Leather-covered autograph book sparks interest
02/08/2011
Dating from the 1940s, the leather-covered book contains the names of many of the most prominent World War II fighter pilots, including that of Douglas Bader, subject of the 1956 feature film Reach For the Sky.
The book belonged to Norman Philipps, a member of staff at the officers’ club at an air base in eastern England, but covering it with leather was Douglas Bader’s idea. He felt that Mr Philipps had collected such eminent signatures that the autograph book needed a stronger cover, so he ripped the upholstery from one of the chairs in the club and enclosed the book in the leather.
Pilots from the US, Poland, Australia, Canada and the Czech Republic as well as from the UK signed the book.
Bonhams said it hoped the item would fetch £8,000 but thanks in part to pre-auction publicity, it sold for £33,600.
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