The Aeroconservancy Museum Original Artifacts from 1914-1918
French Pilots' Photograph Album and Painting
An album of 20 photographs of the presentation of the Legion d'Honneur to two flying officers in Escadrille N. 23, Jean Beaumont and Georges De Ram. A volunteer from Holland, De Ram was the observer in an M.F. 11 of Escadrille M.8 which, on 31 March 1915, was shot up so badly that De Ram had to walk out onto the port wing to hold together a broken strut until his pilot landed their plane. The plane was then displayed in Les Invalides and the story told in French newspapers. De Ram became a pilot and would later design an aerial camera which became one of the mainstays of the U.S. Air Service in 1918. Beaumont was famed for his bombing of Frankfurt on 16 March 1917 and, again, in August. The cover is an original, signed painting of a French Sopwith 1-1/2 by Charles-Jean Hallo who is seen painting an insignia on a Spad XI of Spa 23 in 1917 which is how he came to paint the cover of the photo album. After the war, Hallo, known by his stylized signature ALO, became a successful illustrator of travel posters and designed scarves for the French couturier, Hermès, as well. A presentation about Hallo is available here. A 1932 newspaper article describing an exhibit dedicated to fallen airmen at Les Invalides reads, in translation: Many memories relating to aviation: the Pégoud tunic, the tunic and the képi of Garros, a glove of Guynemer, the armband of Beaumont, etc. Beneath this blue horizon, under this khaki, ardent angels shuddered with emotion: let us bow. This is the same Baumont as discussed here.