Beschreibung:

4to, paperboard covers, with imprinted title Inauguration of Trans-Pacific Air Mail Service, 22pp, with 32 tipped-in silver gelatin photographs, some mounted recto/verso, ranging in size from 2.25 x 3 in. to 8 x 10 in., accompanied by typed captions, text, and autographs. Dated Nov. 22, 1935, this unique book documents the Inauguration of the Trans-Pacific Air Mail Service between the U.S., the Hawaiian Islands, and the Philippines via Midway, Wake, and Guam Islands, which took place in San Francisco Bay. A typed transcription of the inaugural ceremonies is accompanied by photographs of the China Clipper, which was the four-engine flying boat built for Pan American Airways and used for this first transpacific commercial air service, plus images of the event and the officials involved, including: Pres. Roosevelt, who was not present at the event but submitted the first letter to be sent to Pres. Manuel Quezon of the Philippines; Postmaster Gen. Farley, who turned the first bag of mail over to Pan American; J.T. Trippe, Pres. of Pan American; Manuel L. Quezon, Pres. of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, plus signature; signed photos of the 7 members of the flight crew; Frank Merriam, Gov. of California, plus signature; and Joseph Poindexter, Gov. of Hawaii, plus signature. The final pages feature a Log of the China Clipper, outlining the schedule and flight information from San Francisco to Manila and back, plus pictures of the China Clipper at various ports of call made during the crossing. On Nov. 29, after traveling 8,210 miles, the airplane reached Manila and delivered 110,000 pieces of mail. The China Clipper remained in Pan Am service until Jan. 1945 when it was destroyed in a crash in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Condition: Few scattered spots on pages; remnants of adhesive used to mount photos is visible on some of the pages; some wear to cover.