26 Posters - Mistinguett, (5 April 1875 – 5 January 1956) the best-paid female entertainer in the world. With Footnotes

Mistinguett / L'Excentrique. 1898

Artist: FERNAND GARRIC Size: 33 1/4 x 48 3/8 in./84.4 x 123 cm Imp. Delanchy, Paris Garric created a handful of posters for Mistinguett at the beginning of her career, this being the most wildly fantastical. The focus is her frilled petticoats and soon-to-be-iconic legs, while a cameo of her pre-blonde portrait sits in the lower left.

Dimensions: 33 1/4 x 48 3/8 in./84.4 x 123 cm

Mistinguett (5 April 1875 – 5 January 1956) was a French actress and singer, whose birth name was Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois. The daughter of Antoine Bourgeois, a 30-year-old day-laborer, and Jeannette Debrée, a 21-year-old seamstress, Jeanne Bourgeois was born at 5 Rue du Chemin-de-Fer, in Enghien-les-Bains, Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France, France. The family moved to Soisy-sous-Montmorency where she spent her childhood; her parents later worked as mattress-makers.

Mistinguett and Max Dearly. ca. 1909

Artist: ADRIEN BARRÈRE (1877-1931) Size: 46 3/4 x 62 5/8 in./118.7 x 159.2 cm Starting in 1909, Mistinguett teamed up with veteran performer Max Dearly to perform the Apache. The dance, which he supposedly invented the year prior, takes its name from the French slang word for underground street culture, and is an extraordinarily dramatic, frequently violent dance meant to represent a conversation between a hooker and her pimp. This is the before-letters version of the design.

Dimensions: 46 3/4 x 62 5/8 in./118.7 x 159.2 cm

At an early age Bourgeois aspired to be an entertainer. She began as a flower seller in a restaurant in her hometown, singing popular ballads as she sold blossoms. After taking classes in theatre and singing, she began her career as an entertainer in 1885. One day on the train to Paris for a violin lesson, she met Saint-Marcel, who directed the revue at the Casino de Paris. He engaged her first as a stage-hand, and here she began to pursue her goal to become an entertainer, experimenting with various stage-names, being successively Miss Helyett, Miss Tinguette, Mistinguette and, finally, Mistinguett.

Mistinguett. 1911

Artist: DANIEL DE LOSQUES (David Thoroude, 1880-1915) Size: 41 x 76 7/8 in./104 x 195.4 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris An early, rather demure full-length portrait of Mistinguett as a sweet, simple country girl. The image was popular enough to have been done in at least two different color versions, the other example showing her in a red dress (see PAI-XLVII, 63).

Dimensions: 41 x 76 7/8 in./104 x 195.4 cm

Bourgeois made her debut as Mistinguett at the Casino de Paris in 1895 and went on to appear in venues such as the Folies Bergère, Moulin Rouge and Eldorado. Her risqué routines captivated Paris, and she went on to become the most popular French entertainer of her time and the highest paid female entertainer in the world, known for her flamboyance and a zest for the theatrical. In 1919 her legs were insured for 500,000 francs.

Mistinguett. ca. 1913

Artist: G. K. BENDA (Georges Kugelmann) Size: 46 1/8 x 62 in./117.2 x 157.6 cm Philippe G. Dreyfus, Paris With a career spanning over 50 years, Mistinguett was one of the greatest performers of the early half of the 20th century. Here, Benda, a little-known graphic artist, depicts her in all her coquettish glory, the wind playfully sweeping both her dress and bowed puppy into the air. As humorous as it is coy.

Dimensions: 46 1/8 x 62 in./117.2 x 157.6 cm

Mistinguett. 1917

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 45 5/8 x 61 7/8 in./115.8 x 157 cm Imp. Minot, Paris This is one of the first designs Gesmar created for Mistinguett, done when he was just 17 years old. New to the advertising scene, he already shows an advanced understanding of how to grab an audience's attention: the swirls of the rosette on her hat, the grand stretch of the ostrich plumes, and the undulating stripes on her skirt echo each other and create a hypnotic draw to the page.

Dimensions: 45 5/8 x 61 7/8 in./115.8 x 157 cm

Though Mistinguett never married, she had a son, Léopoldo João de Lima e Silva, by Brazilian diplomat Leopoldo de Lima e Silva (died 1931); the latter was a grandson of the Duke of Caxias.[3] She also had a long relationship with Maurice Chevalier, 13 years her junior. It is claimed that she and Chevalier informed to the police in 1940 that singer/songwriter Charles Trenet was gay and consorting with youths.

