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Remarkable collection of 15 original vintage silver gelatin photographs of Wilbur Wright, the Wright Flyer, and other related subjects around Le Mans, France, in 1908, ranging in size from 6 x 4.5 to 9 x 7, with two mounted. Includes several exquisite portraits of Wilbur Wright, with three showing him seated in the cockpit of his Flyer, plus two 'process photos' showing him with a photographer; a series of four photos of Wright examining the damaged Flyer after a crash at Hunaudieres race course on August 13, 1908; Wright taking an automobile ride with Léon Bollée at the wheel; Wright examining a voiturette race car with others; and a couple of the Wright aeroplane on the ground. Two photos are stamped on the reverse by photographer Cliche J. Thezard, and a few others bear copyright stamps of the "Illustrations Bureau." Most images are extremely sharp and detailed, perfectly capturing the aviation pioneer during his important exploits in France. In overall fine condition.
Wilbur Wright arrived in France in 1908 to conduct a series of public demonstration flights in order to secure a contract for the manufacture and sale of airplanes. There he was introduced to Léon Bollée, an automobile manufacturer and early advocate for aviation. The two became fast friends: in Wilbur's diary entry of June 8, 1908, he noted, 'I went down to Le Mans at the invitation of M. Léon Bollée to inspect some grounds. M. Bollée met us and took us about in his automobile to see several places of which the racecourse and the military field were the most desirable. He was very kind, and offered us the conveniences of his factory and a big room to assemble the machine in if we chose. We will probably locate here, as the conveniences offered by M. Bollée will be of great value.' In the biography The Bishop's Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright, author Tom Crouch observes: 'There were, in fact, few things Bollée would not have done for Wilbur. A sport balloonist and president of the Aéro-Club de la Sarthe, he would become the Wrights' closest friend in France.'
Wright indeed chose the Les Hunaudieres Race Course in Le Mans as the site for his first demonstration flight, conducted on August 8, 1908. This was the first of nine flights he made at Les Hunaudieres Race Course, before moving to a larger field at the nearby Camp d’Auvours. Wilbur's flights captivated the public, and he secured the French contract with ease. An important archive documenting Wilbur Wright's fruitful ventures at Le Mans, France.
