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**Item Overview:** Up for sale is a rare, authentic lot of two (2) vintage silver gelatin press photographs capturing the aftermath of a historic aviation disaster: the crash of a Maddux Air Lines Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor commercial airliner (Registration: NC9636 / MSN: 5-AT-010) in San Diego, California, on April 21, 1929.
These compelling historical documents offer two distinct, dramatic angles of the metallic wreckage, featuring recovery crews, investigators, and local onlookers surveying the mangled structural remains.
**Provenance & Authenticity:** The reverse side of these photographs features the original publication ink stamp from "The San Diego Union / The Evening Tribune." The stamp explicitly credits the legendary Chief Staff Photographer Harry T. Bishop, operating out of the 443 Union Bldg. in San Diego, Calif. The stamps read: "THIS PHOTO IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT PERMISSION."
**Historical Significance:** Maddux Air Lines was a pioneering luxury commercial carrier in the late 1920s, famous for its fleet of all-metal Ford Tri-Motor "Tin Gooses." Original, credited photojournalism from this era of commercial aviation history is highly collectible.
**Condition Details:**
- Type: Original vintage press photographs / news archive prints.
- Visuals: Excellent contrast and historical clarity.
- Structural Condition: Photos show minor expected vintage wear, light handling curls, and minor corner softening consistent with age and storage in a newsroom archive. The back contains the newspaper ink stamp and minor blue pencil/pencil markings. Please view all high-resolution scans/photos carefully to judge condition for yourself.
**Shipping & Handling:** Will be shipped flat and securely packaged with rigid cardboard backing in a heavy-duty mailer to ensure safe arrival. Tracking included.