Mistinguett / Casino de Paris. 1920

Artist: LEONETTO CAPPIELLO (1875-1942) Size: 46 1/2 x 62 5/8 in./118 x 159 cm Imp. Devambez, Paris "Even though Mistinguett . . . had been expertly portrayed by many artists . . . Cappiello managed to find a rather novel angle to present the legendary performer: He sets us down in a box seat, a superior vantage point from which to watch the legendary performer appearing in 'La Revue Nouvelle' at the Casino de Paris. It was her first public appearance in several years without her steady partner and lover, Maurice Chevalier, with whom she had just parted ways. It was in this revue that she introduced one of her signature songs, 'La Parisienne.' And in addition to the unusual perspective is the signature title, something we never see in a Cappiello design" (Cappiello/Rennert, p. 204).

Dimensions: 46 1/2 x 62 5/8 in./118 x 159 cm

Mistinguett / Casino de Paris. 1922

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 44 1/8 x 60 in./112.2 x 152.4 cm Imp. Karcher, Paris Mistinguett was Gesmar's chief client and close friend from the time he was seventeen years old. This poster represents one of his simplest and most effective designs, drawing all the attention to the performer's face by offsetting it against a waterfall of feathers cascading off the page.

Dimensions: 44 1/8 x 60 in./112.2 x 152.4 cm

She first recorded her signature song, "Mon Homme", in 1916. It was popularised under its English title "My Man" by Fanny Brice and has become a standard in the repertoire of numerous pop and jazz singers.

Mistinguett. 1925

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 46 x 62 7/8 in./116.9 x 159.6 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris Although framed with swoops of green ostrich feathers and yards of dazzling baubles, it is perhaps Mistinguett's smile which attracts us the most in this particularly rare design.

Dimensions: 46 x 62 7/8 in./116.9 x 159.6 cm

Mistinguett / Bonjour Paris. 1925

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 23 3/8 x 32 1/2 in./59.4 x 82.5 cm Lith. Delko, Anvers Premiering on November 10, 1924, Bonjour Paris was Mistinguett's latest (and last) revue at the Casino de Paris before switching her semi-permanent residence over to the Moulin Rouge. Performing alongside her were Earl Leslie and the singer Saint-Granier.

Dimensions: 23 3/8 x 32 1/2 in./59.4 x 82.5 cm

During a tour of the United States, Mistinguett was asked by Time magazine to explain her popularity. Her answer was, "It is a kind of magnetism. I say 'Come closer' and draw them to me."

Mistinguett. 1925

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 47 1/4 x 62 7/8 in./120 x 159.6 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris One of the most smashing and rare of all of Gesmar's designs for Misstinguett, she appears in a fur-trimmed riding ensemble, complete with crop.

Dimensions: 47 1/4 x 62 7/8 in./120 x 159.6 cm

Mistinguett died in Bougival, France, at the age of 80, attended by her son, a doctor.[3][6] She is buried in the Cimetière Enghien-les-Bains, Île-de-France, France.

Mistinguett. 1925

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 44 1/8 x 62 in./112.4 x 157.3 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris One of Gesmar's most luxurious images for Mistinguett, this poster plays on her well-known flirtatious performance style, the ostrich feathers almost forcing her to pay peek-a-boo with the viewer.

Dimensions: 44 1/8 x 62 in./112.4 x 157.3 cm

Upon her death, writer Jean Cocteau observed in an obituary, "Her voice, slightly off-key, was that of the Parisian street hawkers—the husky, trailing voice of the Paris people. She was of the animal race that owes nothing to intellectualism. She incarnated herself. She flattered a French patriotism that was not shameful. It is normal now that she should crumble, like the other caryatids of that great and marvelous epoch that was ours"

Mistinguett / Moulin Rouge. 1926

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 29 3/8 x 46 in./74.7 x 117 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris Mistinguett achieved her greatest success at the Moulin Rouge, where this 1926 revue was simply called Mistinguett. "It is one of Gesmar's most beautiful posters: without jewels or fancy dress, it's the Miss, child of Paris, which he shows us here. . . alluring, tender, and roguish with the rose between her lips which we would like to pluck." (Folies-Bergère, p. 11).

