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Title: Circuit De L'est |
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Description: This print, part of a triptych by Gamy, pictures Alfred Leblanc winning the Circuit de L’Est in his Bleriot XI monoplane on August 17, 1910. The Circuit de L’est competition covered 500 miles, beginning in Paris and going on to Troyes, Nancy, Mezieres, Charleville, Douai, Amiens, and finally ending in Paris. Leblanc came in first place and won the $20,000 prize. Born on the 13th of April 1869, in Paris, Leblanc began his career as supervisor in a metallurgy factory. In his spare time, Leblanc pursued various sports which revealed his remarkable physical aptitude and prowess. In 1904 Leblanc made his debut as a balloonist under the guidance of the pilot, M. Auguste Nicoleau, and came in first place. On October 21-23 1908, Leblanc repeated his superior ballooning tactics when he traversed the long distance from St. Cloud to the isle of Rugen(Baltic Sea). During the Coupe Gordon-Bennett held October 21-23, 1908 in the United States, Leblanc traversed the distance between St. Louis and Herbertsville, New Jersey, establishing the French world record when he came in second place, only a few kilometers behind the German balloonist, Erbsloh. Leblanc began to learn about planes in 1909 under the guidance of Tissaudier, and studied at the Bleriot aviation school, located in the city of Pau. Leblanc, later joined forces with Bleriot, and crossed the English Channel. Leblanc is also known for winning first place at Rheims in July 1910, and a speed record of 67.868 mph at the Blemont Meet on November 29 1910. |
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