Alexander de Seversky Signed P-35 Photo, 1938 Cleveland National Air Races For Sale

Alexander de Seversky Signed P-35 Photo
1938 Cleveland National Air Races
27th Pursuit Squadron, Selfridge Field, Signed 1971DESCRIPTIONAn original vintage photograph of a Seversky P-35 pursuit fighter, signed and inscribed in blue ballpoint ink by Alexander P. de Seversky himself: "To Gene Kropt, with my best wishes," followed by his bold signature and the date 12/17/71.De Seversky was a decorated Russian fighter ace of World War I who emigrated to the United States in 1918 and founded the Seversky Aircraft Corporation on Long Island, New York.The P-35 pictured here, photographed on the grass at an airfield packed with spectators alongside a squadron mate, was the U.S. Army Air Corps' first all metal, single seat pursuit plane with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit, and its design lineage runs directly to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt that followed it into World War II.The aircraft wears the markings of the Army's 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, including the tail code PA 63, prewar rudder stripes, and a diving raptor squadron emblem on the cowling consistent with the 27th Pursuit Squadron.A pencil caption on the reverse identifies the setting as the 1938 Cleveland National Air Races, and a second hand later added the note "Alexander de Seversky, famous aircraft designer" beneath it.That caption lines up with the documented history: the 27th Pursuit Squadron out of Selfridge Field flew an eighteen plane formation of Seversky P-35s at the 1938 National Air Races in Cleveland, an event captured in period wire photos that survive in press archives today, making this piece part of a real, independently documented moment rather than an unverifiable notation.Seversky signed and dated this print on December 17, 1971, not quite three years before his death in August 1974, putting his own hand directly on an image of the aircraft that built his company's reputation and set the stage for Republic Aviation.This is a single original photograph, the additional images show close up detail of the signature, the aircraft markings, and the reverse.Scanned at 600dpi so every detail is preserved for your records. Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free sleeves. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONGood to very good vintage condition. The original gelatin silver print is sharp and clean with strong contrast throughout the image area, and the ink signature and inscription are bold, fully legible, and show no fading. The reverse carries scattered brown adhesive and mounting stains around the borders from a vintage scrapbook or album, along with light corner and edge wear consistent with age and handling, but these stains stay outside the printed image on the front. No tears, no creases through the image, and no paper loss. The print measures approximately 9 x 7 inches. This condition report reflects the actual scans included in this listing.

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