Dimensions: 29 3/8 x 46 in./74.7 x 117 cm

Mistinguett. 1927

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 36 5/8 x 55 1/4 in./93 x 140.4 cm C. Langner, Berlin Around the time of her ça ... c'est Paris! revue, Gesmar presented Mistinguett with two alternative posters - this is the one she ultimately chose, sassily displaying her signature legs. This particular variant was printed in Germany, and is missing the artist's signature.

Dimensions: 36 5/8 x 55 1/4 in./93 x 140.4 cm

Mistinguett. ca. 1927

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 46 5/8 x 63 1/4 in./118.4 x 160.6 cm H. Chachoin, Paris One of the rarest of Gesmar's designs for Mistinguett, this image shows her flirtatiously smoking a pearl-encrusted pipe, glancing coyly over her shoulder.

Dimensions: 46 5/8 x 63 1/4 in./118.4 x 160.6 cm

Mistinguett. ca. 1927

Artist: ROUGEMONT Size: 46 x 61 3/4 in./116.8 x 156.8 cm Imp. Richier-Laugier, Paris One of Mistinguett's go-to ensembles was the tramp, be it the sweet impoverished thing in her Rags-to-Riches performance or the rakish Artful Dodger-esque figure shown here.

Dimensions: 46 x 61 3/4 in./116.8 x 156.8 cm

Mistinguett. ca. 1928

Artist: CHARLES GESMAR (1900-1928) Size: 44 5/8 x 123 1/2 in./113.3 x 313.6 cm H. Chachoin, Paris In this spectacular two-sheet poster, Gesmar shows the two distinct stage personas affected by Mistinguett: the flamboyant showgirl and the Parisian street urchin. She was equally effective and popular in both guises. The poster is usually referred to as "Rags to Riches," and was the artist's last poster for Mistinguett.

Dimensions: 44 5/8 x 123 1/2 in./113.3 x 313.6 cm

Mistinguett. ca. 1928

Artist: ZIG (Louis Gaudin, 1882-1936) Size: 46 5/8 x 62 1/4 in./118.4 x 158.2 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris After her favorite designer, Gesmar, died in 1928, Mistinguett turned to Zig to create lively posters and costumes for her many performances. A showman at heart, he knew how to give an image eye-catching pizzaz and style, which showcased Mistinguett's flamboyant public persona perfectly. Possibly referencing the fact that Mistinguett began her career as a flower seller singing ballads and folk songs in cafés and restaurants, this sweet image presents the performer as a naive darling of the stage.

Dimensions: 46 5/8 x 62 1/4 in./118.4 x 158.2 cm

Casino de Paris / Mistinguett / Paris Miss. 1930

Artist: ZIG (Louis Gaudin, 1882-1936) Size: 15 x 23 in./38 x 58.2 cm Central Publicité, Paris Dripping in fur, feathers, and jewels, this small design for Mistinguett's "Paris Miss" revue at the Casino de Paris is all-glamour.

Dimensions: 15 x 23 in./38 x 58.2 cm

Casino de Paris / Mistinguett / Paris Qui Brille. 1931

Artist: ZIG (Louis Gaudin, 1882-1936) Size: 15 1/8 x 34 7/8 in./38.3 x 88.6 cm Central Publicité, Paris Mistinguett's revue "Paris Qui Brille" was directly inspired by the unprecedented success of Josephine Baker's "Paris Qui Remue," which closed at the Casino de Paris a few weeks prior. Both shows focused on elaborate costumes and dance numbers. This is the smaller format.

Dimensions: 15 1/8 x 34 7/8 in./38.3 x 88.6 cm

Mistinguett. ca. 1931

Artist: ORSI (1889-1947) Size: 44 1/2 x 60 1/2 in./113.3 x 153.6 cm Publicité Phogor, Paris While almost every other poster features Mistinguett in either lavish costumes or in some wild setting, this image by Orsi focuses on two of her most notable assets: a winning smile and large, green eyes.

Dimensions: 44 1/2 x 60 1/2 in./113.3 x 153.6 cm

Mistinguett. 1932

Artist: ZIG (Louis Gaudin, 1882-1936) Size: 62 7/8 x 47 1/8 in./159.6 x 119.7 cm Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris Despite being 59 at the time that this poster was made, Mistinguett appears as youthfully alluring as ever, glamorously clad in a rhinestone-studded, barebacked swimsuit and matching hat. Her career would continue on for over another decade, making her not only one of the best paid but also one of the oldest women in showbiz at the time.

