Flying at Hendon poster – London Underground poster – Cyrus Cuneo
The Rare Flying at Hendon Poster for the second ever Air Races
This vintage Flying at Hendon poster was created to promote the 1912 Air Races at the London Aerodrome, Hendon—just one year after Britain’s first Aerial Derby. The inaugural event had been a massive success, attracting an estimated three million spectators throughout London. A remarkable two million of these London residents had never witnessed an aircraft in flight before. At the Hendon Aerodrome itself, a staggering 45,000 individuals purchased tickets, showcasing the immense public interest in the aviation spectacle.
This stunning early aviation Flying at Hendon poster by American-born artist Cyrus Cincinatto Cuneo was a joint production of the London Transport companies Underground and Motor Bus. The poster depicts a thrilling monoplane passenger flight, an “artist’s impression as seen from another machine over 1,000 feet high.”
The fabulous painting features a two-seater, Bleriot-style monoplane with a pioneering aviator at the controls and an intrepid young woman waving a handkerchief in the passenger seat. The plane soars over the fields of Colindale while a large crowd of spectators gathers below, watching in front of a row of aircraft hangars. The Flying at Hendon poster also highlights that Hendon is “London’s Modern Rendezvous” and advertises upcoming events and dates, including the Second Aerial Derby on Saturday, June 7, 1913.
The Flying at Hendon poster offers practical information for attendees, suggesting they take the Underground to Golder’s Green tube station and then catch the Motor Bus to the event. This vintage Flying at Hendon poster is a piece of aviation history, capturing the spirit and excitement of early flight.
About the Artist and the History of Aviation in Hendon
The Flying at Hendon poster is a testament to the pioneering era of aviation, which spanned from the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903 to the start of World War I in 1914. This period captivated the public’s imagination, thanks to daredevil pilots and groundbreaking events. Fortunately, the era also coincided with the rise of the color poster, which advertised these early air shows. The Flying at Hendon poster by Cyrus Cuneo is one of the best examples of this.
Hendon Aerodrome was a key site in this history. After French aviator Louis Paulhan made the first true aerial achievement from the Hendon site in 1910, aviator Claude Grahame-White converted the area into a modern airfield. This led to the annual Aerial Derby, which became as important as the Ascot and Epsom races. By 1925, the display was so popular that 100,000 people attended.
With the outbreak of World War I, Hendon became a vital base for the Royal Flying Corps, training 490 pilots and playing a crucial role in the aerial defense of London. After the war, the Royal Air Force continued the tradition with its popular “Pageant” displays, later renamed the Royal Air Force Display. The Flying at Hendon poster stands as a beautiful reminder of this rich legacy.
This London Underground Flying at Hendon poster is a must-have for any collector of vintage prints or aviation memorabilia.
10 Posters from The Pioneering Era of Aviation
The pioneer era of aviation was a thrilling time in history, spanning from the Wright Brothers’ successful flight in 1903 to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. This period captured the public’s imagination, with news of daring pilots and their accomplishments filling newspapers and cinemas. The Flying at Hendon poster is a prime example of a collectible from this exciting period.
Pioneering aviators like Orville and Wilbur Wright, Alberto Santos-Dumont, and Louis Bleriot pushed the boundaries of flight, making remarkable progress in aeroplane design and performance. The Flying at Hendon poster celebrates these early aerial feats and is a visual link to this historic time.
This era marked the beginning of modern aviation and set the stage for its crucial role in the 20th century. Coinciding with this excitement was the advent of the color poster, which was used to advertise aviation events and air shows. A Flying at Hendon poster is a great example of these fragile yet enduring pieces of history. It serves as a great reminder of the early aeronautical events that paved the way for modern flight. A Flying at Hendon poster is more than just a piece of art; it’s a window into the past, perfect for collectors and enthusiasts of aviation history.
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 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.
Grande Semaine d’Aviation – Montaut – 1909
The Grande Semaine d’Aviation de la Champagne was an 8-day aviation meeting held near Reims in France between August 22 and 29th August in 1909. It is often celebrated as the first international public flying event, but in reality, the Frankfurt event, Internationale Luftschiffahrt Ausstellung, began a month before the Grand Semaine show and continued on until October.
The event may not have quite been the first air show put on but this aviation poster by Ernest Montaut knocks spots off any other air display posters for 1909. It features a selection of balloons, dirigibles, monoplanes, and bi-planes flying from the Reims Cathedral towards an elegantly dressed woman in the foreground that is waving at the passing aircraft.
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.
Come and See the Flying at Hendon poster – Underground – Cyrus Cuneo – 1913
This is another stunning early aviation poster. This time it is created by the artist Cyrus Cincinatto Cuneo. The poster is titled Flying at Hendon and was produced jointly by the London Transport companies Underground and Motor Bus. The poster advertises Saturday afternoon aeroplane races with an artist’s impression, as seen from another flying machine over 1000 feet high, of a monoplane passenger flight at the London Aerodrome at Hendon. The airplane races took place on May 17th, 24th, and 31st of May 1913. A second aerial derby is also being advertised to take place on Saturday, June 7th 1913.
Handley Page Poster | Handley Page Transport Ltd | 1921 | Vintage Aviation Poster
Founded in 1909 Handley Page Limited was one of Britain’s first aviation manufacturers. It is most famous for having produced the earliest British-designed bomber and being one of the UK’s two large manufacturers of military aircraft during WWI. This vintage Handley Page poster features the Handley Page Type W.8. It was the aircraft manufacturer’s first purpose-built civil airliner and was adapted from the wartime Handley Page Type O/400 bomber.
It was the fastest and most comfortable way to travel to Europe. However, as the Handley Page Poster alludes to, the introduction of passenger air flights was going to change all that. In 1924, Handley Page Transport merged with other companies to form Imperial Airways. This is an early aviation poster from around 1921 by an unknown artist.
Imperial Airways poster Croydon Airport – McCready – 1929
This is a stunning reproduction of a vintage Imperial Airways poster. It was created in 1929 by the artist Harold McCready. McCready has chosen to feature one of the recently introduced Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft on the runway of Croydon Airport. The lettering on the top wing of the aircraft reads G-EBOZ, which denotes the aircraft was named ‘The City of Wellington’ and was later renamed ‘The City of Arundel’. Original copies of this poster sell for in excess of £2000.
Japan Air Transport Co Ltd Poster – Seiichi – c1930
A poster advertising flights offered by Japan Air Lines Co Ltd. The destinations listed on Seiichi’s poster are Tokio, Osaka, Fukuoka, Urusan Keijo, Heijo and Dairen. The image is a westernised poster featuring a woman in the foreground, looking up and waving at a plane flying overhead. The pilot and a couple of passengers, one wearing a red kimono are ready to board the Fokker Tri-Motor plane.
India by Imperial Airways poster | Constable 1935
For the image on this fantastic India by Imperial Airways poster, the Australian artist William Constable offers us a bird’s eye view of India. We are soaring even higher than the plane that is carrying a group of travellers to the sprawling metropolis of India’s capital city, Delhi. This vintage travel poster takes us on an interesting journey through time, with modern aviation technology contrasted against the timeless architecture of ancient civilisations. The mix of old meeting new is still a fascinating sight today. It must have seemed extraordinary at a time when air travel was still in its pioneering age.
