Sperry Gyroscope Company, Autograph Album Featuring Several Notable Signatures, Incl. Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, Plus 

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Jun 10, 2016 - Jun 11, 2016

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• Lot Description
  Sperry Gyroscope Company, Autograph Album Featuring Several Notable Signatures, Incl. Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, Plus 
  
  Born just before the Civil War, Oct. 21, 1860 near Cortland, NY, Elmer Sperry(1860-1930) showed natural mechanical skills even as a young child. In high school he excelled in science and drawing, the latter being useful in designing and explaining his inventions. At 19 he had invented an arc-lighting system, with help from local Cortland Wagon Company. He moved to Chicago to sell his system in the Sperry Electric Company. The business ultimately failed because of competition from larger, better-funded companies, but the venture taught him the importance and basics of automatic controls and feedback systems, which became the focus of many future inventions.
  
  Sperry’s second venture was a company focused on research and development. He avoided manufacturing, choosing instead to sell production rights to his inventions to other companies. And invent he did. By the time of his death in 1930, he had between 350 and 400 patents. He was also successful because he got into several areas on the “ground floor” – electric light and power, mining, streetcars (electric), automobiles, batteries, - and researched fields that were attracting investors. His research often focused on problems that had held back earlier inventions.
  
  In 1888 he founded Sperry Electric Mining Machine Company, then Sperry Electric Railway Company (1890). By 1894 he had an electric automobile powered by battery. He established an electromechanical research company with C.P. Townsend around 1900, and shortly after, Chicago Fuse Wire Company was formed.
  
  In 1907, Sperry became interested in gyroscopes that had been invented to help stabilize ships to prevent rolling. While others had invented “gyrostabilizers,” Sperry added motion sensors, motors to amplify the effect on the gyroscope and automatic feedback and control system, all improving the existing invention. His market research told him the Navy was building mammoth battleships that could only be effective with stabilizers. The Navy also provided financial and technical support to build them. By 1910 Sperry Gyroscope Company was started back in Sperry’s home state, with offices on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, to specialize in gyroscopes, inventing gyrocompasses, airplane stabilizers, gunfire control systems, torpedo guidance, and automatic pilots for airplanes – and all relied on automatic feedback and control systems. This company also led to Sperry’s greatest inventions in some peoples’ view.
  
  WWI came along near the end of the decade (for the US, earlier for Europe) and European powers also relied heavily on Sperry gyroscopes – Britain, Russia, and even Germany. At the time, as an inventor, Elmer Sperry was second only to Thomas Edison in public recognition. During the war, he increased his involvement in aircraft components, including bomb sights and fire control systems. After the war, he focused on “re-inventing” his systems for peacetime uses – searchlights developed to locate incoming aircraft became signal beacons, initially for the new airmail system, for example. By his death in 1930, the powerful in politics and business would take his calls or meet with him.
  
  In 1939 the US government purchased land in Nassau County, NY, near Lake Success, to house Sperry Gyroscope and other companies essential for the war many knew was coming. During WWII the company prospered, even though its founder was gone. It ranked 19th in the nation in wartime production contracts, developing an analog computer to control bomb sights, airborne radar systems, automatic take-off and landing systems, and ball turrets.
  
  In 1950 a large part of the company moved to Phoenix, AZ, to preserve parts of the defense capability in the case of nuclear war. Also during this period, from 1946 to 1952, the massive Lake Success plant served as temporary United Nations headquarters, until its new home was built in Manhattan.
  
  After the war, Sperry built on its research and produced a digital computer, SPEEDAC, in 1953. Two years later it acquired Remington Rand, which had developed ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) for the US Army (to solve ballistics problems), and purchased a company that produced BINAC (Binary Automatic Computer). Changing the name to Sperry Rand, the company built on earlier technology and acquired other companies. It went on to market the UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer). The first UNIVACs were delivered to the Census Bureau. For the general public in these early years, “UNIVAC” meant “computer.” Most large corporations acquired a UNIVAC 1100 by the mid-1960s. The UNIVAC 1103 introduced the first commercial use of random access memory. Sperry Rand was so tied to government contracts, however, that in short order, IBM blew by them in the private sector. (One can only wonder if that would have been allowed had Elmer Sperry still been around.)
  
