Airships around the world!

Texas Man Has Sky-High Dreams of an Airship Race Around the World

Going back a mere 12 years for the origins of this next post we switch from the road to the air and a mode of transport oft-championed by this blogger; one that is slowly (as is its wont!) continuing its renaissance in a new 21st-century reimagining but still with positive links to its past - the airship.

Even more of an enthusiast of this form of lighter-than-air travel than yours truly (and in a far better position to do something to promote it!), Texas native Don Hartsell has spent over 40 years dreaming and nearly 20 years planning the inaugural World Sky Race for airships.  As reported back in 2012, Hartsell had been attempting to raise commercial and financial interest for his fantastic scheme since at least 2006, with the nascent plan to have the race ready to begin from London in 2014.  Alas, as is often the way with these sorts of huge undertakings, that vision was forced to go by the wayside (as had an earlier start date of 2011) due sadly to a lack of necessary funds.      

Now, however, Mr Hartsell seems confident enough to speak again publicly about his marvellous idea - with what would seem to be some credible expressions of interest from a variety of parties representing all different sorts of markets and the advantage of a far more advanced airship industry that looks poised to take on this epic challenge to their (and the world's) benefit.  Things seem to have progressed to such a degree that Mr Hartsell has even bought six(!) airships for use by any entity who might wish to join the race and I genuinely wish him the very best of luck in his search for entrants into his World Sky Race.  The chances of that seem all the more heightened thanks to the remarkable number of airship manufacturers that have sprung up over the last fifteen years or so and the progress they have all made in that time.

French airship to fly around the world nonstop, fossil fuel-free

French concern Euro Airship is just one of several companies at an advanced stage of airship development and to promote their latest vessel Solar Airship One have, in a similar vein to Mr Hartsell, announced their intention to undertake a 20-day long nonstop flight around the world without using any fossil fuels whatsoever (as the name suggests, the airship is 100% solar-powered). Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if the two were to team up, or at least for Euro Airship to enter the World Sky Race?!  What a boost it would be for the industries involved - not only airship design and application but all the associated machinery that goes with it; a true melding of old and new technologies, a showcase for 21st-century know-how in a long-neglected pre-war ideal!  I look forward to continuing to follow the progress of Euro Airships as they gear up for the planned 2026 launch - they certainly seem to be well set to succeed, with some experienced aviators signed up to the project (not least famed French adventurer Bertrand Piccard).  This is definitely one to watch!  

Flying Whales eyes cargo revolution with a familiar solution

Likewise, fellow Gallic airship engineering business Flying Whales (great name!) seem well on their way to becoming airborne, their new Large Capacity Airship scheduled to gain its type certification within the year with the aim to be fully operational by 2027.  They already have an eye on the international cargo market with plans to set up production plants in Canada and Australia to complement their Bordeaux HQ; I wouldn't bet against them either!

source - Wikimedia Commons

Hybrid Air Vehicles kicks off Airlander 10 certification

British-based Hybrid Air Vehicles, working out of the old airship hangers at Cardington in Bedfordshire (where the R.101 was built and departed from on its ill-fated maiden flight to India in 1930), is another airship manufacturer that has spent the last fifteen years refining its own designs into the Airlander 10.  Now they have finally reached the exciting stage of applying for type certification with the UK's Civil Aviation Authority which, if given, should allow HAV to begin full-scale production with commercial flights envisaged to start in around four years' time.  Airships gracing the skies of Britain (and the world) again before the end of the decade?  What's not to like?!

Never ones to be left behind in any race - technological or otherwise - American expertise is also working on its own airship design with the US company Aeros' Dragon Dream concept having been in development since 2013 and although the prototype suffered a setback in 2015 when it was damaged in a hanger accident it would seem the company is still pushing ahead with the search for a production site; I see no reason why we should not see their eVBAs criss-crossing the globe again within a similar timescale.  

The world’s largest aircraft breaks cover in Silicon Valley 

EDIT 09/03/24: I knew I'd forgotten one - and how embarrassing that it should be the largest of the lot!😳 (I say, emojis - are they new?  Sorry, I'm digressing!)  Apologies to LTA (Lighter Than Air) Research, the brainchild of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, whose Pathfinder 1 prototype has recently taken its initial steps towards regular test flights over its California base after 10 years in development.  Once again utilising the very latest in aeronautical technology the Pathfinder nevertheless retains much of the traditional airship design and will doubtless make a mightily impressive sight sailing over the San Francisco Bay area.  That an even larger Pathfinder 3 is planned - and to be headquartered at Akron, Ohio (to the USA what Cardington is to Britain) - is almost too much to imagine but I'll wager that, with this level of backing, if anyone can do it these chaps can!  A fleet of Pathfinders, joining with the other airships mentioned above to deliver urgently-needed cargo to inhospitable areas, carry passengers to anywhere in the world - or even just take part in an around-the-globe World Sky Race! 😉 - feels more and more like an attainable goal if these projects achieve their potential, as I'm sure they must.  

