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One of the oldest posters we have in our collection is this 1909 Reims Air Meet poster “La Conquete De L’ Air” (The Conquest of the Air) from Le Petit Journal commemorating the air contest at Reims, France, held from August 22 to August 29, 1909. The race was officially known as Le Grande Semaine D'Aviation de la Champagne (The Champagne Region's Great Aviation Week). Featuring 22 of the world's foremost aviators, this was the first organized international air meet. Competing at the Reims Air Meet was French aviator Louis Blériot, who, in the month before the Air Meet, became the first person to fly across the English Channel. On the last day of the Reims Air Meet, the first Gordon Bennett Aviation Trophy was awarded to American Glenn Curtiss, who was determined to beat Blériot for the prize. Curtiss won the race in a Curtiss No. 2, which was especially built for the race, and flew at an average speed of 47 miles per hour. The air races drew between 300,000 and 500,000 spectators. poster: La Conquete de l'Air, Le Petit Journal; 1909 SFO Museum Collection 1997.61.01 https://ow.ly/EtGZ50R5f3b This image was posted on March 29, 2024.