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an old book with writing and a picture of a clock tower
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MERMOZ Jean L.A.S. ‘Jean’, Rio de Janeiro, 29 November 1927, to his ‘Beloved Mum’; 3 folio pages. Arrival in Rio de Janeiro to develop the Aéropostale in South America. He arrived in Rio the previous evening, ‘after a twenty-three-day crossing. Brilliant weather. A slow but calm journey, non-stop from Dakar […] I experienced my first crossing of the Equator, naturally. That day was the only moment of merriment we were able to enjoy during the entire journey. There were only a few of us French, and the Argentinians aren’t exactly a lively lot. Rio is truly a magnificent city. I would even say it’s beyond imagination, quite simply marvellous. I believe the harbour bay could be counted amongst the seven wonders of the world. And what a rich city it is! I had never seen a sight as beautiful as the one I am gazing upon right now’. He was ‘appointed chief pilot in Buenos Aires. Furthermore, I have been brought into the organisational hierarchy. I shall be in charge there of the administration and operation of the line. I shall be responsible for recruiting local pilots and engineers, and for undertaking reconnaissance trips along the routes we intend to establish towards Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay. I will have to provide advice and guidance to Mr Bouilloux-Lafont’s representative, Mr de Siéyès, and to the Argentine representative regarding the organisation of all these routes. In short, I have been entrusted with an official role which I had never expected.” He did not want to accept, but Pranville, the Director-General of Operations, ‘said that it was my duty to make an effort for the sake of our aeronautical prestige here; he showed me that I could be of great service through my technical and professional experience—which I had demonstrated time and again—and that I was one of those who were meant to lead rather than follow, in short, that I had to resign myself to no longer being a mere pilot and soon take my place amongst the senior management. Fine words that did not inspire me, but to which I was obliged to yield on the condition that I would not cease to fly as much as a pilot, which was promised to me. It is a huge responsibility, but all things considered, I operate on the principle that there comes a time in life when the opportunity to achieve something presents itself, and that one must not let it pass, lest one end up languishing miserably. […] I shall need a great deal of diplomacy, a great deal of tact and a great deal of energy in a country like Argentina, where German influence is considerable. What’s more, from what I’ve gathered, Latécoère expects a great deal from me in terms of his personal interests there. If he could sell large numbers of aircraft in South America, what a fortune!! I’ve been made to realise this… without appearing to be pushing the issue. In short, I’ve got a rather hectic future ahead of me. But I’m determined to take the bull by the horns! If I don’t manage to bring it down and master it, it won’t be my fault, because I’ll stand my ground, just as I always have done so far. […] if I achieve the expected results as an organisation, this could turn into a major operation within a year. And as long as I carry on flying, seeing new countries, and they let me do a few more demonstration flights, things are going great”… They’re very well received: ‘Brazil is very French. They speak Portuguese there. It’s a completely new country. Colossal fortunes are being made there!! Rio is a city of villas, veritable little palaces, and sumptuous hotels. It seems as though poverty has no place here, so much so that everything one finds and sees exudes comfort and even wealth. In the evening, the harbour and indeed the whole bay looks like a veritable river of diamonds, stretching for nearly eighty to a hundred kilometres in circumference. It is a splendid sight; I would even say it is probably unique in the world’…. Correspondence, no. 129. Enclosed is a postcard sent to his mother (address, stamp and postmark): “Porto, Portugal 9–11/27. Stopover. Lots of love from your Jean, who is thinking of you, Mermoz”. Provenance: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Passed down through the family
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Auction time 11/03/2026 at 11:00 AM
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