  Sperry Corporation is now part of UNISYS, and Sperry Marine is part of Northrop Grumman.
  
  These points in the life of the company are significant for the ledger offered in this lot. It seems to have been a Guest Book at the Company’s headquarters. The volume is 9.75 x 7.5 in., leather covers and spine with gilt decorations, cloth hinges, marbled endpapers, gilt page edges. There seems to have been some hinge reinforcement at some point, not unexpected for an item that got as much use as this. Approx. 147 pages are covered with signatures, with the last 11 leaves blank. Although many of the signers are not “household names,” many are significant in their fields. Many also reflect the development of early aviation, especially in its “Golden Age” of the 1930s. Most early advances in aviation were related to military needs, and most of the early racers were military fliers. A number of them appear in this guest book. 
  
  The album was acquired from the estate of Elmer Sperry's grandson, Sperry Lee, Washington, DC.
  
  Noteworthy signatures include: 
  
  W[illiam] H[arvey]. Tschappat (1874 - 1955; USMA 1896, Cullum #3673), as Asst. Chief of Ordnance, dated April 22, 1932. General Tschappat has signed elsewhere in the book, also (pp. 18 and 68), a frequent visitor. He became an international authority of the science of ballistics and a leader in the development of anti-aircraft guns. (p.1) 
  
  C[harles] S[tark] Draper (1901-1987), signed as “Research Associate, M.I.T.” He founded a research laboratory at MIT to develop aeronautical instrumentation in 1932. It was renamed the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in 1970, and three years later separated from MIT to become an independent non-profit organization. Also signed by Daniel Sayre (?), “Asst. Prof. M.I.T. ‘High Flyer.’" (p.3)
  
  Thorp Hiscock (1892-1934). After enlisting in the Army Air Corps in WWI, he devoted his time to radio and aviation. He developed ground and air radio-telephonic systems and automatic flying control systems. He is credited with the invention of the equipment used by Wiley Post in his solo flight around the world. Hiscock later became Vice President of United Air Lines. (p.3)
  
  Leslie F. Banyard, Capt. of the Ocean Monarch in 1951, the first passenger vessel built for small-island cruising, as her predecessors were too large to use many ports of call in the Caribbean. If you like to vacation in the Bahamas or Jamaica, or nearby, thank the developers of the Ocean Monarch for opening these areas as tourist ports. (p.3)
  
  F.G. Nesbitt. Although we did not find much biographical information on him, we did find a reference to a report “Test of Oxygen Pressure Flying Suit for High Altitude Flying” by Nesbit (1934) when he was working at Wright Field. (p.4)
  
  Horace B. Wild “Chicago’s first Birdman.” In his biography in Popular Science (Dec. 1930) he claims he knew all the major aviators – Wrights, Curtiss, von Zepplin – “before they flew.” (p.4)
  
  Jimmie Mattern and Bennett Griffin – “Over the Atlantic and thanks to the Instruments” (8/10/32). They attempted a ‘round-the-world trip in a Lockheed Vega, “The Century of Progress.” They crashed in Belarus two days later, but did set a new trans-Atlantic record of 10 hrs, 50 mins. Their second attempt the following year also failed. They made a forced landing in Siberia and was rescued by Eskimos and flown to Nome by Sigizmund Levanevsky. Levanevsky went missing in 1937 and Mattern helped in the search for him, unsuccessfully, unfortunately. (p.4)
  
  Carl J. Crane, ”Lt. A.C. USA.” Crane made the first fully automated landing at Wright-Pat in 1937. (p.5)
  
  Francesco de Pinedo (1890-1933), famous Italian aviator; Wiley Post; and Philip Shepley, Curtiss Wright Export Co. (p.7)
  
  Charles A. Lindbergh, dated June 29, 1933. (p.10)
  
