In 1927, while hospitalized in Switzerland, Alberto Santos Dumont continued to show interest in and support other aviation pioneers.
- Handwritten letter from Santos Dumont to Tissandier.
- One page.
- In French.
- 18 cm x 21.5 cm.
- February 17, 1927.
- Valmont, Switzerland.
- Perfect condition In excellent condition, except for a small stain of blue ink (Santos Dumont's fingerprint?) on the last sentence before the signature.
- Unique piece.
Transcription in French
My dear Tissandier
Très content de vous savoir dans la bonne neige et en compagnie de votre petit. En voilà un qui sera fort. Merci pour l’”abrasso” by Mr Bettancourt.
Je ne sais pas si je vous ai déjà dit, mais je suis en train de travailler ici à maitriser l´art de la “reliure” et avec beaucoup de plaisir et succès.
Ortis qui est un connoisseur et qui est ici, m´a fait beaucoup de compliments. Ortis is the director of Vogue. Do you think that Pinedo is going to travel from Africa to Brésil on a Seoul bond? It will be beautiful.
Messages to all friends of Megève
En vous souhaitant encore de grandes glissades et des beaux arrêts votre ami
Santos Dumont
Valmont 17.2.27
Translation in Portuguese
My dear Tissandier,
I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying the snow with your little one. Here's someone who will be strong. Thank you for the "hug" from Mr. Bettancourt.
I don't know if I've told you this before, but I'm working here to master the art of bookbinding, and with great pleasure and success. Ortis, who is a connoisseur and is here, gave me many compliments. Ortis is the editor of Vogue. Do you think Pinedo will cross from Africa to Brazil all at once? That will be beautiful.
My greetings to all the friends of Megève. Wishing you continued success with your gliding and beautiful stops, your friend,
Santos Dumont
Valmont, 17.2.27
In 1927, Santos Dumont spent time at Valmont, a renowned clinic in Switzerland, to rest and receive medical care. At that time, he had retired from aeronautical activities because his health was deteriorating, both physically and psychologically. At Valmont, he associated with other personalities of the time, such as the director of Vogue magazine, with whom he shared a passion for bookbinding.
In this letter to his friend Tissandier, he mentions Francesco de Pinedo, who was a famous Italian aviator. Pinedo had completed two fantastic trips around the world. The first, in 1925, took him from Rome to Japan and back to Rome, passing through Australia. The second, which interests us here, took place in 1927 and consisted of a circuit that departed from Rome towards the Amazon rainforests of Brazil, returning to Rome, passing through the United States, Newfoundland, and the North Atlantic. This second trip was a suggestion from Mussolini, who wanted to awaken a sense of national pride in Italian immigrants in North America. The difficult circuit would serve to demonstrate the quality and versatility of Italian aircraft, as well as the bravery of their pilots.
On February 13, 1927, the pilot and his two crew members (a navigator and a mechanic) took off aboard the Santa Maria bound for North Africa. The journey was undoubtedly epic and marked by incidents that transform men into heroes, and that is how they were received in Brazil. The journey continued, the Amazon was crossed, and the plane soon flew over American territory, marking the first time a foreign aircraft had done so.
Here we have a very interesting letter from Santos Dumont: in excellent condition, it mentions both Santos Dumont's personal life, retired in Valmont, and his continued enthusiasm for the progress of aviation. Santos Dumont's letters are highly sought after, especially in Brazil, Europe, and the United States, particularly those—the rarer ones—in which Santos Dumont talks about aviation.
