The 1909 Gordon Bennett Balloon Race was held in October in Zurich, Switzerland. This collection consists of a Balloon Passport issued to the Clouth V for the event.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a Balloon Passport issued to the Clouth V for the 1909 Gordon Bennett Balloon Race. The passport is on paper that measures approximately 20 x 16 inches and is written in both German and French. The passport bears several seals and includes engravings of balloons along with the motto "Gordon Bennett, Zurich, 1909."
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
The 1909 Gordon Bennett Balloon Race was held in October in Zurich, Switzerland. The event featured three contests. A point-to-point race was held on October 1 in which ten competitors chose from fourteen different designated points. This event was won by the Swiss balloon Mars piloted by Mr. Farner. A distance race was held on October 2 and included twenty-one competitors from various classes based on size with prizes being awarded in each class. The Clouth V was entered into the Class 4 competition (for balloons ranging in size from 1201-1600 cubic meters). Class 3 was won by the Harburg II piloted by H. Sticker, Class 4 was won by the Hessen piloted by A. Engelhard, and Class 5 was won by the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin piloted by Otto Korn. The Gordon Bennett Race started on October 3, 2010 and involved seventeen competitors. This race was won by Edgar W. Mix in the America II after a 696.5 mile flight ending in Poland that lasted more than 35 hours.
Provenance:
Unknown, Gift, NASM.XXXX.0980
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