  Wilfrid O. White (1878-1955), Australian native who studied with Lord Kelvin in Glasgow then settled in Boston. His firm manufactured nautical instruments – sextants, compasses, chronometers, barometers, charts, and more. (p.11)
  
  Captain ?? Pollett, Aug. 2, 1933, with note “Chief Engineer of Balbo Flight.” From 1 July to 12 August, 1933 Air Marshal Italo Balbo, at one time Mussolini’s “heir apparent,” led a group of 24 “flying boats” from Rome to the Century of Progress in Chicago. They made a number of stops including Reykjavik, Cartwright (Labrador), Montreal and New York City before landing in Lake Michigan near Burnham Park. (p.11)
  
  International mix including a Yugoslav Army colonel and aviator, Constantin Kostret (?) of the Yugoslavian Consulate (NY), plus men from the Belgian Embassy (Washington), Royal Netherlands Indian Airways, Sweden, Athens (Greece), Air France, Prussia, and more. (pp.15-16) This is typical of the entire volume. 
  
  D.W. “Tommy” Tomlinson, TWA Jan 10, 1934. Daniel Webb Tomlinson (1897 – 1996) was appointed to the Naval Academy in 1914, became military pilot in 1921. As a believer that planes would not be very useful if they could not fly at night and in bad weather, he was an early proponent of instrument guidance and flight systems. As a Navy pilot, he formed and led the Three Seahawks (1928-29), the Navy’s first aerobatic stunt team. It was so successful, that after WWII, the navy commissioned the Blue Angels as a permanent aerobatic team. While putting together his stunt team he was working as a Navy test pilot at Anacostis, then the Navy’s flight test center. He also developed a dive bombing attack coordinating multiple aircraft from multiple directions that proved successful during WWII (esp. in the Pacific Theater). By the end of the 1920s he had resigned his Navy commission and joined Maddux Airlines, which became TWA in mid-1929. He then collaborated with Charles Lindbergh and Jack Frye providing Douglas Aircraft Corp. with specifications for an air transport that rolled off the line in 1933 as the DC-1. DC 2s and 3s followed shortly thereafter. In late 1934, Frye became president of TWA, and Tommy Tomlinson was leader in “High Altitude Research” (for over-weather flying). During WWII, he returned to the Navy, commanding Pacific Operations of the Naval Air Transport Service (NATS). After the war, he helped organize the Navy’s part in the Berlin airlift, enabling the Navy to make more flights than Air Force squadrons. He retired for the second (final) time in 1951. (p.17)
  
  Geo W. Struble (George Wallace) (1886-1871). He also graduated from the Naval Academy in 1908, then moved to PA to work for Bethlehem Steel, eventually becoming VP. He was issued Patent US 1189403A for a percussion fuse for projectiles in 1916 (with William L. Lukens, also of Bethlehem Steel). (p.17)
  
