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Press Agency ROLBritish Aeronaut EWC Perry circa 1910, Silver Gelatin B and W Photography by ROL1910
1910
$750
£563.42
€649.72
CA$1,040.72
A$1,156.47
CHF 606
MX$14,182.08
NOK 7,729.23
SEK 7,271.37
DKK 4,849.20
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About the Item
This is a rare and captivating original silver gelatin black-and-white photograph, dating to around 1910, created by the renowned Press Agency ROL in Paris. The image features the pioneering British aeronaut E.W.C. Perry, captured in an extraordinary moment of aviation history. Seated within an experimental flying machine of early and ambitious design, Perry embodies the daring spirit of a generation determined to conquer the skies.
Crafted using traditional silver gelatin processes, the photograph possesses remarkable tonal depth and clarity, enhancing the dramatic interplay of light and shadow across the mechanical form. The aircraft itself—appearing skeletal and enigmatic in its construction—is a testament to the bold inventiveness of aviation's infancy, when flight was still more dream than certainty.
This photograph doesn't merely document—it celebrates the courage, curiosity, and innovation that marked the dawn of aerial exploration. A compelling artifact, it offers viewers a window into the raw ambition and mechanical imagination of the early 20th century.
Features:
Original silver gelatin print photograph unframed.
Press photograph.
Press agency: ROL Paris.
Photographer: Anonymous.
Title: E.W.C. Perry, British aviator circa 1910.
Provenance: Private collection.
Image Size: 4.69 in high (11.8 cm) by 6.57 in wide (16.6 cm) - Archival matted in a 17 by 13 mat.
The ink stamp at the back reads ROL.
Hand-written French comment at the back: "Aéronaute anglais tué en France, E.W.C. Perry sous-lieutenant de réserve du corps des aviateurs anglais tué dans un accident le 16 août 1914." (British aeronaut killed in France, E.W.C. Perry, second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps, was killed in an accident on August 16th, 1914).
The piece will be shipped in a mat (17 x 13 in.) that is best suited for a standard-sized frame.
Reference: Marcel Rol (1876–1905), the photographer, founded the Rol agency in 1904, but it ceased operations in 1937 due to its merger with the Meurisse and Mondial Photo Presse agencies.
One hundred thirty thousand images from the Rol agency (collections about sports and current affairs) are housed in the National Library of France. The Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget owns 27,905 images from the agency's (aeronautical fund).
Note: Evelyn Walter Copland Perry (Dec 1890 - August 1914) is the first British airman ever to die in a theatre of World War I.
The British Expeditionary Force arrived in France in mid-August 1914. Part of the force was the first overseas wartime contingent of the Royal Flying Corps. Sadly, two of London's first Great War casualties were among these airmen: E.W.C. Perry and H.E. Parfitt. Their deaths on August 16th were later part of a controversy over the attitude of the RFC to the pilot's safety.
The Royal Flying Corps was established as the aviation arm of the British Army in 1912 (the Royal Air Force only came into existence in 1918, combining the RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service). When the BEF set out for France, the RFC set out ahead of them, beginning their journey and assembly on August 13th. The serviceable aircraft of 2, 3, 4, and 5 Squadrons set out from the south of England.
The aircraft that did make it to France gathered at Amiens (which was to play a significant part in Britain's war in later years). One of the pilots was 23-year-old Evelyn Walter Copland Perry, the only child of barrister Walter Copland and his wife, Evelyn Emma Perry. He was born in London and, after attending Cambridge University, returned to his home and began working at the Royal Aircraft Factory. While there, in 1911, he gained his Royal Aero Club certificate. He joined the Special Reserve of the Royal Flying Corps, from which he had been mobilized when Britain entered the Great War. After leaving the Royal Aircraft Company, Perry (also known as Mr. Copland Perry in some sources) went to Brooklands to work with Tommy Sopwith on his airplanes. He then flew an Avro airplane to Portugal and tested aircraft for the Portuguese army. Returning to the UK, he began producing airplanes himself.
Perry wrote a letter home from Amiens in August 1914, full of his extreme enjoyment of the flights he had undertaken thus far in his war service (according to De Ruvigny's roll of honor). Leaving Amiens, he was accompanied by another Londoner, Herbert Edward Parfitt.
Perry and Parfitt were among the last to take off from Amiens on August 16th. As they took off in their BE8 (number 625), the airplane stalled at about 150 feet from the ground, losing speed from climbing too quickly or with too little power. The aircraft rolled over onto its side and crashed to the ground, where it caught fire. Both men were killed. They were the first British airmen ever to die in a theatre of war; Perry was also the first British officer to fall in the war.
Flag-draped coffins were escorted by soldiers, senior officers, and members of the RFC in a full military funeral held in Amiens.
(Credit: Greatwarlondon website).
- Creator:Press Agency ROL (1904 - 1937, French)
- Creation Year:1910
- Dimensions:Height: 4.69 in (11.92 cm)Width: 6.57 in (16.69 cm)Depth: 0.01 in (0.26 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Vintage wear, age-toning.
- Gallery Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:Seller: 5T050CFAHCA1stDibs: LU1212216660502
Press Agency ROL
The Rol agency is a photographic reporting agency created in 1904 by the photographer Marcel Rol (1876-1905) and disappeared in 1937 due to its merger with the Meurisse and Mondial Photo Presse agencies. The National Library of France holds more than 130,000 photographs from the Rol agency (collections relating to current affairs and sport) while the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget holds 27,905 photographs from the agency ( aeronautical fund).
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