Newfoundland Air Mail 1919-39
January 25, 2023
Newfoundland has played an important role in the development of long-distance air travel. As the easternmost place in North America, it became a popular runway for many aviation pioneers attempting to cross the Atlantic by air in 1919. It also served as a refueling point for round-the-world attempts in the 1920s. Amelia Earhart made two record-setting flights from Newfoundland, in 1928 and 1932. The advent of passenger flights in the 1930s brought the pioneer period to a close, but established Newfoundland as a major stopover between Europe and North America. This June will mark 104th Anniversary of the Alcock & Brown flight (On 15 June 1919 came the telegram with the news that the Vicker's Vimy landed in Ireland, having completed the 1,860 mile flight in 16 hours. The news was received with great enthusiasm. "Well, it must be something for a man in Ireland today to be able to say Yesterday, when I was in America", quoted the pilots). The rest is history.
We are pleased to present the award-winning collection assembled by Jean-Claude Vasseur, author of "Newfoundland Air Mails 1919/1939" published in 2015. The collection tells the story of the Great Transatlantic Air Race and the struggles of early aviation. Many rarities and unique items are included.
The auction will take place on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Cherrystone Auction Galleries and on CherrystoneLive.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #111 NEWFOUNDLAND AIR MAIL - 1921-1939 Flight Covers 1922 (13 Mar) first flight cover from Labrador to St. John's, franked with 3c Caribou, canceled Nain Labrador Jan 19, 1922, with large "Per Aerial Mail" handstamp, March 3rd Cartwright pmk on back, showing endorsement "1st Labrador Air Mail left Cartwright March 13th 1922 at 10 am and after landing at St Anthony and Botwood arrived in St John's 5:05 pm having been 5 hours in the air" (beginning in March 1922, Major Cotton started a project to fly to Battle Harbour on the Southern Labrador coast and possible extension to Cartwright, 150 miles further north, for a total of 500 miles), v.f. example of the winter mail flight by the Cotton & Bennett "Aerial Survey Co." to Labrador, one of only two covers known  | Price Realized $850.00 |
