Priceless 1911 volume Aeroplane on Ebay

Varese2002 · 19 August 2009, 11:58 PM

A bound complete (inclusive advertisements) first volume (1911) of The Aeroplane a famous English aviation weekly has appeared on Ebay USA for auction. The Aeroplane was for years the great rival for Flight.

This first volume is actually half a year (#1 June 8, 1911 till #30 December 29, 1911). Looking at the bound example this one comes of a library.

Although the auction price is very, very steep at least you have the pleasure of looking at a few scans of pages.

The Ebay action can be found here

Cheers

Kees

Jim · 20 August 2009, 07:15 AM

I agree that the price is not very realistic, but you never know. Even if the price were significantly lower I would be uncomfortable bidding on it since it is a library copy. When libraries deaccession books from their collections, especially ones with some value such as this, they stamp them or otherwise mark them as having been officially sold out of their collection. Sadly, the market is full of library books and materials that were taken from libraries by crooks to sell for profit, and sadly, most libraries are not in a position to do much to guard against such thefts. I am in no way accusing this seller of knowingly participating in such a situation, but this is an all too common occurrence and so I will not buy library books unless there is no question that it was not stolen. For example, in this auction there is no mention of which library this is from for someone to check with to ensure it is was properly sold by them.

dpolglaze · 20 August 2009, 12:28 PM

Thanks, kees. Interesting bit of pre-war aero history.

One of the images has what could be a library stamp. I found the identical item through a bookseller site (price there $2100), and there was a higher resolution image. For anyone so inclined, close-up review may reveal the library.

Dan

Jim · 20 August 2009, 12:46 PM

The circular stamp with the eagle in the center is for the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Reich Air Ministry) which was the headquarters of the German air force from 1933 to 1945. It eventually became today's German air force - the Luftwaffe. I can not make out the full wording around the bottom of the rubber stamp but it starts with Buch..... which means "book" something. I also can not make out the straightline rubber stamp. Perhaps one of our German members on the forum will recognize these. From what I can see, this appears to be a book that came from the German air force. Until the other stamps can be read, I would not know if it still belongs to them or if the rubber stamps indicate that it was sold by the air force.

berman · 20 August 2009, 01:01 PM

It would be great if a group of individuals scanned private and library collections of all the pre 1920 aviation magazines. As a DVD can store 54,000 pages, all these issues could be sold to modelers and historians at a very reasonable price.

Varese2002 · 20 August 2009, 01:02 PM

Thanks Dan, this volume may have an interesting history and has certainly travelled over the world (sort of book diaspora). It is amazing that such a piece really has survived. I found some more information about the diaspora of books here

Jim, I agree with you completely that one should not buy books stolen from libraries. I once looked at an interesting book which was a double of a library, so they dispensed with the double ('sell it'). But they had already years ago ruined the book by library stamps on every 10th page and then with an extra stamp that it was officially scratched from the library collection. I have not bought that book, it was completely ruined by stamps. So obviously I have almost never bought books with library stamps etc.

Cheers

Kees

Varese2002 · 20 August 2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim

The circular stamp with the eagle in the center is for the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Reich Air Ministry) which was the headquarters of the German air force from 1933 to 1945. It eventually became today's German air force - the Luftwaffe. I can not make out the full wording around the bottom of the rubber stamp but it starts with Buch..... which means "book" something. I also can not make out the straightline rubber stamp. Perhaps one of our German members on the forum will recognize these. From what I can see, this appears to be a book that came from the German air force. Until the other stamps can be read, I would not know if it still belongs to them or if the rubber stamps indicate that it was sold by the air force.

The German text reads Einnahmebuch-Nr. 35.2253, an accessions number. If the number has any meaning it may be the 2253rd volume catalogued (taken-in) in 1935.

The full text of the round stamp is Reichsluftfahrtministerium Bücherei (Library of the German ministry of aviation).

I do not have proof, but most likely this volume was taken away somehow in the onslaught of the end of WW2 (may 1945). Someone, a government official or an individual may have realized the worth of it. The last paragraph is all conjecture though.

Cheers

Kees

Varese2002 · 20 August 2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berman

It would be great if a group of individuals scanned private and library collections of all the pre 1920 aviation magazines. As a DVD can store 54,000 pages, all these issues could be sold to modelers and historians at a very reasonable price.

You will be surprised how many aviation magazine volumes have been scanned by organizations like Google

. Reading of complete magazines worldwide is even for early magazines from 1911 / 1912 out of order, given the world's differences in law. The USA has a less stringent law, so most documents published before 1923 is in the public domain. Realize that US citizens can read loads of books which cannot be read in Europe.

Cheers

Kees