The Wright Brothers, along with their sister Katherine, gained immense popularity following a series of successful aeroplane demonstrations in France in the same year. They became the most sought-after individuals, receiving attention from royalty, the rich, reporters, and the general public alike.
Their aviation achievements were acknowledged by several kings, including the kings of Great Britain, Spain, and Italy, who all personally came to witness Wilbur’s flight. Upon their return to the United States, President Taft invited the Wright Brothers and Katherine to the White House, where they were honoured with awards for their contributions to aviation.
Their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, followed up with a lavish two-day homecoming celebration to commemorate their incredible achievement. This vintage aviation poster celebrates the Wright Brothers’ homecoming, depicting the Wright Flyer soaring high above the Ohio countryside.
The Wright Brothers’ incredible achievements were not only significant for aviation history but also for humanity as a whole. Their success paved the way for modern aviation and revolutionised transportation, communication, and commerce around the world. Their contributions to aviation history will forever be remembered and celebrated.
Ten of the best pioneering aviation posters
The pioneer era of aviation was a thrilling time in history. It is widely considered the period spanning from the Wright Brothers’ successful powered flight on December 17, 1903, and the onset of World War I in August 1914. News of events and feats of accomplishments filled newspaper columns. moving pictures were shown at cinemas and theatres. Aviation captured the public’s imagination in a big way thanks in large part to daredevil pilots who risked their lives to push the boundaries. Pioneering aviators such as Orville and Wilbur Wright, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Louis Blierot, Charles Count de Lambert, Louis Paulhan, Jean Gobron, Hubert Latham, Henri Brégi, Henri Farman and Louis Gaudart Their daring experimental flights and record-breaking accomplishments made remarkable progress in aeroplane design and performance. 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.
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.y. 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
Japan Air Transport Co Ltd Poster – Seiichi – c1930
A poster advertising flights offered by Japan Air Lines Co Ltd. The destinations listed on the 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.
How much is an original The Wright Brothers Dayton Ohio Poster worth?
Unlike the Wright Brothers, the name of the artist who created this superb tribute to the entrepreneurial brothers has long since been lost. The poster, however, remains an interesting and sought-after piece of pioneering aeronatutical history amongst aviation enthusiasts. At the time of listing (2020), an original copy was listed for sale in an online poster auction. It had an estimated high-flying guide price of between $25,000 – $30,000. The lot did also include a programme for the day’s events.
