THE DEATH OF SANTOS DUMONT

 

In the photo above we see the famous hearse that transported the body of Santos=Dumont, as well as three emblematic moments of the day of his burial: 1- the crowd carrying his coffin; 2- The passage alongside Avenida Rio Branco, which he affectionately mention to Yoanda Penteado in one 1928 photo and 3- The deluge caused by the torrential rain that fell on the day of his burial. Rua General Polydoro appears to be completely flooded and part of the ceremonies had to be cancelled.

It is very difficult for someone who writes about the ‘Wonderful Life of Santos=Dumont”, to talk about his death. But 15 years after the beginning of this blog, at the request of readers, here goes my research on the subject.

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I would like to start and end this article with the beautiful words of Henrique Dumont Villares, his nephew:

WHO GAVE MAN WINGS - 1953

“...From São Paulo, which, at the poignant moment of this passage, found itself isolated from the rest of the world by force of the armed movement, the unexpected, heartbreaking news departed and rumbled far away.

Expressions of regret were universal. Then, on July 25, the government of Brazil decreed “national mourning for three days, for the death of Alberto Santos=Dumont”, noting, on his “considerations”, that “the Brazilian Alberto Santos=Dumont, inventor of the direction of balloons and mechanical flight, providing humanity with new devices for its development, tightened ties between nations and cooperated for peace and solidarity among peoples, thus becoming worthy of the gratitude of Brazil, whose name it honored and glorified ”.

Incidentally, this was not just a national mourning: it was a universal one. He was a genius that the whole world missed. Forever closed his wings who gave wings to man.

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We can start this report with the sad note of July 9, 1932, Santos=Dumont followed the news of the confrontation in Praça da República, between members of the Getulist Revolutionary Legion, founded by Miguel Costa, and people contrary to what the Legion defended.

According to the October 24, 1932 article, since that time, the suspicion of suicide had been on the agenda.

In this clash, where even weapons of war were used, the young men from São Paulo Miragaia, Martins, Dráusio and Camargo died, which would give rise to the acronym MMDC that brought together the revolutionary conspirators, and also to an unprecedented armed confrontation in the history of São Paulo. 

It was the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932. The State of São Paulo was leading a revolt against Getúlio Vargas, who, in his view, had assumed power in an undemocratic manner. Dissatisfaction increased due to Vargas' appointment of an external intervenor for São Paulo.

Liberal elites in São Paulo demanded elections and a new Constitution, but this did not happen.

It was then that aviation played an important role; Federal Government had about 58 aircraft at dutry for Navy and the Army, while São Paulo rebels had only two Potez and two Waco planes, in addition to some other planes used in truism.

Another plane was obtained by the rebels with the desertion of Lieutenant Artur Mota Lima, who was bringing an aircraft from Campo dos Afonsos, in Rio de Janeiro.

The "vermelhinhos", as the federal government planes were called, were used in combat to bomb cities in São Paulo, including Campinas, and also for propaganda, dropping leaflets over enemy cities and places where rebel troops were concentrated.

Aircraft from the Constitutionalist Air Units (UAC), nicknamed “gaviões de penhacho” (crested hawks), had limited participation.

During the 1932 Revolution, despite aircraft limitations, aviation performed two remarkable feats: on September 21, it attacked Moji-Mirim and disabled five of the seven federal planes before they could take off; and on September 24, three "Gaviãos de Penacho" attacked the ironclad Rio Grande do Sul in Santos to relax the blockade of the port.

Planes of the Brazilian Revolution of 1932 - on the legalist side there were 58 Waco CSO-5 aircraft, the so-called "Vermelhinhos" - on the São Paulo side, the UAC - União Aérea Constitucionalistas, called "Gaviões de Penacho" had, initially, two WACOs CSO and two Potez 25 TOE, later other aircraft were added like this Nieuport-Delage NiD-72 called “Negrinho”.

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Our story takes place months before, on the 23rd of July, when Santos=Dumont is brutally tormented by the flights of war.

The concern with the use of aircraft in war was not new, six years earlier, in 1926, Santos=Dumont had already sent a letter to the League of Nations asking for a ban on the use of aircraft as a weapon of war, even offering an amount money for whoever wrote a monograph on the subject.