As well as the many commercial enterprises that are pursuing the 21st-century airship concept, so smaller businesses and private designers have also recently been reimagining them for modern personal use in the wonderfully futuristic form of "air yachts" - the term dating from the golden age of pre-war flying boats, especially the smaller private variety, but now meaning an airship/boat hybrid!  While admittedly the idea of superyachts in this day and age is understandably looked upon in some circles as vulgar and unnecessary one has to admit the engineering, not to mention the execution, can still stir the soul and remind one of the technical skills and spirit of adventure that mankind possesses.

AirYacht reveals radical 52m airship-yacht crossover concept

Swiss-based company AirYacht (a relative newcomer formed in 2017), is one of the few airship designers to be exclusively targeting the passenger market with its AirYacht concept.  Attractively billed as "the sky's cruise ship" and again harking back to the glory days of international luxury travel, the AirYacht seems to be intended for private owners or select travellers wishing to take small group holidays and sightseeing tours to otherwise remote places - as with all of these ventures much being made of the sustainability, advancements and slower pace afforded by the application of modern technology to these incredible craft.  Although I fear that, at least initially, a flight in the AirYacht will be beyond the reach of most of us mere mortals it is to be hoped that again success will lead to similar, more accessible craft taking to the skies and so to greater economies of scale in the future.  I certainly wouldn't say no, given the opportunity!

Colossea in photos: Airship with detachable upper structure to sail

Another airship enthusiast (witness his reference to the 1924 airship Norge, which I also previously blogged about) and imaginer of airship-yacht crossovers, Perpaolo Lazzarini's Colossea is his second design following his 2022 concept but, whereas that was intended to land directly on the water, so the Colossea has a separate airship attached to a boat's superstructure, able to detach at will to fly independently!  Again aimed at the ultra-luxury mega-yacht market the Colessea nevertheless boasts some fantastic modern engineering again married to traditional airship design and - if one must have these things - I can't help but again feel enthusiastic that such a project even exists. 

With all these at various advanced stages of development I can't see why Mr Hartsell's World Sky Race shouldn't have a whole slew of entrants from across the private and commercial sectors lining up to take part.  What amazing publicity it would be for all these airship manufacturers to be involved in such a great adventure, circumnavigating the globe and showing whole new generations the wonderful potential of airships and so finally throwing off the terrible images of the Hindenburg and R.101 - tragic though they were - that have unfairly dogged this mode of transport for too long.  The airship cannot - must not - go on being judged in such outdated fashions (to be fair, I feel that these have been somewhat overrated in recent times - I fancy that the younger generation will be far more open to this revised mode of transport, particularly given its new ecological credentials) and a World Sky Race featuring the best current lighter-than-air design has to offer has to go some way towards continuing the revival of this splendid form of travel.  Could the 2020s be the decade that airships finally enjoy their long-overdue resurgence?  With all this positive development I think we can do more than hope!   

How One Photographer Gets All Of Her Inspiration From The '30s

How One Photographer Gets All Of Her Inspiration From The '30s

A nice little article now, the last of my 2020 drafts and a pleasing showcase of a fellow vintage aficionado from Brooklyn who lives a full 1930s life with her partner.  

As the accompanying video also explains, Rose Callahan has not only embraced the Thirties lifestyle and fashions but has also incorporated it into her work as a professional photographer and author.  One can clearly see both her enthusiasm for the era and its fashions and the way in which her photography is imbued with the same degree of passion.  That she as found in her husband Kelly Bray someone so in tune with her own interests and way of life is really lovely to see and much of what she says regarding the appeal of the interwar years, including the clothing and general style of the period, once again strikes a chord with this blogger (and I suspect, a good many other vintagistas).  Their books on the subject of dandies sound most intriguing and I have a feeling I must look them up with a view to adding them to my library!  In the meantime I wish Rose and Kelly continued success with their way of life and journalistic endeavours, both of which I think it safe to say are a welcome addition to the international vintage scene.

Ohio museum volunteers constructing vintage B-17

Ohio museum volunteers constructing vintage B-17

As volunteers and enthusiasts at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre here in Britain continue to work towards getting a third Avro Lancaster bomber restored to airworthy condition, so their counterparts at the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, Ohio U.S.A., are undertaking an even more mammoth task - to rebuild an example of the United States' primary Second World War heavy bomber, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

Of the forty-six surviving B-17 airframes known to exist around the world, thirteen are currently in airworthy condition - including Sally B, the only flying example in Britain, based at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.  The majority are of course located in museums across America and in a few years' time, if all goes well, they will be joined by this fourteenth - Champaign Lady.

