Lot 193

80 Vintage Photos, Those Magnificent Frenchmen & Their Flying Machines!

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80 Vintage Photos, Those Magnificent Frenchmen & Their Flying Machines!

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000

Starting Bid: $500

(0 Bids)

January 29, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Early 20th C. Aviation
France, ca. 1910-1950
80 Vintage Photos, Those Magnificent Frenchmen & Their Flying Machines!
Archive
AVIATION, Photographic archive of French aviation materials, 80 photographs, most with captions in English or French, 1910-1950.

This pictorial aviation archive consists of several series of photographs from the early years of aviation, especially in France. It also includes several photographs related to the 1919 Great Air Race from England to Australia, which a French team unofficially joined.

Highlights
- Maurice-Louise Branger Photographs. 12 original press release silver prints with attached manuscript labels (in French) and Branger's copyright stamp on the verso. 12 photographs, 5" x 7" + attached manuscript captions.
Maurice-Louise Branger (1874-1950) became a photographer in 1895 and established a photo agency in Paris in 1905. He covered the main events of Paris life and was the most prolific photographer of early aviation and automobile races. He also photographed the First Balkan War in 1913 and World War I and its consequences for four years.

- 1919 Photographs of Aircraft. 13 photographs, most mounted to cardstock and all with penciled notations of "1919" and a typed caption in English on the verso. Various sizes from 7.25" x 5.25" to 10" x 5.75". Among the photographs are the Sperry Seaplane, which could land on sea or land; a French plane with retractable landing gear; an all-metal "fireproof" airplane from Germany; the Handley Page Pullman, "the most luxurious passenger plane yet built"; and the two-story Italian Caproni triplane capable of carrying thirty passengers before leaving Rome for a flight to Tokyo. Four photographs deal with flights to Australia as part of the "1919 Great Air Race," three of the Vickers Vimy airplane that successfully flew from Hounslow, England, to Australia, and a fourth of the De Haviland airplane that also left Hounslow for a flight to Australia.

- "Illustrious air personalities." A series of five photographs of French air personalities at an exhibition, some including full-scale and model airplane designs. 5 photographs on cardstock, photographs roughly 4.25" x 2.75" each.

- Large photographs, some with English captions. 9 photographs, all but one mounted to olive cardstock. 4 have attached captions in English. Among the captioned photographs is one of the crashed aircraft of French Airman Pouillot, who was dropping advertisements over a crowd at the Longchamps racecourse when a wing of his aircraft touched an obstacle and caused the crash. Another captioned photograph pictures King Albert of Belgium in a new hydroplane after a trial flight; it was designed to begin a new air service to the Belgian Congo.
Five photographs detail the attempt of French airman Etienne Poulet and mechanic Jean Benoist to fly their biplane to Melbourne, Australia, a distance of 12,500 miles. The Australian Prime Minister had offered a £A10,000 prize for the first Australian crew to fly from London to Darwin in a British-built plane within thirty days. Six Australian crews took up the challenge of the "1919 Great Air Race." Poulet and Benoist also took off from Paris on October 14, determined to be the first to reach Australia. Poulet and Benoist did not make it, ending their attempt in Burma on December 8. Only one aircraft made the trip in the required thirty days—the Vickers Vimy modified bomber piloted by Ross Smith and his brother Keith Smith with two mechanics. The crews of two other competing aircraft died, and three others crashed out.

- Photographs and postcards with handwritten or typed French captions. 41 photographs, most 5" x 7" or smaller. Most are undated; those that are range from 1926-1950.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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    Dimensions:
  • Various
  • Artist Name:
  • Early 20th C. Aviation
  • Medium:
  • Archive

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000