Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster – Vintage Aviation Poster – Charles Tichon 1910
Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon Poster: The Dawn of Flight in France
The vintage Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster was created at a time when aviation was in its infancy, but flight had finally become a reality. This poster captures the public excitement surrounding early aviation, just a little over a year after Louis Blériot’s groundbreaking 1909 flight across the English Channel. His success turned flying machines into symbols of progress and innovation, making the public eager to witness new developments.
Blierot’s successful flight took place just days after the “Internationale Luftschiffahrt-Ausstellung” at Frankfurt, the world’s first airshow was held. The notoriety of Blierot’s flight made everyone sit up and take notice. Aviation was suddenly seen as a symbol of progress and innovation, and many people were eager to witness the latest developments in the field.
A Spectacular Artistic Vision
Created by the French artist Charles Tichon, the Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau design. Tichon fills the evening sky over Lyon with a variety of early flying machines: biplanes, dirigibles, hot air balloons, and monoplanes. They fly along the River Rhône, bathed in the soft glow of a fiery orange-yellow sunset. The aircraft are all headed towards the iconic La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière, a nod to the event’s location in Lyon, France.
Intricate Details and Historical Context
The Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster includes a beautiful detail of a young woman standing on a rose-adorned veranda, waving at the ‘magnificent men in their flying machines.’ The scene conveys a sense of wonder and beauty. The Art Nouveau hand lettering announces the event dates—from May 7th to the 15th—and a significant prize fund of 200,000 francs.
The image’s style and composition bear a striking resemblance to an earlier airshow poster by Ernest Montaut for the Grande Semaine d’Aviation de Champagne in 1909, highlighting a shared artistic influence among early aviation event promoters.
The 1910 Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon
Organized by the city of Lyon, the Aéro-club, and the Automobile Club du Rhône, the Grande Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon in May 1910 attracted an impressive 100,000 spectators. Despite facing tough competition from other European airshows and braving rain and wind, the event was a major success.
The Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon featured several intense competitions, including the Grand Prix for total distance, speed, and height. The massive prize fund of 200,000 francs (worth about 1.2 million euros today) drew some of the era’s best pilots, such as Latham, Molon, Van den Born, Legagneu, and Paulhan, to compete for glory and cash prizes.
Although the event was a triumph for organizers, many pilots found it challenging. Most of the flyers, with the exception of Chávez and Molon, damaged their planes. The high number of accidents was attributed to a short course that demanded constant turning, alongside the turbulence caused by farm buildings and grandstands. Despite the crashes, the Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon was a pivotal moment in aviation history.
This vintage Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster is a striking reminder of this remarkable event. It would make a fantastic addition to any home or office, offering a glimpse into the earliest days of heavier-than-air aviation and the courageous pilots who pioneered flight. Whether you’re an aviation history buff, a collector of vintage posters, or simply looking for a unique piece of wall art, this reproduction poster is sure to impress.
Other Vintage Aviation Posters
This exciting era marked the beginning of modern aviation and set the stage for aviation’s significant role in the 20th century. Fortunately, for those interested in aviation, it also coincided with the advent of the colour poster that advertised events and air shows. Despite their fragility, it’s remarkable how posters have survived that advertised those early events over 100+ years ago. They are a great reminder of those early aeronautical events that helped pave the way for modern aviation.
Here we’ve selected ten of our favourite aviation posters that capture the spirit of innovation and adventure that defined this period.
The Wright Brothers – Dayton Ohio 1909
It seems fitting that we start with the famous American Wright Brothers they were after all the first to… well… get things off the ground. This vintage poster wasn’t designed to advertise an event it was, as the poster states, created for “The Nation, State and City to Welcome the World’s Greatest Aviators”.
The Wright Brothers poster captures the moment on June 17 and 18 1909 in Dayton, Ohio when they made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air craft. This vintage aviation poster celebrates that two-day homecoming with the aeroplane shown high above the Ohio countryside.
ILA Luftschiffahrt Ausstellung Frankfurt Poster – Oppenheim – 1909
Created by the German artist Alfred Oppenheim, this vintage aviation poster was created to advertise the first International Luftschiffahrt Ausstellung Frankfurt in Germany. It features the magnificent structure Frankfurter Dom or Frankfurt Cathedral, the city’s largest building, as its backdrop. Around the Cathedral a variety of aircraft can be seen flying including a Voisin bi-plane.
The 1907 Voisin biplane, was the first successful powered aircraft. It was used by the French aviator Henri Farman to make the first heavier-than-air flight lasting more than a minute in Europe, and also to make the first full circle. The International Aviation Exhibition Frankfurt 1909 was, at the time, the world’s largest and most important aviation exhibition.
Doncaster Aviation Races Poster – Great Northern Railway Poster
If you’ve any interest in the pioneering aviation history of Britain you’ll love this reproduction Doncaster Aviation Races Poster print. It may also surprise a lot of people to discover that the first air show ever held in England’s green and pleasant land took place in… Doncaster of all places!
The wonderfully simple but effective imagery is evocative of the era. It features two early flying machines racing in the sky. The Blériot XI monoplane is in the lead being chased by an aircraft that looks very similar to Orville Wright’s famous Wright Flyer. The Blériot XI was the flagship of French aviation having been the first to cross the English Channel in 1909.
Semaine d’aviation de Lyon – Charles Tichon – 1910
The vintage Semaine d’Aviation poster is from the early days of heavier-than-air aviation created by Charles Tichon. The show held at Lyon between the 7th and 15th of May 1910, was held less than twelve months after Bleriot became the first pilot to fly across the English Channel. The public could not get enough of this new phenomenon and turned up to air displays n their hundreds of thousands. This is a striking early aviation poster.
How much is an original Charles Tichon Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster worth?
The Semaine d’Aviation de Lyon poster is a significant piece of aviation history, as it is one of the earliest produced for an air show. The fact that it is a rare and hard-to-find lithograph in its original form makes it a bit of a holy grail amongst collectors and aviation enthusiasts. The fact that the print has such a cool image only adds to its appeal.
One original copy came to auction in 2020. The poster was in B+ condition and described as having tears and folds on the edges. Despite its imperfections, it fetched a respectable hammer price of $8,400, falling within the guide price range of $8,000 to $10,000. Presumably, one in Grade A condition would have soared to an even greater sky-high price.
We totally agree, owning an original vintage poster is amazing, and it can even be a great investment. But let’s face it, not all of us can afford one. However, don’t let that discourage you from having a beautiful piece of aviation art in your home! Our high-quality reproductions are the perfect solution.
They look absolutely fantastic when framed and hung on your living room wall, and they come at a fraction of the cost of an original. So, even if you’re on a budget, you can still enjoy the beauty and history of vintage aviation posters as stunning wall art in your VIP lounge, control tower or aircraft hangar… or maybe a living room, office or garage!
