In 1922, Santos Dumont offered two photos to a friend.
- Handwritten letter from Santos Dumont to a friend.
- One page.
- In French.
- 27 cm x 18.2 cm.
- June 27, 1922.
- Paris, France.
- Good condition conservation; the 2nd page has a different color (we did not identify the reason) which does not alter the text and signature.
- Unique piece.
French transcription
27.6.1922
My dear friend
J´ai encore deux photos pour vous et comme je pars à la campagne pour quelques jours, je les laisse sur mon bureau dans un carton avec votre nom (ce carton se trouve en place à côté d´une photo du Cardinal Mercier) en montrant cette lettre à la direction de l´hôtel, ils vous laisseront prendre vos photos.
Friends of Santos Dumont
Portuguese translation
27.6.1922
My dear friend,
I have two more photos for you, and since I am going to the country for a few days, I am leaving them on my desk in a folder with your name on it (this folder is next to a photo of Cardinal Mercier). If you show this letter to the hotel management, they will let you pick up your photos.
Friendships of Santos Dumont
Living at the prestigious Claridge Hotel in Paris, Santos Dumont wrote this letter in 1922 to inform a friend that he had left him two photographs, probably autographed portraits. That year, the famous Brazilian aviator was going through a difficult period, facing serious health and emotional problems. Brazil was celebrating the Centenary of Independence in Rio de Janeiro, a major event in which he was invited to participate, and his plane, the 14-bis, was on display.
However, his delicate health, combined with his growing concern about the use of his invention for military purposes (as observed during the First World War), left him deeply distressed. Cardinal Mercier, mentioned in the letter, was a major figure in the resistance against the Germans in Belgium during the First World War, and probably someone Santos Dumont knew and admired, since his portrait was in his office.
This simple letter from Santos Dumont demonstrates, once again, the great generosity of the aviator. Written in French, quite extensive and in excellent condition, it is perfect to enrich a collection about the Brazilian aviator, aviation pioneers or great Brazilian personalities.
