Collection of four Shell air route schedules.

London: Shell Aviation Department,, 1933-39. The early years of commercial aviation Four rare navigational aids from Shell's newly formed aviation department, each offering plans, descriptions, and facilities information for dozens of aerodromes across north Africa and the Middle East, as well as guidance on flying conditions, customs tariffs, and permit requirements. The folding route maps also identify prohibited airspace. The March 1937 Cairo-Damascus-Calcutta schedule has been updated in places in a contemporary hand. For example, at El Qantara, Egypt, fuel and lubricating oil are now available, Baghdad's runways are recorded as "under construction", and the airfield at Bandar Dilam in Persia is noted as abandoned. The handful of Shell aviation guides held institutionally are all found in the US. 4 works, octavo. Each with folding route map and plans in text. Original red cloth, spiral-bound or fixed with metal rings through punch holes, front covers lettered in gilt with gilt Shell logo, two with volvelle ground speed calculator on inner front board. Later two works ex-British Air Ministry, with usual ink accession and deaccession stamps and manuscript markings. One spiral-bound work now loose in its cloth covers and other with rear inner hinge cracked, bindings rubbed, occasional foxing: a very good collection.