15 Minutes of... FAMOUS FIRSTS

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	26 Bert Hinkler Autograph letter, signed by Bert Hinckler, to E.J. Hart, editor of Aircraft, from 4 Havelock Terrace, Southampton, 26 May '22. 1pp, 4to. Old folds, small tear upper edge. Together with sheet music for "Hustling Hinkler", New York [c. 1927]; 8pp, folio. First flights: Hinkler writes to Hart about a scheme for "Air Taxi or joy riding with some unique features". He continues with news of work at Avro's and the recent Easter Air Races. He encloses a photograph of the 1000hp Napier Cub engine, "the largest in the world etc etc", but adjures Hart not to publish it. The sheet music for "Hustling Hinkler" was issued by Allans Music Publishers, the lyric by L. Wolfe Gilbert, music by Abel Baer. The copyright acknowledgment is dated 1927 (Leo Feist, New York), which tends to indicate that only the words were written in 1928 following the solo flight. The front cover shows a photo of Hinkler, "Australia's Famous Flying Ace". Bert Hinkler (1892-1933) was renowned as a pioneer of aviation and for his solo flights. His numerous exploits included his 1921 flight from Sydney to Bundaberg in 8 hours 45 minutes, and his 1928 solo flight from Croydon, England, to Darwin in 15½ days halved the Smith Brothers' record. It was during this flight he became known as "Hustling Hinkler". In 1933 he attempted another flight to Australia, only to crash during a snow storm on the Italian Alps, where he perished.	$1,850
	27 Amy Johnson Signed photograph. (Amy Johnson in the cockpit), c.1930. Silver gelatin print, signed by Amy Johnson, 25 x 30.5cm. First flights: The photograph shows a smiling Johnson at the wheel of her plane. She appears to be wearing a pith helmet over her usual flying helmet. Amy Johnson (1903-1941), English aviatrix, flew solo to Australia in 1930.	$1,750
	28 Charles Kinsford-Smith Autographed photograph (anon), c.1932. Silver gelatin print, 20 x 15cm. Original studio mount. First flights: Inscribed "To Keith and Mrs Morris, with best wishes, C. Kingsford Smith. Portrait of the aviator in his uniform of Air Commodore of the RAAF. Charles Kingsford Smith (1897-1935), completed the first air crossing of the Pacific with co-pilot Charles Ulm, navigator Harry Lyon and radio operator James Warner. They set off from San Francisco on 31 May 1928, arriving in Brisbane 83 flying hours later. In 1930 at the age of 32 he flew 16,000 kilometres single handedly and won the England to Australia air race. In 1933, after once again breaking the record for solo flight from England to Australia, he was acclaimed as the world's greatest airman.	$1,550
	29 Florence Nightingale Autograph note signed in ink F. Nightingale, with Victorian scrap affixed below, c.1880s. Laid notepaper, black border to edges, 1p, 20.4 x 13.1cm. Old folds; old tape marks to sides. The note is possibly the last page of a letter, "paper is excellently done. In haste, ever yours sincerely…". Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), British nurse, hospital reformer, and humanitarian. The first professional nurse and nursing educator, she recognised the need for hygienic medical care on the Crimean battlefields, and invented the pie chart (the polar area diagram) to demonstrate that need.	$950
	30 Racehorse A.C.H. Carbine, 1911. Photogravure, hand-coloured, signed in the plate, published May 15, 1911 by Messrs Fores, 38 x 50cm. Staining to margins. First past the post: Very rare, large image of Carbine, who won the 1890 Melbourne Cup.	$2,900
	31 Joan Sutherland Autograph document, signed by Joan Sutherland. Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, (Programme for) Lucia di Lammermoor, London, Tuesday, 17th February, 1959. The letterpress programme 4pp, folio (32.2 x 21.5), folded, the large signature across the front cover page. Together with Photograph (anon) of Joan Sutherland, 1964 Silver gelatin print, 18.5 x 15.9cm. Joan Sutherland's first performance in the role of Lucia at Covent Garden. Joan Sutherland (1926-) had her debut with the Covent Garden company in 1952, as the First Lady in Die Zauberflote. Her long apprenticeship came to fruition in the famous production of Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959; conducted by the veteran Italian Tullio Serafin and produced by Franco Zeffirelli. Her international career was launched: she embarked upon a series of triumphant debuts at the world's opera houses singing Lucia: Paris 1960, La Scala and the Metropolitan 1961. The 1964 photograph shows the singer with a group of admirers.	Two (2) $590
	32 Theatre Handbill for Theatre Royal Covent Garden… The Recruiting Officer…, c.1790. Letterpress, 24.8 x 16.8cm. Written by George Farquar in 1706, The Recruiting Officer was the first play performed in Australia, in June 1789 in Sydney. This handbill is for a performance of this play as well as the 39th performance of Harlequin's Chapalet.	$1,100