WIX Archives
Re: That provenance debate
Posted by James D on Sat Nov 15, 2003 10:24:14 AM
In reply top That provenance debate posted by Cees Broere on Fri Nov 14, 2003 11:19:18 AM
I would rather see an original WW2 era aircraft parked up than risk seeing it destroyed in a crash or rebuilt to the point where there is nothing original left on it - the JG54 FW 190 springs to mind. That still had most of its original paint and would have been amazing to see in a museum in that condition. Now we never will. I would put the truly historic A/C away in museums and lets see new rebuilds, exact replicas, WHY flying safely. If the A/C is built in the same way, using the same parts and the end result looks the same - then what is the difference? Only our perception of it and as far as I am aware, the "Historicness" of anything is not quantifiable in any real terms. The same is arguably true of "provenance" too. It has a continuous history - but none of it is original any more! The provenance is then only percieved. You could just as easily argue that once the last original part (or more than 70% for example) was thrown away, the original aircraft ceased to exist.
Just my two cents.
James