothers "Vin Fiz" Fabric
n.p., n.d.
Wright Brothers "Vin Fiz" First Transcontinental Flight Fabric, Ex. Smithsonian
Relic
A fine relic of the first aircraft to fly across North America, a piece of fuselage fabric from Wright Brother's EX bi-plane "Vin Fiz," obtained directly from the Smithsonian Institution. The .5" x .5" piece of fabric is CAG encapsulated to the dimensions of 2.375" x 2.375", and is accompanied by a copy of the original Smithsonian Certificate of Authenticity and a description of the flight, also from the Smithsonian.

The "Vin Fiz," so named for the soft drink made by the Armour Company of Chicago, which sponsored the flight, made the first U.S. transcontinental flight on September 17, 1911. Piloted by Calbraith Perry Rodgers, it took off from Sheepshead Bay, Long Island, New York on September 17, and landed in Pasadena, California on November 5, 1911. The historic flight covered the 6953 kilometers (4321 miles) in 82 hours and 2 minutes flying time at an average speed of 84 kilometers per hour (52 miles per hour) with seventy landings en route.

The fabric from the "Vin Fiz" was removed when the aircraft was recovered in 1960 in preparation of the 50th Anniversary of the flight. The plane is now part of the Collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 2.5" x 2.5"
  • Medium: Relic

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Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

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Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

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After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 26, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000