Cinquantenaire Ader 1947

Created by R. A. Drouot, this original 1947 poster printed in lithography by Bedos & Cie., Paris, announces the Cinquantenaire Ader exhibition held at the Musée Galliera from 11 to 27 November 1947. Organized to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Clément Ader’s aviation trials at Satory in October 1897, the event presented a national exhibition of aeronautical memorabilia and airmail. It was held in aid of Les Ailes Brisées, with the participation of the Musée de l’Air and the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers.

The composition offers a striking visual history of flight. Ader’s extraordinary Avion III dominates the design, its violet, bat-like wings spreading dramatically across a luminous sky. Above it, the streamlined silhouette of a modern aircraft marked “1947” creates a direct connection between the experimental machines of the nineteenth century and postwar aviation. The graduated blue, yellow and green background gives the aircraft a theatrical presence, while the monumental typography ensures immediate visual impact.

Clément Ader (1841–1925) was a French engineer and one of the pioneering figures of early aviation. Powered by twin steam engines and inspired by the anatomy of a bat, his Avion III was tested at Satory on 12 and 14 October 1897. Although these trials did not produce controlled, sustained flight, the machine remains an important symbol of the inventive experimentation that preceded modern aviation. The surviving aircraft is preserved by the Musée des Arts et Métiers.

Biographical information concerning R. A. Drouot remains limited, but his signed poster designs reveal an artist working within the strong tradition of mid-century French exhibition and travel graphics. Here, Drouot combines simplified forms, bold lettering and a carefully controlled palette to communicate both historical importance and technological progress. His signature appears within the image at the lower right.

With its unusual representation of Ader’s Avion III, its connection to the Musée Galliera and its elegant postwar design, this original poster is particularly appealing to collectors of aviation history, airmail memorabilia, French museum posters and twentieth-century graphic design. It also makes a distinctive decorative statement for an office, library or interior devoted to travel and technological history.

Original poster

Aviation - Postal

Galliera Museum - National Expo of Aeronautical Souvenirs and Air Post for the benefit of broken wings - Satory 1897

Bedos & Cie Paris

Good condition, traces of folds