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The volunteers at the Champaign Aviation Museum - many of them U.S. Air Force veterans themselves - must be commended for taking on this project, for it is so much more than a simple restoration.  With no more complete or intact airframes forthcoming, these enthusiasts have taken to scavenging parts piecemeal and - where they no longer exist - making them themselves from Boeing's own original blueprints.  In effect, then, this is more a completely new-build aircraft than a restoration, with the promise of a machine better than a Boeing production model from the 1940s at the end of it.

With the famous Memphis Belle currently undergoing restoration at the nearby National Museum of the U.S.A.F. and destined never to fly again following designation as a national treasure, it is more important than ever that airworthy examples of this aircraft continue flying in the future.  The prospect of one built to modern tolerances with largely new parts is an exciting one, as it will no doubt ensure that at least one B-17 Flying Fortress will be flying and thrilling new generations for decades to come.  Good luck to them, say I, and I can't wait to see it!

Vintage Chicago film found at estate sale shows 1940s-era city

Vintage Chicago Film Found at Estate Sale Shows 1940s-era City

The subject of this post sounds like something my aunt and uncle would find during their numerous trawls of estate sales, or a treasure we could only dream of unearthing in the far rarer house clearances that occur with much less frequency in Britain.

It's a constant source of amazement to me that films such as this can turn up in the most unlikeliest of places decades after they were shot, capturing the attention of people - social historians, nostalgists, you, me - that the makers (and those who appeared on the screen) could never have even imagined.  But they do, as this latest example so amply demonstrates, and I for one am continually grateful for the fact.  How many historical gems have lain - and continue to lay - forgotten and undiscovered in the corner of a dusty archive, or nearly been thrown away (or worse, actually thrown away), all because of a vague/wrong label?

This could have been the case here (and likely would have been, had it occurred in this country) had the canister containing the film not been snapped up by a curious Chicagoan.  It is perhaps not surprising that the new owner showed such an interest in it since, in one of those serendipitous incidents that sometimes occur, the chap is a young film & video technician.  I'll bet even he never expected to uncover an amazing portal to Chicago 70 years ago, though, and neither did anybody else judging by the negligible amount of money he ended up paying for it!

The contents have proved to be of far greater historical value, however, containing as they do over thirty minutes' footage of mid-Forties Chicago - everywhere from the usual tourist haunts to the less-visited working districts.  It is a wonderful time capsule of what still remains "a city of beauty, strength and power" and a glorious glimpse of a time past; so unusual that even the Chicago Film Archives and the Chicago Board of Education (for whom the original film was made) are having trouble finding a record of it.

Regardless of whether the reasons become known as to why this film was shot and how it stayed undiscovered for so, it is splendid to see it again in all its glory and to know that it will be appreciated as a snapshot of history.  Once again, it makes you wonder just what else is out there waiting to be found!

Young pilot earns his wings restoring vintage aeroplane

A 1948 Luscombe Silvaire 8E, similar to Koerner's 8C
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Young pilot earns his wings restoring vintage aeroplane

A story I've been looking forward to featuring ever since it made its way into my Drafts folder, this is a welcome tale of an established family aviation business whose future seems assured - as is evidenced by the splendid restoration of a beautiful 1940s light aircraft by a father and son team.

The history of this particular rara avis is remarkable, and the Koerner's arduous effort to restore it to its former glory even more so.  Like so many restoration projects it sounds like it was more difficult than it first appeared, but well done to the chaps for sticking with it and successfully putting this wonderful aeroplane back in the air.

In particular it is heartening to see a young man take such interest in so vintage a piece of machinery and the history behind it.  He's certainly got a gorgeous aircraft out of it and I'm glad to see he appreciates it so much.

  

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Thanks to the hard work of these enthusiasts another rare aeroplane has been saved and returned to the skies where it belongs, flying (very well, by the sounds of it) for the first time in over six decades.  It is to be hoped that the likes of Koerner Aviation can continue their worthy work restoring and rebuilding vintage aircraft, so preserving them for the enjoyment of future generations.  Future generations who, like the son in this story, could go on to rescue historic machines themselves.  Well done, you fellows!

Janus Motorcycles capture 1920s style

Source: visordown.com via Bruce on Pinterest

Janus Motorcycles capture 1920s style

From America now comes news of a spiffing new motorcycle - the Janus Halcyon 50.

