Paul Calle (American, 1928 - 2010) and Chris Calle (American, B. 1961) "1900s - Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers" Signed lower right. Mixed Media on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. Celebrate the Century Series 32c Kitty Hawk 1903 stamp issued February 3, 1998.
December 17, 1903, was a bleak and chilly morning in North Carolina. On the windswept sand dunes of Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, a small group of curious onlookers had gathered to watch two intrepid brothers -- Wilbur and Orville Wright -- attempt to fly a 745-pound wheelless biplane they'd built in their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop. In the middle of the 40-foot-long lower wing lay Orville Wright, face down in a hip cradle. As the 12-horsepower motor roared and the aircraft moved forward, Wilbur Wright ran alongside holding the tip of the right wing to keep the plane steady. Approaching the end of the runway, the Flyer suddenly rose into the air and climbed to about 10 feet above the sand. For 12 memorable seconds it actually flew, covering a distance of 120 feet before nosing down and skidding to a rude landing. Orville later described the event as the "first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward on a level course without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started." The Wright Brothers spent five years marketing their plane before signing contracts with both the U.S. Army and a French commercial concern. The airplane was poised to make a monumental mark on the 20th century.
Image Size: 18.5 x 13.5 in.
Overall Size: 22.25 x 16 in.
Unframed.
(B15823 / B15829)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com