Tomorrow marks exactly one hundred years since the start of the world’s first-ever regularly scheduled airmail service. To mark this occasion we have refreshed our Treasures of the Archive exhibition to include a display case full of material related to this historic event.
Coronation Aerial Post - Gustav Hamel in his Bleriot XI, 9 September 1911. (POST 118/5738)
Established as part of the celebrations for the coronation of King George V, the first flight of the Aerial Post took place on Saturday 9 September 1911. The noted pilot Gustav Hamel took the controls on the day, flying a Blériot monoplane between Hendon Aerodrome and Windsor Great Park. He carried one small bag of mail weighing 23½lbs on the flight which lasted around 15 minutes.
Poster advertising First United Kingdom Aerial Post.
First United Kingdom Aerial Post handstamp impression. (2009-0332/1)
Our Aerial Post display features a number of unique items from the collections, including the striking 1911 poster promoting the flight, the artwork for commemorative postcards and envelopes carried on the flight, as well as the postcard addressed from the pilot Gustav Hamel to the Postmaster General. Original handstamps from both Hendon and Windsor will also be on display.
An online exhibition, featuring a wealth of additional information about the event, can be accessed on the BPMA website.
Two new products will also be released to mark the Centenary: a limited edition A5-sized postcard depicting the 1911 poster and a brand new postcard pack. Both items will be available via the online shop.
– Andrew Richmond, Head of Access & Learning
The British Postal Museum & Archive blog 