It may resemble the early lightweights of the 1910s and '20s - always the intention of the company's vintage motorcycle enthusiast creators - but only the æsthetics are old-fashioned.  In yet another welcome example of time-honoured design married to up-to-date technology the Janus Halcyon uses all-modern mechanicals - electric kick start, a 6-speed gearbox and fuel-efficient engine - to provide the best of both worlds.

Interestingly the Halcyon also stays true to the simple cruiser philosophy of the small-engined Twenties' machines, with another concession to modernity.  The engine is a 50cc unit - the same size as all those anonymous little Peugeot and Piaggo scooters you see L-plated 16-year olds whizzing about on.  If it weren't for the fact that the Halcyon, as a US-built machine, can do 55mph rather than the 31mph British law insists upon it could almost be classed as a moped/scooter.  In an ideal world youths would be zooming about on Halcyons instead of annoying little buzzboxes, but that is just this author's pipe dream and Janus is more likely to find customers among the similarly retro-minded riders of traditional machines.  You may be surprised, like I am, to think that a small-engined motorcycle like the Halcyon could do well in a land where "hogs" like Harley Davidson are kings of the road but the company owners seem to think there is a market and both available models seem to be competitively priced.  I have heard that more modest machinery is gaining in popularity in the States and Janus 'bikes certainly have the charm and nostalgia to succeed, so who knows?  

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Janus Motorcycles thinks big with small displacement

I also like the fact that they're employing local Amish people to help hand-build some of the metalwork.  There's one way to ensure a true vintage look, certainly!  Having met Amish people and seen their handiwork first hand I have no doubt that Halcyons' frames will be beautifully constructed to a high standard.  I'm delighted that they're involved and impressed that Janus have thought to approach them.

Will Janus motorcycles ever make it across the Atlantic?  Well, they're still a young company and currently only ship within the continental USA (although I suppose there's nothing to stop someone travelling out there, buying one and shipping it back themselves).  In the longer term I'd love to see them over here (of course!).  I think they would prove to be very popular, particularly here in the UK where vintage motorcycle enthusiasts abound and where so many motorcycle companies - whose early machines the Halcyon clearly resembles - once thrived.  The engine is a Spanish unit, so Janus would also have the advantage of not having to do too much to meet European emissions standards.  The company has a noble and realistic philosophy that as and when they achieve it in the United States they may well start to look further afield.  I wish them luck and hope to see and hear more of them in the future. 

Typewriters of Britain, unite!

Another week has nearly flown by; what a busy month this has been!  Summer has finally arrived too, although I read that it will be going away again come the weekend.

Anyway, I had intended to do a post today about a player piano and a bicycle.  There's a novel combination, eh?  It sounds like something from a Laurel & Hardy film, doesn't it?  I bet you're wondering now just what it'll all be about, aren't you?  A bicycle-powered player piano, perhaps?  Some chap cycling across America with a player piano in tow, maybe?  Well, you'll just have to wait a little bit longer to find out I'm afraid.

A type-in is essentially people meeting up, usually in a public place - a park, a café, a town square (other suggestions welcome!) - and typing!  Whether it be a letter, a poem, a short story or just some faint random lines mixed with expletives it's just an excuse to socialise with folks who share an interest and give these old typers a new lease of life.  You don't even have to have a [portable] typewriter yourself as there are always collectors and multiple-typewriter owners willing to lend machines for the purpose.

Type-ins (or type-outs, depending on the weather!) have been a great success in the States - as well as the above video see Life In A Typewriter Shop and Writing Ball amongst others - so why shouldn't they be in the UK too?  Don't we have the name of British manufacturer Imperial (maker of my own Model 66) to uphold?  Haven't we got antiques stores, car boot sales, lofts and the like where typewriters may be hiding?  Didn't we invent the blessed thing?!  Surely the time has come for us Brits to take a hand?  The world of the vintage and typewriter enthusiast is ripe for a crossover - I can't be the only retro-minded chap to enjoy the clacking of keys on paper?

What has been suggested is still only in the early planning stages (and may not come off if there is no interest) but the crux of it is simple - a type-in somewhere in the British Isles.  With that in mind and assuming the availability of typewriters and a suitable (central) location the question as it stands is this:

Would you be interested in a UK-based type-in?

Feel free to vote and/or comment below and - depending on how it goes - I'll be back with the results next week.  In the meantime, don't forget to stay tuned for that bike-piano combo!

East Texas man recreates 1920s-era Gulf station

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East Texas man recreates 1920s-era Gulf station

To east Texas, United States, now where a splendid old local character has recently been putting the finishing touches to an obvious labour of love - a replica of his town's first petrol station that opened in the 1920s.

