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Artist
Léon Bollée, 1870 - 1913
Sitter
Wilbur Wright, 16 Apr 1867 - 30 May 1912
Léon Bollée, 1870 - 1913
Date
1908
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image/Sheet: 11.9 x 16.3cm (4 11/16 x 6 7/16")
Topic
Vehicle\Airplane
Exterior\Airfield
Wilbur Wright: Male
Wilbur Wright: Science and Technology\Inventor
Wilbur Wright: Science and Technology\Aviator
Wilbur Wright: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Industrialist\Manufacturer\Aircraft
Wilbur Wright: Congressional Gold Medal
Léon Bollée: Male
Léon Bollée: Visual Arts\Artist\Photographer
Portrait
Place
France\Pays de la Loire\Sarthe\Le Mans
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.98.61
Exhibition Label
Born Millville, Indiana
Pioneering aviators Wilbur Wright and his brother Orville built the first model biplane in 1899; in 1903, they became the first Americans to fly. Wilbur traveled to Le Mans, France, in 1908, after securing space at the Hunaudières Race Course to test his biplane. In this image, he is standing at the far left, next to auto manufacturer and sport balloonist Léon Bollée. The Frenchman had provided Wright with factory workspace and a team of mechanics, which was of invaluable assistance in preparing the Wright Flyer for its first French flights. In an era of dirigibles and balloons, a biplane was an incredible sight. Wilbur remained the lead businessman in the Wright partnership, negotiating with airplane manufacturers in England, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States until his death from typhoid fever in 1912.
Nacido en Millville, Indiana
Los pioneros de la aviación Wilbur Wright y su hermano Orville construyeron el primer modelo de biplano en 1809, y en 1903 fueron los primeros estadounidenses en realizar un vuelo propulsado. Wilbur viajó a Le Mans, Francia, en 1908, habiendo separado espacio en la pista de carreras de Hunaudières para hacer una demostración de su biplano. En esta imagen aparece de pie a la extrema izquierda junto a Léon Bollée, fabricante de autos y conductor de globos aerostáticos. El francés facilitó a Wright espacio de trabajo en su fábrica y un equipo de mecánicos que resultó crucial en la preparación del Wright Flyer para sus primeros vuelos en Francia. En una era de dirigibles y globos, el biplano era un espectáculo increíble. Wilbur fue siempre la principal figura empresarial en la sociedad de los Wright, encargándose de negociar con fabricantes de aviones en Inglaterra, Francia, Alemania, Italia y Estados Unidos hasta su muerte en 1912 a causa de la fiebre tifoidea.
