Unique Piece of Aviation History Up for Bid As First Flight Attendant’s Travel Trunk Goes Online Proxibid, the world’s largest provider of live auction webcasting services, today announced that it will provide live, online bidding for an upcoming auction which includes a unique piece of aviation
News-Antique.com - Apr 19,2010 - Omaha, NE – April 19, 2010 – Proxibid, the world’s largest provider of live auction webcasting services, today announced that it will provide live, online bidding for an upcoming auction which includes a unique piece of aviation history, the travel trunk which belonged to the first ever flight attendant, Ellen Church. Presented by Hall’s Auction Company, the live auction will take place on Saturday, May 1 at Noon, with live online bidding commencing at that time via Proxibid. Auction registration is already available by visiting www.proxibid.com/hall.
In 1930, Ellen Church, a registered nurse, convinced officials at Boeing Air Transport Company, United Airlines’ parent company, that having a nurse on board flights would reassure nervous passengers that air travel was safe. Miss Church was hired and a new profession was born.
She was given the responsibility of hiring seven more nurses and training them to become flight attendants. Requirements were stringent and duties diverse. Candidates had to be 25 years old, single, no taller than 5’4” and approximately 115 pounds. Flight attendants were expected to tag, load, and unload baggage, dust the cabin, wash the windows, and punch the tickets, as well as to ensure passengers visiting the restroom did not inadvertently open the exit door. Conditions onboard flights warranted the presence of a nurse—there was no fresh oxygen in the cabin and heating systems used air from the plane’s exhaust, which filled the cabin with fumes.
Though Miss Church’s career as flight attendant lasted only 18 months, United Airlines never forgot her contribution to their industry, naming a wing in their Chicago training facility for her and making a $25,000 memorial contribution to Union Hospital after her untimely death in 1965.
Throughout her career with United Airlines, Miss Church traveled with a trunk which is stenciled with the name of her Iowa birthplace. This remarkable piece of aviation history will no doubt draw the attention of aviation fans from across the globe. For more information about this auction, or to register to bid, please visit www.proxibid.com/hall.
About Proxibid
Omaha-based Proxibid brings auctioneers and bidders together for a world-class online auction experience. Since 2002, the Company has worked with more than 2,000 auctioneers to bring more than 23,000 auctions to a global, online audience. With registered bidders from more than 180 countries, no other provider in the industry connects more buyers and sellers than Proxibid. The Company’s proprietary live Internet bidding service and Web site were developed by auctioneers and industry-leading professionals to provide our bidders with the most user-friendly and comprehensive online auction experience possible.
Proxibid’s customer service and support is unmatched in the industry. The company’s toll-free support center is open before, during and after every live auction, and is staffed with bi-lingual auction specialists who assist both bidders and auctioneers. For more information about Proxibid, please visit us online at www.proxibid.com.
