Panama Canal Zone - Photograph Album With 243 Original Photographs & Real Photo Postcards Chronicling The Activities Of The United States Army Air Force In The Republic Of Panama, And The Canal Zone At The Beginning Of The 1930s

MYRON PASTICK (PIASZCZYK)

Publication: Myron Pastick, 12th Photo Section, USAAF, circa 1930-1932), Panama Canal Zone & Auburn, MA, 1930 - 1932

Oblong thick folio. 13.5 x 10.5 x 2.24 in. [112 pp (unpaginated).], on thick black paper stock. With 243 original photographs, and Real Photo Postcards, many with annotations in faint white ink below, others with descriptive text w/in negative at lower fore-edge (73 of the photographs are sized 5 x 7 in. to 8 x 10 in., one is 6 x 9 in.), 36 color printed postcards, nearly all with text on verso, but all securely mounted and adhered to the pages below, many with postmarks, and postal stamps preserved, addressed largely to parents, souvenir ephemera pieces as well, one mounted on front pastedown. Contemporary flexible black cloth post-binder, borders in blind at fore-edges, gilt lettering stamped on front cover, brass screw-posts at gutter margin. A fascinating photo album with 243 original photographs & Real Photo Postcards chronicling the activities of the United States Army Air Force in the Republic of Panama, and the Canal Zone at the beginning of the 1930's.The images capture many different civilian and military ships from the air, aircraft flying in formation, depict many different Panamanian villages, towns, scenic areas, etc. These excellent and clear photographs provide a compelling visual narrative opening with aerial views of the US Army Transport St. Mihiel in the Canal, and at the pier, followed by fly-around shots of the four-masted sailing barque C.B. Pedersen, a German Navy training ship commanded by Captain Jean Hjalmar Dahlstrom of Gotenburg at the time. Several ocean liners, steampships, Navy cruisers, and other ships are depicted sailing through the Panama Canal, the Gate Locks, and into the requisite bays. The aerial shots from 12th Photo Section over-flights include those of Las Menas Bay, R.P., 7th Squadron biplanes flying over the Canal Zone, a squadron flight off Naranjo Island, R.P., views of Chorrera, Agua Dulce, Penonome, Anton, Santiago, Lahas, Chame, David, Port Armuelles, and Sanitati Anton, Santiago, Lahas, Chame, David, Port Armuelles, and Sanitation development in the Canal Zone. Several shots of Pan-American Airlines U.S. Ford Tri-Motor mail-planes over Panama, the Landing Field at Rio Hato, R.P., Emergency Landing Field near Rio Cato, and more. Individual aircraft include the famed amphibious Loening OL OZ-1A "San Francisco" which took part in the 1926-1927 Pan-American Flight through Mexico, Central & South America, P-12 biplanes featuring Pratt & Whitney 9 cylinder Radial Wasp Engine, B-3A bombers crashing at France Field, an LB-7 Bomber, No. 51 washing out landing at France Field, and the arrival of a Sikorsky C-6 aircraft. Individual aviators, and aircraft include those of the Mexico Goodwill Flyer arriving at France Field, who was subsequently killed in Mexico after completion of his air training; Hal Roach's Lockheed, Captain Acker and his Blue Flash, and Pastick standing in flight gear prior to take off for training flight. Of particular interest are photographs of the planes of famed German aviatrix Elly Beinhorn (1907-2007), who began her flights from Panama in 1932 through South America, barely made it across the Andes, and then her plane was shipped to Berlin in June, 1932. After being awarded the $10,000 Hindenburg Cup, she shipped her plane to Panama, flew through Mexico & California, before crossing the U.S. to Washington D.C. and Miami, before returning back to Germany in 1935. Also shown are images of the 12th Photo Section building in barracks, a stop by Prince of Wales, Prince George, and Gen. Brown, images of the very popular Chinese-Panamanian liquor bar, Chung Hing, as well as images of native villages, wildlife, and much more. Pastick (1910-1972) was a wire cutter & machinist for Baldwin-Duckworth Chain Corp. in Worcester, MA whose service in the USAAF appears to have been from 1930-1932 in Panama, and as reflected in many of his letters home to father Richard (Dominick Richard Pastick) and Mary, he seemed mostly concerned with keeping up with his mail, and passing along individual short snippets of life in Panama. Minor edgewear, some leaves starting to split at gutter margin, minor bumping & wear to corners, occasional chipping a few photographs removed by family members. Still a superb exemplar from the Pastick family library.

Inventory Number: 51727