Final preparations before the flight, 1903 Nov 20

This small collection consists of 26 different black and white, photographic postcards documenting the several flights of the "Lebaudy" airship in and around the Champ de Mars, Paris in November, 1903. The airship was moored in the hall of machinery building left over from the 1900 Paris Exposition at the Champs de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower. There is thus considerable visual documentation of the grounds of the Exposition. The pilot, M. Juchmès, and mechanic, M. Rey, are also pictured.

The postcards appear to be a nearly complete set from an issue of 30 postcards by an unknown photographer. Missing from the set are numbers 19 through 22. Number 5 appears to have been missed numbered as number 4. The first four postcards are autographed by "A. Salques" in the same hand of the addressor. All are addressed to a M. Martin at a Paris address. There are no messages so it might be surmised that the set was stamped, and cancelled, for purposes of adding to the potential financial value of the collection. All of the cards were mailed individually, but at the same time and day, January 24, 1904.