His request was ignored.

In the face of so much pain, the inventor's death occurred at the Hotel La Plage, when his convalescence rest for a 'nervous disorder' was abruptly interrupted by the noise of planes going to their war destination - the pain became unbearable.

The cardiac syncope version

Even perplexed by the attacks on São Paulo, public opinion tried to understand what actually happened to Dumont, the official version, told by the press, was that Dumont had died of cardiac arrest.

This is the excerpt from the obituary report of coroner Roberto Catunda:

“Guarujá – Alberto Santos Dumont – 23-July-1932. Alberto Santos Dumont – Brazilian, white, single, 59 years old, inventor. Apparently, he was found dead in one of the apartments at the hotel in La Plage, in Guarujá, where he lived. It is the corpse of a man of medium height and regular build, still in a state of muscular flaccidity. He wears a black cashmere suit, black tie and black boots. We found no trace of traumatic injury on the body. Death was due to heart failure.”

As we know, due to the revolution of 1932, S=D could not have his wake and burial at the moment of his death, it was then that professor at the Faculty of Medicine of São Paulo, Walter Haberfeld prepared S=D's body to keep it intact until the effective funeral, on December 22, 1932, in the tomb that he had built in the São João Batista cemetery, in Rio de Janeiro.

Part of this embalming process was the removal of all internal organs. Walter discarded all the other bad organs but kept the heart preserved, "I wanted to transform the preserved heart into a physical representation of Dumont on his carnal plane". Haberfeld kept Dumont's heart secretly stored in formaldehyde for 12 years, many believe that he wanted to keep Dumont's heart as a way, in the near future, to reveal the true cause of Dumont's death.

The fate of this organ was unknown until 1944 when Paulo Gomide presented it again.

Santos=Dumont's preserved heart is in a golden casket in the shape of a metallic celestial sphere, supported by an Icarus, which surrounds another crystal sphere, which, in turn, keeps the heart preserved in chemical solutions. The piece was made by Fundição Zani and has a plaque with the following inscription: ON OCTOBER 24, 1944, DURING THE "WING WEEK" CELEBRATION, DELIVERY WAS MADE BY DR. PAULO SAMPAIO, PRESIDENT OF PANAIR DO BRASIL, AD DR. SALGADO FILHO, MINISTER OF AERONAUTICS, OF THE EMBALMED HEART OF ALBERTO SANTOS DUMONT, WHICH HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM HIS BODY DURING THE AUTOPSY CARRIED OUT BY DR. WALTER HABERFELD, ON JULY 24, 1932. THE MAKEUP OF THE SCRIPT WAS INITIATIVE BY DR. PAULO SAMPAIO, AND THE ARTISTIC CONCEPTION WAS BY AMERICO MONTEROSA AND GUY EYMMINET.

It was Asa Week, in 1944, the heart was taken to Rio de Janeiro on a flight, being delivered to the then Minister of Aeronautics, Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho, by the president of Panair, Paulo Sampaio.

Suspected Hanging

A significant chapter in the history of aviation and humanity was coming to an end, while the world mourned his departure, the events that followed revealed the complexity of human emotions and reactions in the face of such an important loss, at such a dark moment in the history of the Brazil. 

The important journalistic coverage of Revista O Cruzeiro, written by Edmar Morel in 1972, on the conquests and achievements of Santos=Dumont, as well as the testimony of delegate Raimundo de Menezes, sent from Santos to Guarujá on the day of his death, proving the hanging.

The sad event of room 151 would reverberate in a series of events. Jorge Dumont Villares, who was staying in room 152, next to his uncle and mentor, found himself facing a great challenge at that moment.

Human solidarity emerges like a ray of light in the midst of darkness, friends, family and admirers came together to honor Santos=Dumont and offer comfort, however, not all reactions were permeated with respect and empathy.

Luxurious Grand Hotel La Plage, in Guarujá and some last photos of Santos=Dumont there, before the tragedy in room 151

Some hotel staff, reporters and people who were present at the time, in a cruel and callous gesture, made disrespectful and morbid comments about the events that took place in Room 151. Their actions demonstrate a lack of understanding of the depth of grief and historical importance from that moment. And this generated a series of rumors and misinformation that persist to this day.