Dimensions: 62 7/8 x 47 1/8 in./159.6 x 119.7 cm

Mistinguett / Féerie de Paris / Casino de Paris. 1937

Artist: JEAN-DOMINIQUE VAN CAULAERT (1897-1979) Size: 15 1/2 x 22 3/4 in./39.4 x 57.7 cm Imp. Delattre, Paris "Féerie de Paris" was such a hit that the box office of the Casino de Paris had to be enlarged. The theme of the revue was a tour of Paris monuments led by Mistinguett wearing a six-foot high Eiffel Tower of a costume. Van Caulaert could only fit part of it into this design, the rest tumbling outside of the frame. The poster – produced for the enduring success of the show's run "d'après" the previous year's original design – certainly doesn't hint at the fact that Mistinguett was already 64 at the time of the performance. This is the smaller format.

Dimensions: 15 1/2 x 22 3/4 in./39.4 x 57.7 cm

Mistinguett / Théâtre Mogador. 1937

Artist: JEAN-DOMINIQUE VAN CAULAERT (1897-1979) Size: 45 3/4 x 59 1/2 in./116.2 x 151.2 cm Atelier Girbal, Paris With the trademark sophistication and refinement for which his celebrity portraits were known, Van Caulaert paints Mistinguett in her street urchin personae for an appearance in ça c'est Parisien at the Théatre Mogador.

Dimensions: 45 3/4 x 59 1/2 in./116.2 x 151.2 cm

Mistinguett / Vedette Columbia. 1938

Artist: JEAN-DOMINIQUE VAN CAULAERT (1897-1979) Size: 45 1/8 x 62 3/8 in./114.6 x 158.4 cm A sassy image to coincide with her latest record put out by Columbia, featuring a new rendition of her signature song "Mon Homme."

Dimensions: 45 1/8 x 62 3/8 in./114.6 x 158.4 cm

Mistinguett / Casino de Paris. ca. 1939

Artist: ROUGEMONT Size: 30 3/4 x 47 in./78 x 119.5 cm Imp. Richier-Laugier, Paris With a nod to the great Gesmar, Rougemont gives us a dazzling close-up of Mistinguett, full of the sparkle and flamboyance that she always projected on stage.

Dimensions: 30 3/4 x 47 in./78 x 119.5 cm

Mistinguett. 1941/ Forever Paris

Artist: JEAN-DOMINIQUE VAN CAULAERT (1897-1979) Size: 39 x 57 3/8 in./99 x 145.6 cm Imp. Delattre, Paris For her "Forever Paris" revue at the Casino de Paris, Van Caulaert gives us perhaps the most sensuous version of Mistinguett, showing off her stockinged thigh through a daring slit in her curve-hugging dress.

Dimensions: 39 x 57 3/8 in./99 x 145.6 cm

Mistinguett at the Moulin rouge, (1875-1956)

25 Posters - The Art and evolution of the Aviation Poster 1909 -1969

Port-Aviation / Grande Quinzaine de Paris. 1909

RAYMOND TOURNOD Size: 46 3/4 x 62 7/8 in./118.5 x 159.5 cm Affiches E. Bougard, Paris "The propellers had scarcely stopped turning at the world's first great aviation meet at Rheims in August 1909, when an October Fortnight was held at the town of Juvisy's self-styled Port-Aviation some nineteen kilometers south of Paris. Shown in this poster are a high-winged, two-seater Blériot Model XII monoplnae, similar to the machine its inventor had piloted in the first Gordon Bennet race at Rheims six weeks previously, and an early-model Wright biplane preparing to take off. Advertised were several Grands Prix, including those offered by the Paris Municipal Council and the Society for the Encouragement of Aviation. A prize was also offered for slow flying. Public interest in the events was overwhelming. Such enormous crowds engulfed the suburban railway system that at one point the trains broke down" 

Dimensions: 46 3/4 x 62 7/8 in./118.5 x 159.5 cm

Grande Semaine d'Aviation / Rouen. 1910

GEORGES VILLA (1883-1965) Size: 36 7/8 x 51 in./93.7 x 129.7 cm Imp. Emile Wolf, Rouen "Rouen displayed more than one poster to publicize its June meeting of 1910. In addition to the better known version of a pilot saluting the saints as he rounds the city's famous cathedral, there was this striking portrayal by respected artist Georges Villa of what one may assume to be the Spirit of Flight, a robed female figure spreading her wings in emulation of a speeding monoplane. There was no need to remind spectators of the historical significance of Rouen. It was here that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by the English in 1431"). It's also interesting to note that while the organizers of the event shortened its length, starting it on the nineteenth rather than the sixteenth of June (see subsequent Lot), this poster fails to note that change which appears on nearly all other known examples.