  There are also many West Point grads and other high-ranking military men:
  · Thomas J. Hayes (1888 - 1967; USMA 1912), inducted into Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame in 1976. (p.18)
  · John W. Gulick Brig. Genl. 22 July 34 (became Maj. Genl.) (1875? – 1939) – AEF, Chief of Coast Artillery, chief of staff, 40th Division 1917-18, then War Dept. Gen. staff until 1924. Buried at Arlington (p.24)
  · P.H. Dunbar, Commander, USN, Washington, DC (p.21)
  · Audley L(ynne). Warburton, Lt. USN (1900 – 1974) went on to become Rear Admiral. (p.21)
  · Jim Furlong, Rear Adml. – (1881 – 1976), Chief of Naval Ordnance during WWII, tasked with salvaging and repairing sunken US ships at Pearl. He was on the USS Oglala (minelayer) at Pier 1010 when the Japanese struck on Dec. 7. At 7:55 he recognized the incoming planes, realized he was “Senior Officer Present Afloat,” ordered general quarters on the USS Oglala and raised the flags to signal “All ships in harbor sortie.” Too late, of course, by the time the orange-red “suns” were visible on the aircraft. (p.72, sgd. June 2, 1938)
  · G?S? H. Humphrey, Brig Gen. USA (pp.74-75)
  · Donald J. Armstrong Lt. Col. Ord. Dept. Became Brig. Gen. 1939. Chief of Chicago Ordn. District, 1942, coordinating industrial mobilization and wartime production; retired in 1946 after 35 yrs.; Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame.
  · John J. Kingman, Brig. Gen. Asst. Chief of Engrs. Feb. 14, 1941 – (1882-1948; USMA 1904, 4/124; Cullum #4218) – retired Nov. 30, 1941, recalled to active duty Dec. 1, 1941! (p.108-109).
  · Roy L. Bowlin, Lt. Col. Ord. Dept. (1919-2012; USMA 1943; Cullum #13247) (p.112-113)
  · Grandison Gardner, US Army Air Force (1892 – 1973), sgd. As Lt. Col.; retired as Maj. Gen. One late WWII project involved outfitting bombers with automatic pilots so they could be remotely controlled. (pp.114-115)
  · H[ugh]. A. Drum, Lt. Gen. US Army (1879 – 1951) Was offered a direct commission as 2nd Lt. while enrolled at Boston College (intent on a career as Jesuit priest); accepted the commission. Father (career army officer) had served in SpanAm, KIA in Cuba. Hugh went to the Philippines; caught attn. of Pershing, who had him assigned as Asst. Chief of Staff of 1st Army in WWI, later becoming CoS. Planned Meuse-Argonne offensive; between wars, one of his commands was Hawaii, where he renewed his acquaintance with George S. Patton, who was his asst. chief of staff for intelligence. Was passed over for promotion in favor of George Marshall in 1939, but still promoted to Lt. Gen. (reached mandatory retirement age in 1943) (p.121)
  · Next sig. – Sanderford (“Sandy”) Jarman Maj. Gen US Army (1884-1954; USMA 1908); served in both world wars (Pacific Theater WWII, command 27th I.D.) , served in Meuse-Argonne (probably had a long assoc. with Hugh Drum). Another Brig. Genl. follows, but illegible.
  · Joe Foss, Cap. US Marines, May 15 ’43. Joseph Jacob Foss (1915 – 2003) was a leading Marine fighter ace in WWII, CMOH; post-war – 20th Gov. South Dakota; and maybe most importantly, 1st commissioner of the NFL and TV broadcaster.
  · F[rancis] B[owditch] Wilby, Maj. Gen., Supt. USMA (1883-1965, USMA 1905); occupation of Cuba (1905-1906), AEF – Distinguished Service Medal 1923 for his work in Europe (Engineer); WWII – chief of staff First US Army under Hugh A. Drum; ret. 1946. Followed by nine men from USMA. (pp.127-128)
  ·Boyd Bartlett (1897-1965; USMA 1919) – Legion of Merit for “exceptional foresight and success in instituting a course in atomic physics during the war” Plus 8 more USMA. (pp.128-129)
  · William A[lbert]. Matheny, Brig. Gen. USAF (initially Army Air Corps) ( -1973). One of the first AC pilots to attempt to fly military aircraft from Langley Field to Panama, during which Matheny crashed. His actions earned him the Cheney Award in 1929 for “an act of valor, extreme fortitude or self-sacrifice and humanitarian interest.”
  · Doyle H. Hickey Brig. Gen. Dev. Sec. HQAGF. (1892-1961) Retired as Lt. Gen.; served WWI, WWII, Korea; Deputy Chief of Staff in Tokyo during MacArthur’s command. 1951 became Chief of Staff under Ridgway and Clark; after WWII, Chief of Research and Development Division for HQ, Army Ground Forces. (p.136-137)
  · J.H. (Jimmy)(James Harold) Doolittle (1896 – 1993). Won the CMOH for “Doolittle’s Raid,” the bombing of Tokyo in 1942 (p.98).
  