A fine-looking building it is too, very reminiscent of those early gas stations that popped up in rural communities across the land during the pioneer years of the motor car - as well it should be considering the time taken and detail gone into by Mr Rogers.  The world needs people like him and it is lovely to see the community appreciating his interest in its history, not to mention his penchant for collecting fascinating historical objects.  His comment about the perceived difference between a collector and a hoarder is funny, and quite true.  I have no doubt that his home is a treasure trove of antique items with a story to tell and that he will continue to add to his collection for as long as he can - good luck to him.

I am sure Mr Rogers will continue to get many years of enjoyment out of his wonderful Gulf station (although from the sound of things he is already looking ahead to his next project, I shouldn't wonder!), and I would hope that the people of New Harmony, TX will also take the place to heart as an important part of the town - both now and for what it represents of the past.  These small rural American towns have very often hardly changed in generations, as is evidenced here by the fact that some residents grandparents and great-grandparents lived in the neighbourhood and the son of the original station's owner was on hand to cut the opening ribbon.

In these days of bright, impersonal forecourts and splash'n'dash refuelling it is nice to, as Mr Rogers puts it, "step back and forget the traffic" - to step back in time, quite literally, and see how the early petrol stations of America looked, thanks to the dedication of one man.  You may not be able to get petrol at New Harmony Gulf Station No. 2, but I'll bet you can get a good feel for the past.

Neon light left on since 1935 racks up $17,000 in electric bills

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Neon light left on since 1935 racks up $17K in electric bills

This blog often features stories of vintage machinery being unearthed and then restored to working order (witness the recent MG story), but this is one of those unusual occasions when someone has come across something that was still working after having remained undiscovered for over 70 years!

Tales of long-lived light bulbs are not as rare as one might be given to think, with several even older than 70 years known throughout the UK and USA, but this is the first example in my experience of a newer neon light being found still in working order - and in such remarkable circumstances to boot (not to mention the fact that it has been on continuously for all this time, whereas other "old bulbs" are switched off and on)!

Clifton's Cafeteria unveils its original facade after almost 50 years

These remarkable circumstances first began to unfold back in February when Clifton's Cafeteria, a landmark Los Angeles restaurant that dates back to the mid-1930s, began to be restored by its new owner.  Why I didn't do a post about it at the time I can't imagine, but the link to the original story in the L.A. Times is above.  Following the removal of the cafe's later 1960s covering the building's original frontage from when it was first built in 1904 was revealed (and jolly nice it looks too - or will look once it is renovated, I'm sure).

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Work has since begun on the internals, at which point this amazing neon light has been discovered buried behind a wall!  Still on after maybe 77 years, at a potential cost of $17,000 (although I wonder if the Los Angeles electricity board will waive the fee?).  An incredible testament to neon's longevity and also to the original owner of Clifton's who, by all accounts, simply built over or reused old features - who knows what else may be uncovered during the restoration?  Already other artefacts such as a wall map from the building's pre-'35 department store days and vintage floor tiles have been found, among other things.  What a fantastic place!

Happily the new owner recognises the historical importance of these discoveries and the building in general and plans a sympathetic restoration of the restaurant to its 1930s heyday - with perhaps a few modern concessions - including an area to display these wonderful finds (and even a replica of the original transparent landscape that the neon light - which will stay on - would have sat behind!).

I wish the new owner the best of luck with Clifton's Cafeteria and can't wait to see what other finds are just waiting to be found in there.  I hope the people of Los Angeles take the place to their hearts (it sounds as though it was already a popular eatery) and if I'm ever in L.A. I know where I'm having lunch!

Women pilots celebrate first English Channel flight

Women pilots celebrate first English Channel flight

Oddly enough I was thinking just the other day, after reading several blogs celebrating International Women's Day on the 8th, who my heroines are.  Then I remembered all the female pilots of the early 20th Century and the pioneering flights they undertook - a microcosm of women's general battle for equality.  Names like Amy Johnson, Amelia Earhart and Diana Barnato-Walker sprang to mind; now this commemoration and accompanying article from the B.B.C. adds another woman to that list - Harriet Quimby.

Even before she became the first woman in the United States to have a pilot's licence Harriet Quimby was already doing what was, at the time, still a very male-orientated job - journalism.  As a theatre critic for various San Franciscan and New York newspapers and later an author of several early Hollywood screenplays Quimby was obviously possessed of an imaginative and enquiring mind so perhaps it should come as little surprise that she became interested in aviation, particularly with her links to the media which was so enamoured with powered flight in the years following Kitty Hawk.

After learning to fly in 1910 Quimby continued to work in between aviating and even used the latter as an advertising gimmick when she appeared in a unique purple aviatrix outfit to promote a new soda drink.

On the 16th April 1912 Harriet Quimby performed another flying first by becoming the first woman to fly across the English Channel and it is the centenary of this feat that female pilots from around the world commemorated in Kent yesterday - as well as the wider-ranging Women of Aviation Worldwide Week - and which is reported in the accompanying article.

