This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 6/30/2005.
Aeronautical pioneer Alfred Lawson (1869-1954) was a true American eccentric: he was a professional baseball player, a aircraft industry pioneer, an advocate of economic reform, a self-made businessman and the inventor of his own religion (Lawsonomy). As a young man, he played professional baseball for the 1890 Boston Beaneaters (today's Atlanta Braves) and Pittsburgh Alleghenys (today's Pirates). Legendary HOFer 1890 Cap Anson said of him, "their center fielder was a lad named Al Lawson. We were routing this rag-tag assembly 11-0 by the fifth inning, when they called Lawson in from center to the pitching mound. For the next four innings, Lawson held my crew scoreless, and his team earned back 5 runs. Moreover, he had two hits at bat. Five days later, we played against Lawson again, and only scored one run against him in seven innings." Having moved into aeronautics after baseball, he established several magazines ("Fly" in 1908 and "Aircraft" in 1910). The "Glossary of Aviation Terms" in Webster's 1912 dictionary was edited by Lawson. Foreshadowing the famous American general Billy Mitchell by almost a decade, Lawson testified in the February 17, 1913 issue of the Congressional Record that "time has now arrived for this Nation to start the construction of a great aerial fleet, both for offensive and defensive purposes." By 1916 Lawson was manufacturing airplanes, and in 1917 received a contract to manufacture trainers for the U.S. Army. A true visionary and a man ahead of his time, Lawson holds the distinction of building the world's first commercial airliner ("The Lawson Airliner") created specifically for carrying passengers in luxury and comfort, and was the protagonist of the modern airline industry. This heavy solid bronze base statue which stands almost two feet tall was presented to Lawson in 1926 and is best described by Francis Atkinson, a pilot in Lawson's employ at the time, "At that moment, Alfred Lawson himself walked into the office and strode over to us, plunking a statuette down on the desk on top of the blueprints. It was a brass bust of a goggled pilot with [wooden] wings coming out of his ears. 'I'm back from New York, boys,' Lawson announced. 'There it is, the Winged America award, just today presented to me by the Aerial League of America!' 'What for?' I asked. 'My past accomplishments, to start with,' Lawson boasted. 'But most of all for the development of the Lawson Superairliner...' Such recognition would be a big selling point to prospective investors [for his airliners], as indeed it proved to be." On the front face of the statue base in raised letters is embossed "Winged America, America Gave Wings To The World" with raised pilot's wings and laurel crown. On the right face is embossed "The Lafayette Escadrille: Norman Prince, William Thaw...and other brave Americans who went over to pay America's debt to France." The Lafayette Escadrille was made up of American fighter pilots who flew under the French flag before the United States' entry into WWI. On the left face is embossed, "Pioneers and Master Builders of American Aviation, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Glenn N. Curtiss..." etc. On the back face is embossed, "First Americans to fight in British Air Forces...[with names], First U.S. Army and Navy Aviators to lose their lives over seas after America's entry in the war...[with names]." There is a "Cl. B" stamped on the top of the base behind the head. Painted in a dark green, some brass has worn through on the corners and edges, as well as on the helmet. A unique piece of deep historical significance.