1909 WRIGHT BROTHERS CHECK to CHARLES E. TAYLOR — LORIN WRIGHT Signed — Flyer Engine Builder
Wright Brothers Check Signed by Lorin Wright, Payable to Charles E. Taylor, Builder of the Wright Flyer Engine
December 11, 1909 — Dayton, Ohio
The Winters National Bank
$18.00
An exceptionally desirable original document connecting three central figures in the history of powered flight: the Wright brothers and Charles E. “Charlie” Taylor, the mechanic who built the engine that powered the historic Wright Flyer.
This original December 11, 1909 check was drawn on the Winters National Bank of Dayton, Ohio, and is made payable to C. E. Taylor for Eighteen Dollars. The check is signed “Wright Brothers” by Lorin Wright, with his initials “L.W.” beneath the signature. On the reverse is the handwritten endorsement of Charles E. Taylor, providing an especially compelling physical connection between the Wright brothers and the man who built the engine for their first successful airplane.
Charles E. Taylor — The Man Behind the Engine
Charles E. Taylor occupies a unique place in aviation history. When Wilbur and Orville Wright were unable to find a commercially available engine sufficiently light and powerful for their Flyer, Taylor constructed the engine for them in their Dayton bicycle shop.
The resulting four-cylinder engine powered the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers achieved the first sustained, controlled, powered flights by an airplane.
Taylor's contribution was therefore not peripheral. His mechanical work made the Wrights' powered-flight experiments possible.
The National Park Service identifies Taylor as the Wright brothers' mechanic and notes his critical role in constructing the engine for the Flyer.
A Fascinating Wright Brothers Financial Document
The $18.00 amount is particularly interesting. Other Wright Brothers checks to Taylor from this period are also recorded for $18, suggesting that this payment relates to Taylor's regular compensation from the Wright operation.
The December 1909 date is also significant. By this time, the Wright brothers had progressed from their experimental work at Kitty Hawk to international recognition and commercial development of their airplane.
Unlike a later commemorative autograph, this is an original contemporary business document created during the Wright brothers' working lives.
The Taylor Endorsement
Perhaps the most desirable feature of this check is the reverse.
Charles E. Taylor personally endorsed the check:
C. E. Taylor
Thus, the document preserves both sides of the transaction:
WRIGHT BROTHERS → CHARLES E. TAYLOR
For collectors of early aviation, Wright Brothers material, and historically important American manuscripts, this direct association is considerably more desirable than an ordinary cancelled Wright Brothers check.
Authenticity & Signature
The check is signed “Wright Brothers” by Lorin Wright, rather than by Orville Wright personally. This distinction is important and is reflected in the description.
Lorin Wright handled financial matters for the Wright family and signed numerous checks on behalf of the Wright Brothers during this period. The handwriting and format are consistent with known Lorin Wright-signed Wright Brothers checks.
The reverse bears the original handwritten endorsement of Charles E. Taylor.
Condition
Original early-20th-century bank check on Winters National Bank, Dayton, Ohio. The check exhibits expected handling, folds, cancellation markings and a cancellation punch, together with general age toning and minor edge wear. The signatures and handwritten endorsements remain clear and highly legible.
Collector Significance
This is an unusually evocative Wright Brothers document because it connects:
Wilbur & Orville Wright
Pioneers of powered flight
Lorin Wright
Family member and financial representative who signed the check
Charles E. Taylor
The Wrights' mechanic and builder of the engine that powered the 1903 Flyer
Few ordinary financial documents tell such a direct story of the people behind the invention of the airplane.
Wright Brothers Check Signed by Lorin Wright, Payable to Charles E. Taylor, Builder of the Wright Flyer Engine
December 11, 1909 — Dayton, Ohio
The Winters National Bank
$18.00
An exceptionally desirable original document connecting three central figures in the history of powered flight: the Wright brothers and Charles E. “Charlie” Taylor, the mechanic who built the engine that powered the historic Wright Flyer.
This original December 11, 1909 check was drawn on the Winters National Bank of Dayton, Ohio, and is made payable to C. E. Taylor for Eighteen Dollars. The check is signed “Wright Brothers” by Lorin Wright, with his initials “L.W.” beneath the signature. On the reverse is the handwritten endorsement of Charles E. Taylor, providing an especially compelling physical connection between the Wright brothers and the man who built the engine for their first successful airplane.
Charles E. Taylor — The Man Behind the Engine
Charles E. Taylor occupies a unique place in aviation history. When Wilbur and Orville Wright were unable to find a commercially available engine sufficiently light and powerful for their Flyer, Taylor constructed the engine for them in their Dayton bicycle shop.
The resulting four-cylinder engine powered the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers achieved the first sustained, controlled, powered flights by an airplane.
Taylor's contribution was therefore not peripheral. His mechanical work made the Wrights' powered-flight experiments possible.
The National Park Service identifies Taylor as the Wright brothers' mechanic and notes his critical role in constructing the engine for the Flyer.
A Fascinating Wright Brothers Financial Document
The $18.00 amount is particularly interesting. Other Wright Brothers checks to Taylor from this period are also recorded for $18, suggesting that this payment relates to Taylor's regular compensation from the Wright operation.
The December 1909 date is also significant. By this time, the Wright brothers had progressed from their experimental work at Kitty Hawk to international recognition and commercial development of their airplane.
Unlike a later commemorative autograph, this is an original contemporary business document created during the Wright brothers' working lives.
The Taylor Endorsement
Perhaps the most desirable feature of this check is the reverse.
Charles E. Taylor personally endorsed the check:
C. E. Taylor
Thus, the document preserves both sides of the transaction:
WRIGHT BROTHERS → CHARLES E. TAYLOR
For collectors of early aviation, Wright Brothers material, and historically important American manuscripts, this direct association is considerably more desirable than an ordinary cancelled Wright Brothers check.
Authenticity & Signature
The check is signed “Wright Brothers” by Lorin Wright, rather than by Orville Wright personally. This distinction is important and is reflected in the description.
Lorin Wright handled financial matters for the Wright family and signed numerous checks on behalf of the Wright Brothers during this period. The handwriting and format are consistent with known Lorin Wright-signed Wright Brothers checks.
The reverse bears the original handwritten endorsement of Charles E. Taylor.
Condition
Original early-20th-century bank check on Winters National Bank, Dayton, Ohio. The check exhibits expected handling, folds, cancellation markings and a cancellation punch, together with general age toning and minor edge wear. The signatures and handwritten endorsements remain clear and highly legible.
Collector Significance
This is an unusually evocative Wright Brothers document because it connects:
Wilbur & Orville Wright
Pioneers of powered flight
Lorin Wright
Family member and financial representative who signed the check
Charles E. Taylor
The Wrights' mechanic and builder of the engine that powered the 1903 Flyer
Few ordinary financial documents tell such a direct story of the people behind the invention of the airplane.