Sadly less than three months later aged only 37 Harriet Quimby was killed in a flying accident in Massachusetts when for some unknown reason her aeroplane suddenly pitched forward at 3,000 feet and threw Quimby and her passenger out.  With no parachutes at that time, there was no hope of survival.

It is only right therefore that this lady and her inspiring first flight is celebrated as part of the wider acknowledgement of the history of women in aviation and it is wonderful to see so many female pilots having turned up to commemorate both this remarkable event and worthy cause.  Here's to many more flying femmes and the memory of the first few aviatrices who paved the way.

Harriet Quimby in the Moisant monoplane in which she learned to fly

The self-proclaimed last barnstormer in the United States

Self-proclaimed last barnstormer in the United States flies Imperial County skies

Last year I blogged about a pair of father and son pilots who had been flying around America in their 1943 Boeing Stearman biplane giving flips to old Air Forces pilots.  At the time I marvelled at the at the extent of the two fliers' travels, the adventuresome nature of their journey and the romanticism of the old barnstormers from the Twenties and Thirties.  Well, here's another magnificent man and his flying machine - and the last "full-time" barnstormer in the United States, apparently!

Unique Vintage Biplane Rides in the Desert Southwest

Whereas the Stearman chaps were on a personal journey across the country, offering flights in their newly-restored aeroplane along the way, this fellow does it for a living!  It's incredible to think that in 2012 America barnstormers still exist to offer flights to members of the public in the same aircraft that were plying the same trade 80 years ago.  Whilst we might now look upon such flights as a vintage attraction, it's worth bearing in mind that even today it will be some passengers' first flight in an aeroplane.  It is truly remarkable - and laudable - that someone is continuing the tradition, a tradition virtually unchanged from the 1920s.

A 1929 New Standard D-25, similar to the one flown by Mike Carpentiero

Once again the idea of flying where one will in a country the size of the United States is a source of wonderment to me, made all the more delightful by the time-honoured method and mode of transportation.  Distances of hundreds, or even thousands, of miles is almost inconceivable to a chap whose own country is barely 600 miles long and the huge expanse of country pilots like Mike Carpentiero fly over needs to be seen to be appreciated.  That he does it in an 82-year-old biplane, stopping at aerodromes along the way to take people up, makes it all the more nostalgic.

The family business expands

Back at the end of 2010 I took the liberty of telling you all about a vintage eBay store run by my aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh.  Of interest to all nostalgia aficionados, it is a full-time job for them both now as they continue to travel around Pennsylvania visiting estate sales and clearance auctions uncovering rare and unusual items - items that are available to buy!  All sorts of things, much like this blog a selection of interesting ephemera - including books, clothes, hats, jewellery and everything else in between, all usually with a story to tell.



Well now I am pleased to announce that VintageRoyalTreasure (there are no monarchical connexions, I'm afraid - Royal just happens to be my uncle's name!) has opened on Etsy!  And in keeping with Etsy's status as the doyen of the online vintage shopping scene, some of their best finds will feature in their shop.  You can see an example of some of their stock above and I have put a little widget on the left of this blog which will take you through to their Etsy shop (as well as the one for their eBay store, which can still be found at the bottom of this blog).

It's still early days for them in the world of Etsy but already they have some spiffing items up so do pop over and have a look if you want.  If any of you with a greater knowledge of Etsy, or even a shop of your own, would care to proffer any advice that I could pass on then by all means please leave a comment below - it would be greatly appreciated, I'm sure!  Thanks for reading and I hope you like it!

Rewired antique radios undigitize MP3s

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I couldn't have put it better myself!

Rewired antique radios undigitize MP3s

First a latter-day telegraph ticker and now antique iPod docking stations - what better examples of the ethos I was expounding a month ago; modern technology meets vintage style and classic ideas.

I'm sure many of my readers would love to have just a working vintage wireless, and perhaps some of you do.  It would be great to have an aesthetically pleasing 1930s-, '40s- or '50s-style radio to on which to listen to all your favourite FM/AM stations.  I want one myself!

Ooho, yes please!

Now that'll be all very fine and large for the time being, but there will come a time (confound it) when the analogue AM/FM signal will be switched off (current estimates put this at somewhere between 2015 and 2020 in the UK).  What then will become of our beloved vintage radios - will they all suddenly end up as museum pieces or silent ornaments?  OR they can be converted, as this American company proves is possible, into iPod docking stations!  Not only does this give them a new lease of life but, if it is to be believed, the update is done in such a way as to convert the digital signal of the mp3 format back into the warm sound of analogue - and particularly vintage analogue at that.  Who knows, it could mean that it may even be possible to convert them in such a way that they can pick up and decode the digital signal of DAB radio.

