Hotel de Ville de Paris. Reception de Clarence Duncan Chamberlin & Charles Albert Levine du Commandant Richard E. Byrd et de ses Compagnons de Voyage. Sale des Fetes Jeudi Juillet 1927.
Paris: 1927. Ephemera. The program card for a reception for these aviation pioneers given in Paris on July 7th, 1927.
1927 was a banner year for transatlantic flights. The prize was the Orteig Prize, a $25,000 reward offered on May 22, 1919 by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig. Clarence Chamberlin, Charles Lindbergh and Richard Byrd were all in pursuit of the prize and aviation glory. Chamberlin was positioned to be the first, after completing a long distance flight with copilot Acosta. They were supported by Charles A. Levine, a wealthy, millionaire salvage dealer. When Levine made several changes to the copilot position, an injunction prevented Chamberlin from taking off, give Lindbergh the window to beat him in the New York to Paris flight landing May 21, 1927. On June 4, 1927, Chamberlin was ready to begin his historic flight; however, the plane still lacked a navigator/copilot. "Literally minutes before the plane was to take off, Levine, who had been at the airfield made "as if to close the cabin door [but instead] suddenly climbed in to occupy the second seat… and without a single word of explanation either to his wife or to officials on the airfield, Levine gave the order for departure." Thus Chamberlin and the first transatlantic passenger (Levine) took off into the history books." [Wikipedia]
Byrd had become a national hero after purportedly flying over the North Pole in May 1926. In May 1927, Byrd's plane crashed, severely injured Floyd Bennett, his chief pilot and slightly injuring Byrd. As the plane was being repaired and his arm mending, Lindbergh succeeded in flying across the Atlantic, landing May 21. Byrd eventually flew on June 29th. Cloud cover prevented them from landing in Paris and the eventually crash landed on the coast of Normandy on July 1, 1927. In France, Byrd and his crew were received as heroes and Byrd was invested as an Officer of the French Legion of Honor by Prime Minister Raymond Poincare on July 6. This reception occurs the following day.
The chef is M. Pierre Dupont, Sous-chef M. F. Foret. The musical program includes La Freischutz by Weber; Ballet de Javotte by Saint-Saens; Tarass-Boulba by A. Georges and Over There by "Cohan" being George M. Cohan. 4 5/8 x 6 3/4", printed in blue on white card. One corner slightly bumped.
A rare survival of aviation history. Otherwise very good condition. Item #24316
Price: $250.00