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Auction: 4020 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 37

Mementoes of The Antoinette A silver pencil-holder of oblong cross-section, stamped 92.5 WV&S and embossed on both sides with the Antoinette aeroplane and the name Latham, complete with a stub pencil; and a small brooch, also in the form of the Antoinette, in pressed gilded metal (2) Estimate £ 150-200 The Antoinette was an unusually large monoplane, with 42ft wingspan, and its modern appearance and steeply-raked tail unit contrasted markedly with its kite-like contemporaries such as the Wright Flier and the Voisin. The 50 horsepower Antoinette engine of aluminium construction was ahead of its time. It had an unprecedented power-to-weight ratio but was unreliable and prone to stoppages. The name of the Latham on the pencil-case suggests that it may have been produced to commemorate either Latham's world endurance record, or (somewhat prematurely) a successful bid by him to win the Daily Mail prize for the first man to fly the English Channel. Latham, a charismatic Anglo-French racing-driver and big game hunter, achieved his endurance record within three months of taking up flying early in 1909. In July of that year, he and Blériot were the sole remaining contenders for the £1000 prize for the Channel crossing. Latham's first attempt, on the 19th July, ended when he was forced by engine-failure to ditch his Antoinette in mid-channel. Before he could try again, Blériot, on the 25th July, took advantage of a momentary break in the prevailing foul weather and achieved the crossing. Latham's second attempt to cross, on the 27th July, was again thwarted by engine-failure. At the Milan aviation meeting of 1910, an Antoinette became one of the first two aircraft to be involved in a mid-air collision.

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£120