There is a pair of aviator goggles with a cracked lens. In 1921, Earhart wore them when she was learning to fly. She crashed that time. The goggles were kept by the woman who taught her to fly, Neta Snook Southern, and wrote a book about it.
There are unpublished personal photos that a Manteca woman found in her mother's storage locker. They are rare personal belongings to be auctioned off this weekend at Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland.
In the 1920's and 30's she was like the female Charles Lindberg, pushing the limits of flight. And she broke a lot of equality barriers.
She has an Oakland connection. She flew out of here. And in that around the world attempt in 1937, she disappeared . What happened has just added to the mystique.
"I didn't know in Europe she was as popular as she is here, but we are getting interests. They've done stories all over England and people have called us from England," said Redge A. Martin, owner of the Clars Auction Gallery.
The Internet has changed the way they do business. A thousand people can show up in person, but a lot more can participate on line.
The flying goggles are the most expensive item at $20,000 to $40,000. The last pair sold at $140,000.
