Scarce First Flight airmail cover, postmarked Fort Wayne, Indiana, December 6, 1930, commemorating the inauguration of airmail service. The cover features a newspaper photograph affixed to the front depicting a roundtable of prominent figures: Clarence Darrow (noted attorney, agnostic, and defender in the Scopes “Monkey” Trial), Rev. Charles L. DeBow (Methodist minister), Quinn O’Brien (Catholic layman), and Rabbi Barnett R. Brickner. Beneath the photograph is a caption identifying each participant and their respective viewpoints in a spirited theological debate.
Each individual has signed boldly across his image, creating a striking presentation that unites four significant religious and intellectual voices of the early 20th century. The envelope bears two 5¢ U.S. airmail stamps and a large illustrated cachet for the “First Flight Inaugurating Air Mail Service, Fort Wayne, Indiana.”
This piece is both a unique aviation postal history artifact and a multi-signed document of social, legal, and religious significance, anchored by the exceedingly desirable autograph of Clarence Darrow. Items combining Darrow’s signature with contemporary religious leaders, tied to aviation history, are virtually unheard of, making this an exceptional collector’s treasure.
With One of a Kind Collectibles LOA