Either way, it proves that tube radios can still have a place in the modern world and that they have very much left to give.  It sounds like an absolutely topping concern, and just the thing for my iPod!

Documentary showcases woman pilots of the 1920s

Documentary showcases woman pilots of the 1920s

Proving that anything men can do women can do equally as well, if not better, this second aviation story of the week focuses on the pioneer aviatrices of the United States.

Ruth Nicols

In an amazing story that risked being lost in the mists of time, this new documentary looks at the 20 women including Amelia Earhart who undertook a nine-day flight across continental America in 1929, in what was the first all-female cross-country air race.

The accompanying article gives us a delightful taste of what went on during those 9 days and seventeen stop-overs and the details of this new documentary certainly sounds fascinating - a pity then that it looks to be confined to the US/Region 1 for it covers what was indeed a pivotal moment in the aviation history not of America but also the wider world and so really deserves a wider audience.  If it wasn't for this film producer stumbling across the story it might have remained untold for another 80 years!

As it is the story of this event has been saved for another generation, and for us to marvel at the sheer guts and determination of these early aviatrices - particularly in the face of attitudes to women at that time.

WWII veterans take flight in vintage biplane

WWII veterans take flight in vintage biplane 

I chanced upon this story from across the Pond last week and as well as involving a classic inter-war biplane the whole idea behind it brought such a smile to my face that I just had to share it.

The concept of ex-servicemen being taken aloft decades later in the very machines they flew during the Second World War is not unheard of - it has happened here in the UK with Battle of Britain pilots going up in 2-seat Spitfires, for example - but the instances in this case are sweetened by the wider story of the flights, not to mention the great geographical expanse of the United States which makes a countrywide "barnstorming" (!) aerial tour much more of an adventure than, say, a simple flip up to Scotland or across the Channel would here.

It's the kind of pioneering experience one would expect to have read about in the early years of flight, when barnstorming was a new, exciting way of seeing the country and there's always been a certain romantic quality about the freedom of being able to fly where you pleased and give the people on the ground a thrill as you passed through.

Father-son duo bring high flying memories back to veterans

As such it's great to see these two chaps "living the dream" in such a wonderfully old-fashioned way and, what's more, having the kindness and selflessness to recognise the debt of gratitude owed to the men who learnt to fly in the same aircraft 70 years ago and to give them the opportunity to fly again.  Well done, and here's wishing them many happy landings!

Museum showcases America's gangsters

Museum showcases America's gangsters

More 1920s gangster-related news now, featuring two films made about a year apart - the latest from B.B.C. America and an older one I dug up on Youtube as an addition.

I'm not so sure about the B.B.C.'s assertion that '20s and '30s organised crime doesn't make it into the history books - I've certainly read and own a good few that cover that period in American history - but this is certainly the first I've heard of a museum dedicated to early 20th Century gangdom.

Yet it makes sense that there should be something like this - after all we have museums of warfare and other [sometimes unsavoury] periods of cultural significance, so why not a mob museum?  It's just as important for future generations to know about and appreciate what went on during that time and the social and political influences responsible for the rise of gangsterism.  It's also useful for tourists and foreign visitors such as myself, should I ever visit New York(!), to whom the concept of gangsters and speakeasies is interesting yet at the same time alien.

From what these clips show a museum about gangsters seems a worthy and fascinating addition to the ranks of historical institutions; I applaud Mr Otway and wish him and his museum every success.

Young Dallas musician is devoted to the top hits of the 1920s

Young Dallas musician is devoted to the top hits of the 1920s

The New Year seems, perhaps unsurprisingly, to be rather a quiet time for vintage news items - I suppose everyone is still getting used to it being 2011...

It's at times like this that, without giving too many of my blogging secrets away(!), I turn to the likes of Google News for inspiration. One can only do so many opinion or film posts, after all, and I didn't want you all wondering about any lack of blogging on my part. Rarely do I find (or need to find) blogworthy articles this way but this time is a happy exception. I never would have thought I'd be linking through to the Dallas Morning News but I'm glad to do it because this article and the young chap it's about are interesting and worthy of a wider audience.

I, like many of my readers I imagine, are familiar with a few modern Twenties/Thirties dance bands such as The Charleston Chasers, The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra and, of course, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. Well now I can add the Singapore Slingers to that list having read about Texan Matt Tolentino and his passion for this period's music.