  Several groups of West Point cadets also visited (pp.18, 101)
  
  One group of military signatures involves several Chief Electricians from the USS Boggs, USS Dobbins, USS Melville, USS Whitney, USS Vestal (p.25)
  
  Another category is comprised of writers and reporters, especially during WWII, including:
  · Lauren D[wight].”Deac” Lyman, N.Y. Times, (1891-1972), writer 1919-1937; 1937-1959; PR Executive for United Aircraft. Won the Pulitzer for his story revealing that the Lindbergh family was (secretly) moving to England. (p.44)
  · Russell Davenport, Fortune Magazine 2/12/40 (managing editor) (p.99)
  · Robert Coughlan, Fortune Magazine (p.100)
  · Fred B. Bate (Frederick Blantford), NBC London (1886-1970). His first wife was known to Edward, so he had “inside” information on the affair with Wallis Simpson and Edward’s possible abdication, but when it came, Bate was in New York. He telephoned Alistair Cooke and had him go to the broadcasting house and send over a news dispatch before the midnight news circuit. Cooke broadcast to America for the next 10 days of the abdication crisis 6 or 7 times a day. Bate worked in London for over 20 years, was wounded by shrapnel in a bombing of London during WWII. He returned to US after WWII. (p.108-109) 
  · ? Early(?) This Week Magazine, NYC (pp.112-113)
  · Thomas R. Curran, United Press, Buenos Aires, vice president in charge of S. American Operations for UP for 12 years before receiving a managerial position in NY (1901 – 1993 [aged 92]); went to Buenos Aires in early 1943, so this was near beginning of his appointment there. (p.121)
  · Paul Hunter (Publisher) and Edward Maher (Editor), Liberty Magazine, (p.130)
  
  Additional autographs include:
  
  Herbert Hoover Jr. (1903-1969) (son of Herbert Hoover). He set up Western Air Express communications system and network of stations to guide radio-equipped aircraft. Western, Boeing, and American Airways formed Aeronautical Radio, Inc. a non-profit corp. to serve as single licensee and coordinator of radio communication (later joined by Pan Am and Curtiss-Wright). Hoover was elected first president of Aeronautical Radio (and got his portrait on cover of Time 14 July 1930), but resigned shortly after under criticism that he got the job because of his name, not his talent. Went on to explore the use of radio waves in oil exploration. Later he advised a number of countries – Venezuela, Iran – in negotiating oil contracts. Eisenhower sent him to Iran 1953-54 as a special envoy to broker a deal with US, England & Iran. Eisenhower then appointed him Undersecretary of State (1954-‘57). (p.31)
  
  Joe Crosson, Operations Manager, Pacific Alaska Airways, Fairbanks (1903-1949), Alaskan Aviation Heritage Museum Hall of Fame (inducted 2002). (p.33)
  
  Amelia Earhart who signed “Tr5716” after her name – her pilot’s certificate number. Just below is “GP Putnam,” her husband. (p.49)
  
  Many racing and test pilots, such as: 
  
  Frank Hawks, Redding, Conn “Hawks Nest” - (1897-1938), WWI pilot, record-breaking aviator – 214 point-to-point records – became an experimental aircraft pilot after retiring from racing, died in an experimental aircraft in 1938 (p.51).
  
  F.P. Lahm, Col. Air corps, a pioneer Army flier (second man to solo in the Army’s first airplane, after F.E. Humphreys, both after 3 hrs. instruction by Wilbur Wright, in 1909); has numerous organizations named for him. (LOC has photo of him in its collection) (pp.54-55, 74-75).
  
  Dick Palmer, Hughes Aircraft (designer of the Hughes H-1, last non-military aircraft to break speed records, now in National Air & Space Museum) (pp.58-59).
  
  William B. Odom “Reynolds Bombshell” NY - NY His ‘round the world solo flight time (New York to New York) still stands today for piston-engine aircraft. (p.136-137) (see http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=17654 for Odom’s career.)
  
