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Michel Comte: Aviator

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Michel Comte: Aviator presents a visual biography of Alfred Comte, the pioneering Swiss aviator. Richly illustrated with historical photos and documents, and narrated by his son and grandson, this book charts Alfred's early fascination with model airplanes in the Berner Jura to his daring first flights and role in training pilots during the First World War. It details the foundations of Swiss aviation and Comte's lasting influence through ventures such as Swissair.
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Format: Hardback
$11000
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is perfect for enthusiasts of aviation history, Swiss culture, and biographical photography. It will also appeal to readers interested in early 20th-century pioneers and the development of flight.

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Combining historical photos and documents with texts by Comte's son (also Alfred) and grandson, the photographer Michel Comte, the volume is the first to comprehensively explore the aviator's extraordinary life and achievements.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This book is a visual biography of the legendary Swiss aviation pioneer Alfred Comte (1895-1965). Combining historical photos and documents with texts by Comte's son (also Alfred) and grandson, the photographer Michel Comte, the book is the first to comprehensively explore the aviator's extraordinary life and achievements.

Alfred Comte grew up in the village of Delsberg in the Berner Jura, where his brother had a carpentry shop and Alfred became obsessed with building model aeroplanes. At the time, newspapers lauded the courageous first aviatorsβ€”and Comte's dream was born. At the age of 17, he took a taxi from Gare du Nord to Villacoublay, where a plane crashed just yards from the still moving vehicle. Unmoved, Comte spent his savings on flying lessons on an early Morane machine; he was a fearless and calculated student and soon made his first solo flights as well as forays into aerobatics.

Comte joined the Swiss Air Force at the outbreak of the First World War, during which Oskar Bider selected him to train 63 young pilots. Among them was the avid photographer Walter Mittelholzer, who later became Comte's first partner in the Comte Mittelholzer & Cie, which in time became Swissair.

Michel Comte: Aviator is a compelling tribute to this extraordinary pioneer, capturing the essence of his adventurous spirit and his remarkable achievements in the field of aviation.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9783958295766

Publisher: Steidl Publishers

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 10 December 2020

Country: Germany

Imprint: Steidl Verlag

Illustration: 250 Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 225.0mm

Height: 310.0mm

Weight: 2020g

Pages: 308

About the Author

Born in Zurich in 1954, the multimedia artist Michel Comte studied in France and England, and began his career in art restoration, specializing in contemporary art; his restoration works include those by Andy Warhol, Yves Klein and MirΓ³. In 1979 Comte met Karl Lagerfeld who gave him his first commercial assignment for ChloΓ© and later Chanel. He has since collaborated with Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair and Interview, and with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco FerrΓ©, Calvin Klein, BMW, Ferrari and LVMH, among many others. Comte later traveled to conflict zones to raise funds for humanitarian projects such as "People and Places with No Name." In 2008 he met Ayako Yoshida and has since dedicated more time to art and personal projects; together they produced their first 3D feature film The Girl From Nagasaki in 2013. Comte opened "Neoclassic," his exhibition on the rise and fall of neoclassicism, at the National Gallery of Parma in fall 2016. He has completed four exhibitions from his "Light" series: at Museo Maxxi, Rome; La Triennale, Milan; Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing; and most recently at Dirimart, Istanbul. "Light" is a study of natural landscapes through large-scale sculptures, photography, video installations and projections, exploring the impact of environmental decline on the world's glaciers and glacial landscapes. Comte's books with Steidl include Aiko T (2000), Michael Schumacher: Driving Force (2003) and Light (2016).

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