Dimensions: 36 7/8 x 51 in./93.7 x 129.7 cm

Grande Semaine d'Aviation. 1910

CHARLES RAMBERT (1867-1932) Size: 36 x 51 1/8 in./91.5 x 129.7 cm Imp. Girieud, Rouen "Organized by the city of Rouen, and financed by the Ligue Nationale Aérienne, the newspaper L'Auto, and the Automobile Club de Normandie, this meet took place on the Rouvray parade ground, following the Budapest international air show and the third Port-Aviation show. Fifty thousand spectators attended the Great Aviation Week of Rouen, with its two-mile circuit, to watch a dozen monoplanes and as many biplanes compete in the now classic disciplines: speed, altitude, and flight duration. The air show's prizes totaled 200,000 francs (150,000 francs according to the posters). The air show was dominated by a talented young man, Léon Morane, who won all of the events, while Marcel Hanriot, Europe's youngest aviator, was making his debut".

Dimensions: 36 x 51 1/8 in./91.5 x 129.7 cm

Semaine d'Aviation de Lyon. 1910

CHARLES TICHON Size: 47 1/4 x 62 3/4 in./120 x 159.4 cm Imp. Emile Pécaud, Paris "Organized by the city of Lyon, the Aéro-Club du Rhône, and the Automobile Club Rhône in Bron . . . the Great Aviation Week took place in front of one hundred thousand spectators, but was hampered by other meets taking place at the same time in Vienna, Berlin, Odessa, and Budapest, not to mention the poor weather conditions". None of the rain and wind that plagued the event are present in this grandiloquent Tichon design, overflowing with the hope and fascination attached to the newfound technology.

Dimensions: 47 1/4 x 62 3/4 in./120 x 159.4 cm

Grande Quinzaine D'Aviation. 1910

ANONYMOUS Size: 29 1/2 x 41 1/8 in./75 x 104.5 cm Imp. Dondé Frères, Paris "During the Le Havre air show, which took place ... at the same time as the meet in Deauville-Trouville, Léon Morane ... was not at his best, winning only the altitude event. He climbed up to 7,054 feet, as measured with a barograph aboard a balloon flying at 6,693 feet. It was the new world record ... The organizers managed advertising savings by grouping the Le Havre air show with the one in Deauville-Trouville on the same poster as the Great Aviation Fortnight").

Dimensions: 29 1/2 x 41 1/8 in./75 x 104.5 cm

Semaine d'Aviation / Nantes. 1910

ANONYMOUS Size: 39 x 74 3/8 in./99 x 189 cm Imp. Gvéneux, Nantes This never-before-seen two sheet design announces the Nantes Air Show of 1910. Prominently displayed is the Antoinette monoplane flown by René Thomas, who would famously participate in the first mid-air collision two months later.

Dimensions: 39 x 74 3/8 in./99 x 189 cm

Flers-Aviation. 1911

ANONYMOUS Size: 47 x 63 in./119.3 x 160 cm Imp. Folloppe, Flers-Argentan This undocumented early aviation poster announces a three-day airmeet in the northwestern French commune of Flers. Monoplanes and biplanes piloted by seasoned aviators Bathiat, Molla, and Visseaux will perform various feets during the day, while the evenings will be filled with a grand ball.

Dimensions: 47 x 63 in./119.3 x 160 cm

4eme Exposition de la Locomotion Aerienne. 1912

GEORGES DORIVAL (1879-1968) Size: 45 3/4 x 61 in./116 x 155 cm Atelier Geo Dorival, Paris By 1912, the public fascination with air shows was on the decline -- advertisers had to create newer, more spectacular draws to attract the crowds of just three years prior. Here, Dorival showcases two Bleriot-style aircrafts hovering over the ever-familiar Parisian landscape, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame protruding into the clouds in the background.

