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Photo, Print, Drawing The Great European War. Air Combat. A Heroic Feat of French Pilot Garros.

About this Item

Title

  • The Great European War. Air Combat. A Heroic Feat of French Pilot Garros.

Summary

  • This print showing the collision of a French airplane and a German airship is from the collection of World War I lubok posters held at the British Library. The caption explains: "War creates heroes. A German Dreadnought-Zeppelin airship floated over a French fortress. The predatory enemy was carefully looking for the secret of its defenses. A small airplane took off and quickly surged into the air, controlled by the firm hand of French pilot Garros. Soon the famous pilot soared over the enormous airship. Garros dropped a bomb, but missed the target. Slowly, the German ship began turning to fly away with the information for its army. Then Garros, inspired like a true hero, directed his airplane at the German giant and burst into it. A terrible explosion followed, and the flaming airship, the wreckage of the airplane, and the mutilated bodies of dead people fell down upon the ground. Eternal glory to the glorious son of the great France." The story is in fact a fiction. Roland Garros was captured by the Germans in April 1915 and spent nearly three years in a prisoner of war camp before escaping and rejoining the French air force. He was shot down and killed on October 5, 1918. This picture, like many others in the collection, was printed in the Moscow printing house of Ivan Sytin (1851--1934). By the 1880s, Sytin was the most popular and successful publisher of lubok pictures in Russia. He also published cheap popular books for workers and peasants, textbooks, and literature for children. The quality of this print is much better than many images from other printing houses--more colors and shades are neatly matched and more small details are available for the viewer. Lubok is a Russian word for popular prints created from woodcuts, engravings, etchings, or later, by using lithography. The prints were often characterized by simple, colorful graphics depicting a narrative, and could also include text. During World War I, lubok informed Russians about events on the frontlines, bolstered morale, and served as propaganda against enemy combatants.

Created / Published

  • Moscow : A .P. Korkin & A. V. Beideman & Company Printing and Lithographic Firm, 1915.

Headings

  • -  France
  • -  Germany
  • -  1915
  • -  Air pilots
  • -  Air warfare
  • -  Airplanes
  • -  Airships
  • -  Battles
  • -  Garros, Roland, 1888-1918
  • -  Lubok (Narrative art prints)
  • -  Military operations, Aerial
  • -  Russia. Army
  • -  Soldiers
  • -  War posters
  • -  World War, 1914-1918

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource at: The British Library.
  • -  Content in Russian.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • World War I

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021669193

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Great European War. Air Combat. A Heroic Feat of French Pilot Garros. Germany France, 1915. Moscow: A .P. Korkin & A. V. Beideman & Company Printing and Lithographic Firm. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669193/.

APA citation style:

(1915) The Great European War. Air Combat. A Heroic Feat of French Pilot Garros. Germany France, 1915. Moscow: A .P. Korkin & A. V. Beideman & Company Printing and Lithographic Firm. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669193/.

MLA citation style:

The Great European War. Air Combat. A Heroic Feat of French Pilot Garros. Moscow: A .P. Korkin & A. V. Beideman & Company Printing and Lithographic Firm. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021669193/>.