Two documents show the Santos Dumont family's involvement with uncle Alberto's dreams and efforts.
- Two documents about the Santos Dumont family.
- One in French (1908, Paris, with a small explanatory note from the former owner) and another in Portuguese (1940, Rio de Janeiro).
- Postcard formats.
- Excellent condition.
- Unique pieces.
We don't need to introduce Santos Dumont any further. Everyone knows this brilliant Brazilian, a bit French too, who contributed greatly to the invention of aviation and its machines that changed the world. But beyond what everyone knows, there are still many unknown details about the man, and also about those who accompanied him and helped him in this great adventure.
This set of two documents is interesting from this point of view:
The first document is a letter addressed to Santos Dumont’s sister-in-law, “Madame Santos Dumont, 5 boulevard St Marcel, Paris 13”, in 1908. According to what the family explained to me, this postcard was sent by a contemporary of Alberto, who worked with his wife (a seamstress) in the factory of Henri Lachambre (1846-1904), one of the first French balloon manufacturers. The Lachambre company designed all of Santos Dumont’s balloons and had as its clients the American army and the first polar expeditions.
The French content of the letter is not particularly interesting in itself - it talks about the weather and the landscape. However, what really catches the eye is the image showing Alberto in his seaplane and the behind-the-scenes of Santos Dumont's exploits. In particular, all those more or less anonymous people who helped him realize his dreams.
The second The document is a small, rather enigmatic note signed by Paulo Santos Dumont, a nephew of Alberto Santos-Dumont, the only son of Henrique and Amália. It comes from the archives of an important French lawyer and politician, Henry Torrès. In the midst of World War II, this note caught my attention because of the phrase:
“Following your advice, I will work hard to see if I can discover a device that will prevent war.”
Too ambitious or completely naive? It is not known what device Paulo Santos Dumont is talking about. But it is interesting to note that this letter could have been written by his famous uncle, Alberto, also peaceful, and with the same spirit of innovation.
What few people know is that the family continued Alberto's aeronautical adventure after his death in 1932. Henrique Uchoa Santos-Dumont, son of Luís, Alberto's other brother, founded the Empresa Aeronáutica Ypiranga (EAY) to build gliders and single-engine aircraft. In 1942, EAY was acquired by Companhia Aeronáutica Paulista, which continued production of the EAY-201, renamed CAP-4 Paulistinha, one of the greatest classics of Brazilian aviation and still in operation in flying clubs throughout Brazil.
These are two atypical documents, very interesting for collectors of Santos Dumont and aviation pioneers.
