France, circa 1910
Photographer Unidentified

French achievements in the realm of heavier-than-air flight were significant, built on a rich legacy of aeronautics research dating back to the Montgolfier brothers (inventors of the hot air balloon). This photograph, taken near the city of Issy-les- Moulineaux (just south of Paris), is an image representative of this French pioneering spirit. The caption on the back of the 1910 albumen print reads, «A balloon of 100 m3 is structurally attached to a double tandem biplane designed by M. César to lighten the plane and study its effects during flight.»