88

Charles-Léonce Brossé

1871-1945

Meeting d'Aviation de Nice. 1910.

Condition B+: creases and abrasions, some with overpainting in margins and image; minor repaired tears at top edge. Mounted directly to linen.

In the early years of aviation, exhibitions and competitions were a cultural phenomenon and a rage around the world, so much so that "throughout 1910, aviation posters proliferated like flowers in spring" (Looping the Loop p. 54). This extraordinary image, advertising a 15-day extravaganza in the South of France, is one of the most fanciful, engaging and memorable of all the early aviation posters. Its brilliance derives from the ingenious, deceptively-simple idea of putting the viewer above the plane, looking down toward the ground. While the image appears to be half-reality and half-fantasy, it is most likely closer to reality than previously thought. The improbable-looking plane appears to be an Esnault-Pelterie R.E.P. 1, which was designed with wheels at the end of both wings. The poster was printed by Robaudy, a pioneer in the field of applying photographic techniques to the printing process.

Looping the Loop cover & 34, L'Histoire de l'Aviation p. 6, Affiches Azur 315, Perier p. 15.
42¾x28½ inches, 108½x72½ cm. Robaudy, Cannes.

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May 21, 2026 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

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