Dimensions: 45 3/4 x 61 in./116 x 155 cm

Aviation St Amand-Montrona. ca. 1915

R. TOUGERE Size: 47 x 62 3/4 in./119 x 159 cm Imp. Pivoteau, Saint-Amand This brightly-hued poster is as humorous as it is rare, with an aggresive pilot gesturing rudely to some annoyed eagles to get out of his way. The event advertised is a three-day airmeet in August, featuring everything from a nighttime air show, to a bicycle race, to a "battle" featuring flowers and confetti.

Dimensions: 47 x 62 3/4 in./119 x 159 cm

Exposition Internationale Locomotion Aérienne. 1919

DOMINIQUE CHARLES FOUQUERAY (1872-1956) Size: 31 1/4 x 47 1/4 in./79.2 x 120 cm Imp. Lapina, Paris The Sixth Paris Air Show was the first to occur after the end of World War I, having been on hiatus since 1913. This poster presents a solid sense of nationalism celebrating the recent victory, a trumpeting embodiment of the French people heralding in the now-peaceful developments in aviation.

Dimensions: 31 1/4 x 47 1/4 in./79.2 x 120 cm

Aéro Club de Belgique. 1922

ANTO-CARTE (Antoine Carte, 1886-1954) Size: 28 3/8 x 46 in./72 x 117 cm Originally printed with text thanking military pilots who died in World War I, this Neo-Classically inspired image shows off the nude body of Mercury and his caduceus hailing a Farman-Goliath monoplane.

Dimensions: 28 3/8 x 46 in./72 x 117 cm

Gde. Semaine Aéronautique / Nice. 1922

E. BELLANGER Size: 30 x 42 1/4 in./76 x 107.4 cm Cornille & Serre, Paris A charming railway advertisement promoting travel to a lavish air meet in Nice. Featured are a variety of war heroes, including René Fonck (noted as top Allied fighter ace at the end of WWI), Willy Coppens (Belgium's leading aerialist and champion balloon buster of WWI), Charles Nungesser (French rival of Charles Lindbergh), Henri Farman, Joseph Sadi Lecointe, Gilbert Sardier, Lucien Bossoutrot, and Gustave Douchy.

Dimensions: 30 x 42 1/4 in./76 x 107.4 cm

Coupe Gordon Bennett. 1922

H. LOUTAN Size: 34 7/8 x 50 3/8 in./88.7 x 128 cm Affiches Sonor, Geneve Started in 1906, the Gordon Bennett Cup is the world's oldest hot air balloon race. The 1922 meet marked the second time the event was held in Switzerland, and resulted in Ernest Demuyter and Alexander Veenstra of Belgium taking home the grand prize.

Dimensions: 34 7/8 x 50 3/8 in./88.7 x 128 cm

Air Fleet. 1925

ANONYMOUS Size: 27 1/2 x 41 1/2 in./69.8 x 105.4 cm This straightforward Soviet design promotes Air Fleet magazine. In the side columns, the reader is told that the monthly publication will be no less than five typed pages with 25 illustrations, and will be suitable for all types of aviation enthusiasts. For a mere three roubles and 80 kopeks per year, one will also receive a free poster, collection of postcards, and a children's aviation story.

Dimensions: 27 1/2 x 41 1/2 in./69.8 x 105.4 cm

Vers le Tchad. 1925

ROGER SOUBIE (1898-1984) Size: 47 1/2 x 62 3/4 in./120.5 x 159.3 cm Imp. Duval, Paris Directed by Maxime Dely, Vers le Tchad is a documentary chronicling the journies of Roland Garros and Jean Casale as they travel 15,000 kilometers from Paris to Chad by plane.

Dimensions: 47 1/2 x 62 3/4 in./120.5 x 159.3 cm

Airplane Rides / Boeing Clipper. ca. 1929

ANONYMOUS Size: 25 x 37 7/8 in./63.5 x 96.2 cm The Inman Brothers' Flying Circus was a travelling aerial show composed of three brothers and a lion named Kitty. The four of them would perform various barnstorming and skydiving routines, as well as offer rides to eager spectators. The circus disbanded in 1935 when the youngest brother died in an attempt to protect a female onlooker from a crash.

