JOSEPH LOUIS LECORNU (1864–1931) AIR NAVIGATION A DOCUMENTARY AND ANECDOTAL HISTORY 1 VOLUME. FIRST EDITION 1903. IN FRENCH. Paris, Librairie Nony & Cie, 1903. 1 bound volume, VII–484 pp. Numerous black-and-white illustrations (drawings and photographs) in the text and as inserts. Divided into five parts: Part One, The Legendary Period: The Pioneers, Part Two, The Historical Period: The Montgolfier Brothers, Part Three, The Heroic Period: The Two Schools, Part Four, The Scientific and Military Period: The Siege of Paris, Part Five, The Modern Period: The Great Airships and Aerial Sport. This work, richly documented from both a historical and technical perspective, was awarded the Prix Montyon 1903 by the Académie Française. Joseph-Louis Lecornu. Engineer and kite pioneer A French engineer and graduate of the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he devoted much of his life to his passion for aeronautics and, more specifically, to the study and practice of kite flying. As the inventor of several kite designs, he is notably credited with developing the multi-cell kite. It was with this design that he took part in the aerostation competition organised in 1900 as part of the Paris World’s Fair, where he won first prize. This competition was a first of its kind in France at the time. Author of numerous reference works on aeronautics and kites, he also wrote two manuals, published in 1917 and 1918, intended to promote the use of kites by the Royal Navy for maritime surveillance and the detection of German submarines. Furthermore, he published several stories and short stories in ‘Lectures pour tous’, one of the most famous popular magazines of his time. At the buyer’s request, we shall be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.