In 1901, Santos Dumont donated his Deutsch Prize reward to the poor of Paris and the men who had helped him.
- Letter signed by Santos Dumont to the President of the Aero Club in Paris.
- One page.
- In French.
- 13.1 cm x 20.2 cm.
- October 1901.
- Paris, France.
- Excellent condition In good condition, except for a small tear in the fold (easy to repair/fix).
- Unique piece.
Transcription in French
(...).
De même que l´année dernière j´en ai abandonné les interêts à la caisse de l´Aéro-Club (4000 francs) pour la fondation d´un nouveau prix, de même j´ai abandonné d´avance la somme de 100,000 francs si je la gagne, moitié aux pauvres de Paris, moitié aux hommes désintéressés qui m´ont témoigné un engagement un dévouement dont ils ont eu parfois à souffrir.
J´espère que dans l´intérêt des pauvres de Paris et des hommes qui m´ont aidé, la Commission d'Aérostation de l´Aéro-Club reviendra sur son vote et me laissera quelques probabilities de leur gagner 100,000 francs.
En all cases mon ballon sera remis en état à la fin de cette semaine et j´espère puvoir continuar month essais aéronautiques dimanche prochain.
Veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Président, l´expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs et les plus distinctions.
Santos-Dumont.
Translation in Portuguese
(...) if I meet the conditions and it is not granted to me, I will regret it even more because it never occurred to me to receive the amount.
Just as last year I left the interest in the Aeroclub's fund (4,000 francs) for the creation of a new prize, I have also left the sum of 100,000 francs, should I win, half for the poor of Paris, half for the selfless men who have shown me a commitment and devotion that has sometimes made them suffer.
I hope that, in the interest of the poor of Paris and the men who helped me, the Aeroclub's Aerostation Committee will reconsider its vote and give me a chance to earn 100,000 francs for them.
In any case, my balloon will be ready by the end of this week, and I hope to be able to continue my aeronautical tests next Sunday.
Sincerely, Mr. President, I express my best and most distinguished regards.
Santos-Dumont.
The story between Santos Dumont and the Deutsch Prize is one of the most emblematic episodes in aviation at the beginning of the 20th century. The Deutsch Prize was created by Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe, an oil magnate and aviation enthusiast, in 1900. The prize offered 100,000 francs to whoever could complete a flight in an airship, departing from Saint-Cloud, on the outskirts of Paris, circling the Eiffel Tower and returning to the starting point in a maximum of 30 minutes.
Santos Dumont, a pioneer of aviation and passionate about airships, accepted the challenge. After several attempts and improvements to his airships, he finally managed to complete the required route on October 19, 1901, with his airship No. 6. In this flight, he departed from Saint-Cloud, flew to the Eiffel Tower, circled it, and returned to the starting point in 29 minutes and 30 seconds, within the stipulated time. This feat was a milestone in the history of aviation, demonstrating for the first time that it was possible to control an airship with precision and carry out a programmed flight.
Despite some initial controversies and protests from some judges regarding the exact flight time, Santos Dumont was officially recognized as the winner of the Deutsch Prize. Changes in regulations were crucial in souring their relationship, and Santos Dumont left the aero club after his victory. But the victory made the Brazilian an international celebrity, and he immediately donated most of the prize money to his mechanics and charities, reinforcing his reputation as a generous man.
In this context, this letter, the first part of which is missing, is exceptional for its historical content. It was probably dictated by Santos Dumont to a secretary or a friend of his at the Aero Club, but the signature is genuinely his, at a crucial moment in his career and in the history of aviation. Why didn't he write this statement in his own hand? Let's suppose he was still suffering from a hand injury after colliding with the roof of the Trocadero Hotel, near the Eiffel Tower, with the dirigible No. 5, a few days before the Deutsch Prize. As the icing on the cake, the letter once belonged to the great American collector Harry Gordon, whose stamp is on the back.
