These digital reproductions of vintage French aviation postcards are from the Charles Lewis Collection in Dunbar Library's Special Collections and Archives. The images remind us of the precarious state of controlled, powered flight in the autumn of 1909. Printed in Lille, France, the images concentrate on French aeronauts such as Henry Farman, Louis Blériot and Louis Paulhan. The unknown publisher also chose to include international pioneers like Germany's Count Zeppelin, Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont, and Americans Wilbur Wright and Glenn Curtiss. Women in aviation are represented by the daring Baroness Elise de Laroche, a student of the pilot, Gabriel Voisin. These pioneers of the air were among the most famous celebrities of their day.
Henri Farman, 1874-1958
Louis Blériot, 1872-1936
Alberto Santos-Dumont, 1873-1932
Wilbur Wright, 1867-1912
Hubert Latham, 1883-1912
Gabriel Voisin, 1880-1973
Glenn Curtiss, 1878-1930
Captain Marchal
Louis Malécot, 1871–1943
Henri Rougier, 1876-1956
Robert Esnault-Pelterie, 1881-1957
Maurice Clément