Cuba 1929 - EDIFIL 70 - First Flight R.U.M. 7-11 Spoof Card
A very funny spoof card addressed to Canada, targeting the "First Flight" activities going on, seemingly every day, in the Caribbean area back in the 1920's and all of the acronyms used to name these flights that after a while probably got a little confusing!
This card is the work of the well known and very prolific Cuban caricaturist of the time, Don Conrado Massaguer and very probably commisioned by George Street. Massaguer's trade mark/signature is at the lower left of the design.
The drawing shows Capt. George Street as the pilot of a winged bottle of Bacardi Rum and Bach and Greeley as passengers of the First Flight of R.U.M. 7-11 in Havana on January 10, 1929.
As you probably know if you have been involved in Cuban stamp and cover collecting for a while, George Street was a well-known Havana stamp dealer of the time. I believe that Back and Greeley were members of the Board of Directors of the American Airmail Society, visiting in Havana.
The R.U.M. 7-11 "flight" is listed at the bottom between "real" FAM 5 and FAM 6 Flights. Cancelled on the date of the "First Flight", Jan 10, 1929
Signed by Capt. Street below a typewritten comment: SOME FLIGHT! - Very funny, unusual and rare. A great colateral item for anyone but particularly for a First Flight Cover collector with a sense of humor!. We have seen only two of these in many, many years.