Rare 1937 Poster Thompson Trophy National Air Race Winners 1930-1937

Description: Extremely Rare Vintage 1937 Lithograph Poster of the Thompson Trophy National Air Race Winners from 1930 to1937. Some of the artwork was done by Charles H. Hubbell (one of the most famous aviation artists of the time).This poster was produced in 1937 by Thompson Products Inc. (forerunner to TRW, Inc.).It shows paintings of all the Thompson Trophy winning airplanes from 1930 to 1937 (Hubbell painted the one from 1937). It also shows the Thompson Trophy and auto and aircraft parts manufactured by Thompson Products Inc. This poster measures 14" by 12 1/4". It originally measured 15" by 14", but the top 2 3/4" of the poster was cut off and pasted to the back of the poster (see photos). The part that was cut off lists the winning pilots, airplanes, and other information about each race from 1930 to 1937. The top part of the poster was likely cut off in order to make it fit into a frame. It has a gold boarder across the top and bottom. It is lithographed on thick poster paper. The bottom gold boarder has the following text: "WINNERS ALL" (PILOTS AND PLANES THAT HAVE FINISHED FIRST IN THOMPSON TROPHY RACES, 1930 TO 1937).This poster is in great condition. It has some chipping and small tears along the bottom edge and very small creases at the bottom corners (see photos). The colors are bright. Ready to be framed. Charles H. Hubbell (1899-1971) was a well-known aviation artist and native of Cleveland, Ohio. During World War I, he served in the Navy and was a draftsman in the design of naval aircraft. He graduated from the Cleveland School of Art in 1922 and became a commercial artist. Hubbell received his private pilot license in 1927(same year Lindberg flew across the Atlantic) by exchanging aviation art with flight instructors for flying lessons. In 1937 Hubbell was commissioned by Thompson Products of Cleveland to paint the winning aircraft of the Thompson Trophy Air Race. He continued to paint the winning aircraft of the Thompson Trophy Race as well as art for Thompson's yearly calendars and other advertising art until at least 1969. In 1949, the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) invited Hubbell on an around-the-world tour. The result was the 1951 calendar featuring the aircraft and operations of MATS. Hubbell was also a consultant to the Thompson Auto-Album and Aviation Museum, and later the Crawford Auto-Aviation Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society. Thompson Products Inc. was established in 1900, in Cleveland, Ohio, as the Cleveland Cap Screw Company. It began producing automotive parts and underwent several reorganizations, becoming the Electric Welding Products Company (1908), the Steel Products Company (1915), and Thompson Products Inc. (1926). It expanded to include branch plants and the production of aircraft parts, and fostered a company union, the Automotive and Aircraft Workers Alliance (later the Aircraft Workers Alliance). It grew during World War II due to defense contracts. After the war it entered the jet and aerospace industries. It merged in 1958 with Ramo Wooldridge Corporation to become TRW Inc. Outside activities include the National Air Races (Thompson Trophy) and the Crawford Auto-Aviation Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society.The Thompson Trophy race was one of the National Air Races in the heyday of early airplane racing in the 1930s. Established in 1929, the last race was held in 1961. The race was 10 miles (16 km) long with 50-foot-high (15 m) pylons marking the turns and emphasized low altitude flying and maneuverability at high speeds. As the race was flown around a closed course, crowds in the grandstands could easily see much of the spectacle. Over 250,000 people attended these races!There were two series of Thompson races. The first series followed the award of a "Thompson Cup" in the 1929 National Air Races to the winner of the "International Land Plane Free-For-All" (that is, the unlimited class race). Thompson Products (a predecessor to TRW) decided to sponsor a trophy to be awarded for the next ten years for unlimited class racing. The trophy was designed by Walter Sinz and is now at the Air and Space Museum. Races were held for the next ten years, ending in September 1939. Further races in this series were precluded by the onset of war. After World War II the original trophy was retired. Also, advances in airplane technology, especially the advent of the turbojet, complicated matters. It was decided to establish a new series, with "R" (piston engine) and "J" (jet-powered) divisions. The "R" class was for civilian competition; the "J" division was for military pilots and was administered by the U.S. Air Force. Roscoe Turner, the winner of the 1939 pre-war trophy, refused to relinquish it, but the original molds were located, and two additional casts were made, differing only in the legend engraved at the base and by placards identifying the division. Division "R" races were held from 1946 to 1949; Division "J" races (also known as "Military Speed Dashes") were held from 1951 to 1961, except 1952 and 1960.

Price: 45 USD

Location: Placentia, California

End Time: 2024-09-10T05:00:52.000Z

Shipping Cost: 11.5 USD