This two-book lot preserves mid-century U.S. Navy history in photographs and simple specs. Wings of Our Navy (1952, Second Printing) by Maj. C. B. Colby covers fighters, bombers, transports, and early helicopters with captioned images.
The Hutchinson wartime booklet lists U.S. Navy aircraft and ship classes with dozens of small photo plates—a classic home-front reference. Both are well-worn, taped, and incomplete in places, but still useful as reading/ID copies and worth saving from the bin.
Quick Specs
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Item Type: 2-book lot (1 hardcover + 1 softcover pamphlet)
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Size: Wings: 9×7×~0.5 in; Hutchinson booklet: ~7×4.5×~0.3 in (approx.)
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Material: Paper; pictorial boards (Wings), paper wraps (Hutchinson)
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Color: Yellow/blue pictorial boards (Wings); multicolor wraps (Hutchinson)
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Origin or Maker:
• Wings of Our Navy — Coward-McCann, New York; printed by The Murray Printing Co., Wakefield, Mass.
• Aircraft & Ships of the United States Navy — Hutchinson (Made and Printed in Great Britain at Grayson, Watford, Herts)
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Year or Era: 1952 (Wings, Second Printing); early/mid-1940s (Hutchinson, “100th Thousand”)
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GENRE: Military Aviation, Naval History, photo reference
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Language / Pages: English; 62 pp (Wings), 64 pp (Hutchinson)
Edition & Features (books)
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Edition/Printing: Wings — Second Printing, 1952; Hutchinson — “100th Thousand” wartime issue
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Illustrations/Maps/Plates: Extensive black-and-white photo plates with captions and basic specs (examples shown: F7F Tigercat, PB-1W, HTE-1, carrier-borne aircraft; ships/aircraft lists in Hutchinson).
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Extras: Found ephemera tucked in Wings (vintage news clippings/TV listings) included as found.
Condition Grade: Poor
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Wings of Our Navy (hardcover): Heavy overall wear. Multiple tape repairs on inner hinges and edges; rubbing, corner bumps, and spine wear. Toning and handling the soil on the pages. The binding is shaken, but the pages are present as viewed. Loose newspaper clippings laid in.
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Hutchinson booklet: Back cover missing; front cover with losses, tears, and old tape; chips to edges; brittle, toned paper; small tears into margins; creases throughout. No guarantee of all pages present, as found.
See all photos for detail—sold as pictured.
Condition Grade Key
Near Fine: minimal wear; tight; clean.
Very Good: light wear; clean text; minor flaws.
Good: noticeable wear; sound reading copy; some marks.
Poor: heavy wear, repairs, or missing parts; priced accordingly.
Provenance & Notes
Estate-sourced Michigan collection. Offered as historically interesting salvage copies for researchers, modelers, and aviation buffs.
About the Author / Maker
Maj. C. B. Colby, CAP authored numerous mid-century military and technology photo handbooks for young readers and enthusiasts. Hutchinson issued compact wartime reference booklets for quick identification of Allied forces’ aircraft and ships.
Keep the history, use the photos—salvaged, priced for readers.
Disclaimer
The vintage items I share with you have been previously owned and loved and may show some wear. Please use the pictures as a guide.
While I do my best to capture colors accurately, your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.
Care & Handling: Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40–50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.
Please note: If you have any questions or need more photos, ask.
About Reading Vintage
At Reading Vintage, I curate one-of-a-kind treasures for book lovers, decorators, and collectors—including vintage books, retro bookends, and charming collectible pieces.