Dimensions: 25 x 37 7/8 in./63.5 x 96.2 cm

Linee Aeree Italiane. 1932

UMBERTO DI LAZZARO Size: 23 x 37 1/2 in./58.4 x 95.3 cm I.G.A.P. Roma One of the finest Italian aviation posters ever produced, this bold design cuts through Furturist color planes to express the pure mass and swift movement of Italian Airlines' fleet. This is the Italian-language version of the image.

Dimensions: 23 x 37 1/2 in./58.4 x 95.3 cm

I Internationale Luftschiffahrts Ausstellung. 1935

PLINIO CODOGNATO (1878-1940) Size: 27 1/8 x 39 1/8 in./69 x 99.5 cm The perfect embodiment of Fascist aesthetics under Mussolini, this poster aggressively advertises the first International Air Show of Milan. That year was particularly important for aerial innovation, as Germany debuted the Klemm Kl 35, while the Soviet Union introduced its I-15 and I-16 biplanes - all of which would feature prominently in World War II.

Dimensions: 27 1/8 x 39 1/8 in./69 x 99.5 cm

Air Afrique. 1935

A. ROQUIN Size: 23 3/8 x 38 1/8 in./59.3 x 97 cm Imp. Chaix, Paris Gazing through a large window in a white linen suit and pith helmet, the eager traveller gets his first view of Africa. Judging by the map in his hand, it would appear that he is looking for opportunities in France's African colonies.

Dimensions: 23 3/8 x 38 1/8 in./59.3 x 97 cm

Nach Sudamerika in 3 Tagen! ca. 1936

OTTOMAR ANTON (1895-1976) Size: 23 5/8 x 32 1/2 in./60 x 82.6 cm Mühlmeister & Johler, Hamburg The Graf Zeppelin was a German dirigible named after aviation pioneer Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin. It flew for the first time on September 18, 1928, and was the largest airship afloat up to that time. Initially used for experimental and demonstration purposes, the Zeppelin eventually made several long-range flights, including a three-day voyage from Germany to various ports in South America. This is the smaller format version of the design.

Dimensions: 23 5/8 x 32 1/2 in./60 x 82.6 cm

Pan American / South Sea Isles. 1938

PAUL GEORGE LAWLER Size: 25 1/4 x 38 5/8 in./64.3 x 98 cm Lawler created numerous images for Pan Am during the late 1930s, each one inviting the viewer to some exotic locale. This design for the South Sea Isles is perhaps his most enticing, with a flower-crowned native languidly reclining on the cliffs as a plane prepares for a water landing.

Dimensions: 25 1/4 x 38 5/8 in./64.3 x 98 cm

Jérome Cavalli. 1938

GEO HAM (Georges Hamel, 1900-1972) Size: 30 7/8 x 46 1/2 in./78.3 x 118 cm Imp. Max Courteau, Paris Noted as "one of the best high-flying specialists in the world," Jérome Cavalli was a member of the French air force. Frequently reprimanded for performing illegal acrobatics in military planes, he left the service in 1931 to become a test pilot for Gourdou Lesseure while also performing death-defying tricks at hundreds of airshows and meets throughout the 1930s.

Dimensions: 30 7/8 x 46 1/2 in./78.3 x 118 cm

Blériot Traverse La Manche. ca. 1950

ANONYMOUS Size: 29 1/4 x 21 5/8 in./74.4 x 55 cm Meant as didactic images for the French educational system, this Rossignol poster showcases a Blériot style plane as it takes off in the French countryside.

Dimensions: 29 1/4 x 21 5/8 in./74.4 x 55 cm

L'Armée de l'Air. ca. 1952

PAUL LENGELLE (1908-1993) Size: 25 3/8 x 39 1/2 in./64.5 x 100.3 cm St. Martin, Paris Printed during the Korean War, this daring image of a fleet of fighter jets looping in undemarcated space was meant to both increase confidence in the French Air Force as well as inspire bold young men to enlist.

Dimensions: 25 3/8 x 39 1/2 in./64.5 x 100.3 cm

Aéronautique / Espace. 1969

BERNARD VILLEMOT (1911-1989) Size: 45 3/4 x 61 1/2 in./116.2 x 156.2 cm Villemot created at least five posters for the Paris Air Show, this one dynamically showcasing two jets and a rocket - the perfect representations of both Modern Air and Space technology.

Dimensions: 45 3/4 x 61 1/2 in./116.2 x 156.2 cm

Acknowledgement: Invaluable