1935 Alliance A-1 Argo Biplane 8x10 Photo, Teterboro NJ For Sale

1935 Alliance A-1 Argo Biplane 8x10 Photo, Teterboro NJ
Rare Survivor of Only 20 Built - Hess Warrior Radial - Original Period Snapshot
DESCRIPTIONThis is an original 1935 photograph of an Alliance A-1 Argo, a two-seat open-cockpit aerobatic biplane built by the Alliance Aircraft Corporation of Alliance, Ohio, one of the rarest American sport biplanes of the Golden Age.Only about 20 Argos were ever completed before the company collapsed in the Great Depression, and today just two or three are known to survive, with only one restored to flying condition.This photo captures one of them very much alive and in service five years after the factory closed, parked on the ramp at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey with period automobiles and other biplanes visible in the background.The image is captioned in period ink on the reverse, \"ARGO BY PLANE, TETERBORO 1935,\" confirming both the aircraft type and the location and date. The Argo was powered by the in-house Hess Warrior seven-cylinder radial engine and was known for a flight envelope strong enough to perform the outside loop, a maneuver that could tear the wings off lesser aircraft of the era.It made its debut to acclaim at the 1929 Detroit Air Show, but the timing could not have been worse, the Depression choked off sales almost immediately and the company folded within a year. This kind of documented, dated, located photograph of a near-extinct aircraft type in active private use is scarce on the market and a meaningful addition to any Golden Age aviation collection.CONDITIONVintage gelatin silver print, sepia toned, on heavier-weight period photographic cardstock, approximately 8 x 10 inches. Faint \"Agfa\" blind embossing is visible in two places on the reverse, consistent with period Agfa photo paper stock.The handwritten ink caption \"ARGO BY PLANE, TETERBORO 1935\" appears at the top of the reverse. The print shows a diagonal corner crease and short tear running through the lower right corner on the front, along with light general surface wear and a small stray mark near the upper edge consistent with age and handling.No other tears, creases, or restoration attempts are present. Image itself remains sharp and well exposed with strong tonal contrast.