{"product_id":"wright-brothers-original-bank-account-book-1910-1912-closed-the-year-wilbur-wright-died","title":"Wright Brothers’ Original Bank Account Book, 1910–1912—Closed the Year Wilbur Wright Died","description":"\u003cp dir=\"auto\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn exceptional personal and business artifact associated with \u003cstrong\u003eWilbur and Orville Wright\u003c\/strong\u003e, the pioneering brothers whose achievements at Kitty Hawk inaugurated the age of powered flight.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThis original bank account book was issued by \u003cstrong\u003eThe Farmers \u0026amp; Merchants Bank of Dayton, Ohio\u003c\/strong\u003e, and is identified on its cover and interior ledger as the account of \u003cstrong\u003e“Wright Brothers.”\u003c\/strong\u003e The surviving entries begin on \u003cstrong\u003eApril 4, 1910\u003c\/strong\u003e, and continue through \u003cstrong\u003eOctober 26, 1912\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe ledger records several deposits—including repeated deposits of $300—and subsequent checks and balances. Unlike a commemorative object produced after the brothers became internationally famous, this was a functional financial record used during their lifetimes in Dayton, the city where they designed and built the machines that transformed human transportation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe book’s final year gives it particular historical poignancy. \u003cstrong\u003eWilbur Wright died of typhoid fever in Dayton on May 30, 1912, at only forty-five years of age.\u003c\/strong\u003e The account appears to have been closed several months later, on October 26, marking the end of a financial relationship that had existed while both brothers were alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe handwritten “Wright Brothers” inscriptions identify the account but are not represented as the authenticated autograph of either Wilbur or Orville. The artifact’s importance rests instead upon its direct connection to their shared financial affairs during one of the most consequential periods in aviation history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe book remains intact, with expected rubbing and edge wear to its brown flexible cover. The interior ledger is clean and legible, with minor age toning and ordinary handling wear. Its honest condition reinforces its character as a genuinely used early-twentieth-century financial document.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eA highly unusual and evocative Wright Brothers artifact—particularly desirable for an advanced collection of aviation, transportation, technological innovation, or American history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 4, 1910–October 26, 1912\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlace:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dayton, Ohio\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstitution:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Farmers \u0026amp; Merchants Bank\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccount:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wright Brothers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very good overall, with exterior rubbing and age-appropriate wear\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Miller estate sale\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52922744111386,"sku":null,"price":12500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_3228.jpg?v=1789997676","url":"https:\/\/www.thearchiveauthority.com\/products\/wright-brothers-original-bank-account-book-1910-1912-closed-the-year-wilbur-wright-died","provider":"Signature Documents LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}