Wilbur Wright und seine Flugmaschine - 1909
ABOUT THE FILM : Wilbur Wright und seine Flugmaschine
Filmarchiv AustriaWilbur Wright and his Flying Machine
Year: 1909
This flight demonstration of American aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright was of a special historic nature: it involved images from the first camera aboard a plane! The two-seater plane with Wilbur Wright at the helm did a lap before an audience of photographers, army men and noteworthy moustached men and just avoided the cameraman on the ground. Then the plane started up again, followed a launching pad and took off: the camera was fixed for the first time on the ground that gave way…and the emotion was there, so great you could almost touch it! The image was as unstable as the cabin of the plane flying at low altitude, flying over the countryside and gradually approaching a town.
Nationality: French
Length: 3' 28"
Genre: documentary
Sound: silent with soundtrack
Original elements: tinted
Producer: Société Générale des Cinématographes Eclipse
Composer: Eric Le Guen
Original language: German
A BRIEF HISTORY : Wilbur Wright und seine Flugmaschine
The images of this film were filmed in Italy on the 24th April 1909 by French production company Eclipse. Even if its origins could be found in England in 1898, the Société Générale des Cinématographes Eclipse was officially created in Paris on the 30th August 1906 and quickly became one of France's four main production companies. After these hours of glory it went into decline, slipping away little by little in the 1920's.
The Orville Wright (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) brothers were American aviation pioneers. Bicycles manufacturers, they made the first motor-driven plane flight in 1903. After a number of tests the Wright brothers improved the prototypes and made increasingly spectacular demonstrations, taking a passenger on several occasions.
In 1908 at the invitation of the Compagnie Générale de Navigation Aérienne, Wilbur transported a "Model A" aeroplane to France and flew it in Le Mans from August. “In the past few years the press had talked about mysterious aviation trials attempted by the Wrigt brothers in America. But as these tests were witnessed by very few peopled, we received the news with some scepticism, and the word "bluff" had even been pronounced. The experiments that Wilbur Wright is carrying out in France at the moment victoriously responded to this accusation.” (Le petit journal illustré of the 30th August 1908). The different demonstrations were given to the cheers of a public that included Louis Blériot, who crossed the Channel by plane one year later.
After other demonstrations in Italy where the film was made, the Wright brothers returned to America in 1909.
In memory of these two pioneers, the Disney studios called the two albatrosses from The Adventures of Bernard and Bianca cartoon Wilbur and Orville.
