(USA TODAY) It's not often that a long-lost relic of aviation history is uncovered, so the discovery of a forgotten film showing Amelia Earhart right before her doomed final flight is quite the momentous historic find.
The 16mm reel purports to show Earhart circling her aircraft on that fateful day in 1937 as the female pilot was about to embark on her record-breaking journey. Earhart had reportedly tasked her personal photographer, Al Bresnik, with documenting the preparations. Bresnik's brother, John, tagged along — and apparently shot the companion film.
No one had seen it before it was discovered. It literally had been sitting on a shelf in John's office for 50 years before his son moved the box to his own office after his death; 20 years later curiosity finally moved him to open the box lettered with 'Amelia Earhart, Burbank Airport, 1937.'
While no one doubts the film's authenticity there is some debate over its timing. One aviation historian points to the plane's lack of damage as a giveaway that the film was actually shot during an earlier trial of the historic attempt — before Earhart's plane had required repairs after a crash. Richard Gillepsie told The Associated Press:
You can tell from the way the airplane's configured. The airplane as shown in the film is very clearly the pre-repaired airplane.
The film is now a part of a new book, "Amelia Earhart's Last Photo Shoot," which will come as a package upon release later this month.
