Original color poster for the first international air meet, the Grand Semaine d’Aviation, 63 x 46, held in August of 1909. Designed by Ernest Montaut, whose name is printed in the lower left, the poster depicts an exciting scene of a woman in a purple dress waving to an aviator flying overhead at an impressive speed, with silhouettes of other planes, balloons, and a blimp flying in the background. Poster has been linen backed and is in fine condition with previous storage folds. Rolled.
Held between August 22-29, 1909, the Grand Semaine d’Aviation marked the coming of age of heavier-than-air aviation, boasting a half a million visitors and the participation of nearly every prominent aviator of the day. Twenty-three aircraft of nine different types flew throughout the week, competing for prizes in a variety of distance, speed, passenger-carrying, and altitude challenges. With high-profile face-offs (such as Louis Bleriot and Glenn Curtiss battling for the Grand Prix de la Vitesse), spectacular accidents (including the flaming crash that lost the aforementioned competition for Bleriot), and countless new achievements witnessed by the masses, the event both wowed the public and effectively demonstrated the practicality of heavier-than-air aviation. Designed by the legendary printmaker Ernest Montaut, this gorgeous poster captures the excitement and style of the time, marking an incredibly important event in aviation history. RR Auction COA.
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