Hat in the Ring
by Russell Smith
- Eddie Rickenbacker -
This original drawing by artist and WWI aviation expert Russell Smith was specially commissioned for this piece and depicts the scene on Oct. 2, 1918 above the Meuse-Argonne sector of the Western Front. A museum quality collector piece offering not only a superb original drawing by one of the world's most respected aviation artists, but also a historical relic from the First World War and the rare original signature of a WWI legend. |
| Overall size: 14⅜" x 18⅜" | Image size: 8" x 13" |
| Museum Presentation | An original drawing - Conservation mounted with the signature of Eddie Rickenbacker & WWI pin | SOLD |
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Original Rickenbacker signature Rickenbacker signatures are not common, examples such as this are particularly rare. |
WWI U.S. Army Air Service officer's collar pin An original relic from the great war. Officer's collar pins differed from those worn by enlisted men in that they were constructed of two pieces. The wings are cast bronze with a separate silver propeller blade. Enlisted men's badges were cast in a single piece, often in brass. This example has been mounted utilizing the pin fastener and remains in complete original unaltered condition. A collector piece in itself. |
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The highest scoring and most celebrated U.S. air ace of WWI. Rickenbacker developed an early interest in internal-combustion engines and automobiles, and, by the time the United States entered World War I, he was one of the country’s top three racing drivers. He entered the army in 1917 as a driver attached to General John J. Pershing’s staff and drove a car for Colonel William (“Billy”) Mitchell, the noted advocate of tactical air power. With Mitchell’s help, Rickenbacker became a fighter pilot and was assigned to the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron. He accumulated 26 air victories and numerous decorations, including the Medal of Honor. His war exploits are published in his book Fighting the Flying Circus (1919). Rickenbacker returned to work in the automobile industry after the war, first with his own company and later with the Cadillac Motor Car Company. He joined American Airways in 1932, moving to North American Aviation, Inc., in 1933, and finally, to Eastern Air Lines in 1935. Rickenbacker became president, general manager, and director of Eastern three years later. After leading the company ably for many years, he resigned as president in 1959 and as director and chairman of the board in 1963. |
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