Historic grouping that includes the aviator's "kit bag" of Tuskegee Airman, Sidney Brooks (1918-1943), and a scrapbook of ephemera relating to his death during World War II.

Lieutenant Brooks was killed in North Africa after a bombing raid in which he was engaged by twelve German fighters.

Aviator's kit bags were issued to aircrews and paratroopers to haul their uniforms and equipment. This example is worn and bears the stenciled name and rank on its side "S.P. Brooks, LT. A.C., USA."

The scrapbook contains 50+ pages of paper ephemera relating to Lt. Sidney Brooks and his widow, Lucille. Excised newspaper articles describe his enlistment, acts of bravery during the war, commendations from the war department, and heroic death. Dozens of sympathy cards, Western Union telegrams, and hand-written letters are included that express condolences to Lucille. Many of these were sent by other Tuskegee Airmen (or their families) who served with Brooks.

Though an exhaustive description is not possible here due to the sheer volume of material included, notable articles in the scrapbook include: a hand-written letter of condolence by Captain Erwin Lawrence Jr. (a Tuskegee Airman, killed-in-action in 1944), official letters/telegrams from the War Department expressing sympathy and notifying Lucille of Sidney's death, a letter written from Sidney Brooks while at the Tuskegee Institute on official stationary, a letter of condolence from Perry B. Jackson (Ohio's first African American judge), a letter of condolence from Clarence C. Jamison (a Tuskegee Airman, Jamison lived until 2014 and was a special guest at President Obama's inauguration), and a "dance card" issued to Brooks for a fraternity ball while he was a student at Ohio State University.

Throughout the scrapbook, inscribed notes (likely in the hand of Lucille) annotate and supplement newspaper articles.

The Tuskegee Airmen need no introduction. A group of barrier-breaking African American fighter pilots and supporting staff, they endured segregation and racism to become among the most distinguished groups of soldiers in American history.

A large percentage of surviving Airmen-related material now rests in institutional collections, making this a rare private purchase opportunity.

[Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights, World War II, WWII, Buffalo Soldiers, African Americana, African American History, Black History, Manuscripts, Letters, Documents]