Charles A. A. Dellschau, 1830-1923

Seattle - New York : Marquand Books - D. A. P. [Distributed Art Publishers], 2013. First and only edition of this marvelously large, profusely illustrated volume. Gigantic 12 1/4" x 12 1/4" design weighing nearly seven lbs. Dark brown fine cloth boards, silver cover and spine titles, light shelf wear, bump, rub. Intriguing blind-stamp cover design of rotating vessel with eight uniform curved octopus arms. Heavy stock coated pages, near fine; slight roll to bottom corner. Bind fine; hinges intact. Dust wrapper, moderate wear, discoloration; protected in new clear sleeve. Unique wrapper design measures 9 1/4" high, thus designed as a 'half' jacket covering volume. Extra-wide 5" flaps making for a 22" wide design. Front and back panels feature original Dellschau designs. Sharp beautiful volume of substance. Rare and unique collection is more than simply art designs, but related to an organization named the Sonora Aero Club, and another named NYMZA or NJMZa. Each rather clandestine group was involved in air ships or flying machines designed and drawn up by Dellschau and others which were named 'Aeros'. The design has relation to opposing rotating fields with a mercury substance allowing for levitation or floating effect on the craft. These were not simply another variety of dirigible balloons or blimps as the vessels apparently traveled at significant speeds and covered great distances in a relatively short time. This volume textually focuses primarily on the rescued designs i.e. aesthetic schematics of Charles Dellschau. It offers clues and insights into the millieu of the late nineteenth century in and around Sonora, California including the rush for the yellow precious metal. Some establish a concrete link to the large airships spotted over Texas, several other states and as far afield as Patagonia in South America in the late 1800's. There are newspapers articles apparently confirming these sightings and contact with the navigators by noted scientists, farmers whose fields were landed in, etc. Intriguingly, there was also a flying vessel in the Sonora Aero Club named the Aero Trump present in this volume. And others have made later connections with John G. Trump, D. Sc. from MIT, an electrical engineer, inventor, physicist, and MIT professor for nearly four decades. Donald Trump's paternal uncle, John G., was involved with the Office of Alien Property and in collecting and examining Nikola Tesla's discoveries following his death in 1943 during WWII. Alien in this case referring ostensibly to foreign enemies of a terrestrial variety. Finally, some have also conjectured a relation to the flying Bell of German infamy with its mercury thorium mixture rotating in opposite directions creating fields of levity. 330 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Dellschau, Charles August Albert . Folio - over 12" - 15" tall.