[Aviation]

"First North African-European Merchandising Flight. Netherlands June 16-18, 1949." Illustrated celebratory album for the flight referred to earlier by the Atlas Sky Merchant aeroplane (a Douglas C-54), with 16 leafs with one-sided 28 pasted original photos with inscriptions in pen, bound in gilt lettered cloth, oblong folio.

In pen on free endpaper: "Van Bruno op 9 December 1950 gekregen". Remarkable memorial book for a PR flight organised by The Atlas Supply Company, a Standard Oil subsidiary. After the Second World War, surplus military aircraft were converted for public use. The Atlas Supply Company transformed a Douglas C-54 into a flying showroom and meeting place for customers and dealers. The plane flew all over the world, piloted by Iwan Smyrnoff and flight coordinator. Naturally, the photos show the plane itself and its crew, but also celebratory gatherings in Amsterdam of people such as "Mr. Bedford and Mr. Klaare", Dr. H.B. Baruch (American Ambassador), John Hall, pilot Iwan Smyrnoff, Mr. Spitzen (Minister of Traffic), Professor Brouwers (Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs), Artist M. Hulsbergen with his painting of the plane and several city views of Amsterdam and the moments right before the departure from Schiphol.