avion

Earle Lewis Ovington (December 20, 1879 - 1936) was an American aeronautical engineer, aviator and inventor, and served as a lab assistant to Thomas Edison. Ovington piloted the first official airmail flight in the US in 1911, from Garden City, New York to Mineola, New York. He delivered 640 letters and 1,280 postcards, including a letter to himself from the United States Postal Service designating him as "Official Air Mail Pilot #1." Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earle_Ovington Frank Harris Hitchcock (October 5, 1867 – August 25, 1935), was chairman of Republican National Committee from 1908 to 1909. He was then Postmaster General of the United States under President William Howard Taft from 1909 to 1913. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Harris_Hitchcock The plane is instantly recognizable as a Blériot XI. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bl%c3%a9riot_XI

Other Bain/LOC photos of Earle Lewis Ovington, the first U. S. Airmail pilot:

Photo taken Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome Garden City, Long Island, New York. Notice hangars, helpful in identifying Nassau Boulevard Aerodrome

probably harry atwood www.earlyaviators.com/eatwood.htm

Yeah - in the large version he looks pretty much identical to this.

"Harry N. Atwood on His Record Breaking Trip from St. Louis to New York, 1265 miles, August 14 to 25, 1911" -- From postcard with photograph similar to this -- Aerofiles "By 1911, Harry Atwood, a student of the Wright brothers, had become one of America's most celebrated aviators. He stunned New Yorkers with his daredevil flight among Manhattan's skyscrapers and thrilled the country when he landed his biplane on the South Lawn of the White House. His 1911 record-setting distance flights from Boston to Washington and from St. Louis to New York brought international fame." -- OhioLINK

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Atwood

My great grandfather!

The moustachioed character with a flying hat seems to be Gabriel Espanet, French test-pilot (and student surgeon!), born Marseilles 14Feb1883...info by googling 'Espanet aviator'

LOC -- Bain's label spells the name as Espanet, not Espanot.

Espanet would seem correct, not Espanot.

Certification as a surgeon qualified him to operate on a wing and a prayer . . . .

Wystan, that is an incredible statement. LOL