  Terence Shane “July 30th back again after going round the world” (p.142)
  
  Group of three notables who signed one after the other: Frederick Poe Graham, The New York Times (1908 – 1982), aviation editor, war correspondent, later published a weekly paper that he purchased; with others wrote series of Aviation manuals and co-authored book on Air Corps training. (p.78)
  
  Robert A. Millikan, California Institute of Technology. (1868 – 1953) Millikan was an experimental physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923 for measurement of the elementary electronic charge. He also verified Einstein’s equations of the photoelectric effect, obtained an accurate value of Planck’s constant, then moved to Cal. Tech. to undertake a major study of background radiation, that he termed “cosmic rays.” (p.78, also on p.83)
  
  Gar (Garfield) Wood (1880 – 1971), the first man to travel over 100 mph on water; also an inventor who at one point held more US patents than any other living American. He left racing in 1933, but continued to build wood racing boats – today some of the most sought after in the world. (p.78)
  
  Richard M. Nixon, “Lt. US Navy, Navy Yard, Wash[ington], DC.” (p.79)
  
  Two Michigan congressmen, Roy O. Woodruff and Fredrick Van Ness Bradley (sgd. Frd. Bradley); Woodruff was the first elected on Progressive Party ticket. (p.84)
  
  Bob Bartlett (1904 – 1968), Territorial Rep. from Alaska, later Senator from Alaska (after statehood). LOC estimates that he had more bills passed than any other member of Congress (Bartlett Act required all federally funded buildings to be accessible to the handicapped.) (p.114-115)
  
  Hannibal C. Ford (1877 - 1955), founder of Ford Instrument Company, later merged and became Sperry Corporation. (pp.114-115)
  
  Frank Erickson “first arrival by helicopter 9 Nov. 1945” and Barney P. Mazonson “first helicopter passenger to land here 9 Nov. 1945.” (p.133)
  
  Frank Erickson (again) – this time “Elizabeth City NC to Lake Success by helicopter 4 hrs” May 28, 1947 (p.138-139)
  
  Jerry Fairbanks, ”Hollywood, Cal. Paramount Pict[ures].” Gerald Bertram Fairbanks (1904 – 1995) started in Hollywood as cameraman on silent movies, then went to early sound such as Howard Hughes’ Hell’s Angels (both as biplane pilot and aerial cinematographer), 1945 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (overall won 2 Oscars, had 5 nominations), then ventured into television, creating programs specifically for TV. Paramount forced him to choose – film or TV. He left for television; gave James Dean his first exposure in two Pepsi commercials; has a star on Walk of Fame. (p.133)
  
  Maurice Nelles (1906-1998), professor of aeronautical engineering at USoCal, but known for some deep sea work, developing the marine laboratory ship for USC and the benthoscope for deep diving; during WWII worked at Lockheed Corp. and War Production Board. (p.138-139)
  
  The album also includes signatures from many foreign military representatives, especially the United Kingdom – Royal Navy, Air Forces, Army plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand. In the early years, many Imperial Japanese Navy and Army signatures, China, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Chile, Soviets, Sweden, and the Iraqi Air Force. 
  
  Members of foreign missions are also represented in the album, many from the militaries of these above nations. Sperry was a “united nations” even before the formation of the United Nations and the use of Sperry’s building after the war.
  
  In addition, it contains representatives from most of the large airplane manufacturers, such as DeHavilland, Rolls Royce, Chrysler, Douglas, and many more, including one in Manchuria. 
  
  Research firms include Ford Instrument (before merger), Webb Institute, as well as several universities (above).
  
  Most of the later pages contain attendees at meetings or workshops. Page 140 jumps from Nov. 1948 to Jan. 1950. There are several pages for 1950, then page 144 has 1952-1955, p. 145 is a manager’s meeting from 1956 and the last pages, 146-147 are probably also Sperry meetings with dates of 156-159.
  
  This important album highlights the interconnectedness of military and public sectors in research and design, and it is clear that there are many more stories here to be discovered.  

  Condition

  Some toning of pages and slight cock to textblock. Overall in very good condition, especially considering the amount of use it got. There seems to have been some hinge reinforcement at some point, not unexpected for an item that got as much use as this.
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