And it's a passion I can well appreciate and empathise with; in fact, his feelings about his enthusiasm for the era and its type of music and how it has affected his life - that "I can put it on when I'm in any kind of mood and feel happy. This isn't music to be played in the background of a retirement home. This is party music."- chimes exactly with my own thoughts. One of the reasons I love the Jazz Age sound is because it is pure and simple fun and you just know that people had a good time to this music (and could do again!). No other genre can bring a smile to my face so quickly and so easily and I'm very pleased to see such responsiveness and talent from this fellow in helping keep this music alive for new (and old) generations. Well done that man!

The family business

An aunt of mine who has lived in Pittsburgh for the last 16 years has recently taken to visiting estate sales (or house clearances, as they are known here) in west Pennsylvania. Many of my readers - mostly in America, where it is more commonplace - will be familiar with the concept; there's often a bargain or two to be had at these things, so I understand. I wish we had more events like that here in Britain, some of the things my aunt has found are amazing!

Anyway, this aunt has got quite adept at spotting many a great find at these clearances, so much so that she and her gentleman friend have set up shop at both eBay and Amazon. By all accounts the venture is a roaring success and most days find them travelling up and down the state attending various sales. This has resulted in an eBay store that in a way is a bit like this blog - a variety of articles of a vintage nature. Great care has been taken to research the history of each and every item and descriptions are accurate and detailed; needless to say everything is fair and above board.

Now, this blogger is not above a little bit of harmless nepotism (!) and it occurred to me that many of the items featured in the store would appeal to my readers. So from now on if you scroll to the bottom of the page you should see a little widget (or blidget, or eejit, or whatever these things are called) detailing a few items and linking to my aunt's website. Or just click on the picture at the top of this post.

There are a whole host of items that, as I said, you might find really tempting. Even I have to restrain myself when browsing - but don't worry, my favouritism doesn't extend to having things "kept back" for me(!). It's all fair here! Highlights for me include this portable wind-up gramophone (right) and this tea and coffee pot set (above) but there really is something for everyone. Hats and jewellery for the ladies, razors and cameras for the chaps, and a whole host of other items in between!

So whether you're after that something a little different for a Christmas present or, like me, just enjoy browsing places like eBay for vintage and longing for half the items that get thrown up, there's now another store for you to look through. Thanks for reading!

Original rules of basketball expected to sell for millions

Original rules of basketball expected to sell for millions

Basketball is a sport that I've never followed, nor did I enjoy it at school (although to be fair I've never been a really sporty person and disliked all school sports apart from badminton and cricket...).

Nevertheless it has become part of American sporting culture and also enjoys a level of popularity here in the British Isles. I was interested, then, to read about the upcoming sale of an historic item which set the ball rolling (groan) - the original rules of basketball as drawn up by the game's creator, Canadian professor and sports instructor James Naismith, in 1891.

Regardless of your attitude towards the sport of basketball it is difficult not to marvel at the beginnings of the game (above). The fact that the original "basket", was just that, and what's more still had its base so players were forced to climb up and retrieve the ball (originally just an ordinary [soccer] football), may seem silly to us now but one has to remember that this was a new game and it is quite interesting to see the layout and rules as they were first created. As with all areas of history this glimpse into the early days of a still-popular, modern pasttime helps add to our appreciation and understanding of it in today's world while at the same time enlightening us as to how it came to be played and the way it was played in the years following its inception.

The sale of these original rules will no doubt generate a great deal of international interest and, wherever or whoever it ends up with, an important sporting document will have been preserved plus, what is more, helped to have raised funds for a children's sports charity, which is good news all round.

America the airship: the first transatlantic crossing

America the airship: the first transatlantic crossing

Airship America's landmark crossing attempt recalled

This is a great example of the kind of account I (and, I hope, you my readers) find so amazing and edifying. I have to say that, student of aviation though I am, I had really known very little about the airship America before reading this article. Now, with the 100th anniversary of its attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean fast approaching, the full story has quite rightly been published.

And what a story! Like so many of the pioneering flights of the early 20th Century this effort is chock-full of thrills, hope and imagination but which in the end sadly resulted in failure and consequently historical oblivion. The story, and more importantly the significance of the flight, is right to be remembered now though and I'm glad to see the Smithsonian Institute creating a permanent display in memory. How different might things have been if the America has succeeded in crossing the Atlantic 9 years before Alcock and Brown in their Vickers Vimy aeroplane? Could it have speeded up the development of the airship to the point that it might have become the predominant form of air travel, usurping the aeroplane and enjoying a success greater than it did even in the 1920s and 1930s; maybe even lasting until the present day? Sadly we will never know and can only wonder at a future that never was.

As it is we are left with a fantastic testament to the adventurous, somewhat eccentric nature of the early flyers (I must remember to take a cat with me next time I cross the Atlantic!) and the enlightenment that comes from long forgotten escapades that are often stranger than fiction.