Historical Object
Air Mail Begins
Souvenir envelope mailed by John A. Lester on the flight that inaugurated air mail service between Madison and Minneapolis in 1927. Madison's first incoming airmail consignment from Chicago and Milwaukee was delivered to Pennco Field (Royal Airport) by Charles "Speed" Holman, the chief pilot of Northwest Airways. The outgoing flight carried over 3,500 pieces of mail. Airmail contracts such as the one Northwest Airways had to deliver mail to several Wisconsin cities often meant the difference between success and failure for many early airlines. The 10-cent airmail stamp honoring Charles A. Lindbergh and the "Spirit of St. Louis" was particularly appropriate because he had been an airmail pilot for several years before his trans-Atlantic flight. As a national hero, he used his prestige to improve conditions for transport pilots. |
Image ID: | 10216 |
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Creation Date: | 11 22 1927 |
Creator Name: | Unknown |
City: | Madison |
County: | Dane |
State: | Wisconsin |
Collection Name: | John A. Lester scrapbook, 1927-1932 |
Genre: | Historical Object |
Original Format Type: | object |
Original Format Number: | Mss 218 |
Original Dimensions: | 5.5 x 3.5 inches |
Ephemera |
Postal service |
Signs and symbols |
Airplanes |
Air mail service |
This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society. |
Location: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin |
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