But it was only on November 1, 1972 that the true story was revealed, in a historical report by Edmar Morel, author of 'The Father of Aviation', entitled “Santos=Dumont, O Gennio Torturado”, makes an overview of the conquests and glories of the inventor, as well as a surprising report by the delegate Raimundo de Menezes, sent from Santos to Guarujá on the day of his death:

“One night, I received information from Guarujá that the great inventor had been found dead in the bathroom. I organized the caravan and we went there. At “Hotel La Plage”, the most elegant on that beach, we had to break down the bathroom door, through the skylight we could see the body hanging from a tie or a robe cord. Extremely thin, he was a bundle of bones.

Convinced that he was to blame for the invention of the plane, which was being used to bomb his fellow countrymen, he told Edu Chaves, with whom he was staying at the hotel, that he felt distressed by it.

Taking advantage of a moment of carelessness, he accomplished his intention: he hanged himself. I immediately communicated to the Chief of Police, Dr. Tirso Martins, what had happened, as well as the family's request that the body be handed over to them, without further legal procedures.

Authorized, I proceeded like this, and for that reason the newspapers of the following day announced the episode as natural death, having the coroner Dr. Roberto Catunda given the attestation as such. There was no police inquiry.

It was a matter of national glory. Hence the dispatch from the Secretariat of Security, at the request of the family. 

Here's what I know about it.”

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Even with the shocking report of the police chief, who witnessed the death and put an end to the mystery and the bad words of the cruel, even today the death of Santos=Dumont is surrounded by controversy.

Sophia Helena, a close relative of the aviator, had great difficulty in approaching this theme, she said something like "it seems that he killed himself" or "they say that he killed himself" in the documentary by Nelson Hoineff, script by Henrique (in the version that has 10 minutes more), as if he didn’t want to believe it.”

And at the end of this hard but important article, as she said at the beginning, I end with the phrase of another relative, Henrique Dumont Villares:

“And then, on July 23, 1932, his eyes, which had so often seen what we had yet to see, closed forever.”

There is a speech by Leonardo Da Vince, which I consider a prayer and illustrates very well the life and death of Santos=Dumont:

“Siccome una giornata bene spesa dà lieto dormie, così una vita bene usata dà lieto morire”.

Just as a day well spent brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.

122nd Anniversary of August 8th, the accident that made S=D win the Deutsch Prize

The accident on the 8th of August is very important for winning the Deutsch prize and, consequently, of all the S=D achievements, no one reaches a goal if they don't get involved in doing things, accomplishing them - getting out of their comfort zone and commit to something, biographers sin and only report victories.

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It is in accidents that a solution is found to move forward, both mentally, not giving up; as scientifically, resolving scientific inconsistencies.

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The 'Deutsch Prize Achievement' by Santos=Dumont marked a significant historical milestone, not only for its remarkable victory in achieving air drivability, but also for its achievement within a time limit.

But like any success, it had a lot of adjustments along the way - one of them was the accident of August 8th, "8/8".

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In a contest practically without competitors, due to the impressive advance of his conquests in the science of flight, Santos=Dumont built airship n. 5, equipped with a more powerful engine, to make the trip between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the Eiffel Tower in less than thirty minutes.

On October 19, 1901, Santos=Dumont masterfully flew over the Eiffel Tower, completing the challenge in 29 minutes and 30 seconds. This achievement not only established his superiority in the field of aviation, but also highlighted him as a true world celebrity. His ability to achieve drivability and meet the allotted time solidified his position as a visionary pioneer, promising to bring wings to the world.

This photo is wonderful, it exactly describes Santos=Dumont's moment of disappointment and pain. He has just suffered the worst setback of his career, as just as he was about to win the prize, he had an accident that destroyed his aircraft. There is a natural chiaroscuro in the photo - from Dumont's right side the light hits the audience who love to watch his adventures in the skies of Paris and seem to say "don't give up". On her left side, people in the shadows with their heads down, seem to corroborate his pain. Thank God Dumont opted for the light - less than two months after this tragic accident, he built a new airship and finally won the prize.

From that moment on, Santos=Dumont became an iconic and inspiring figure, a symbol of innovation and progress. His Deutsch Prize win not only propelled aviation forward, but also perpetuated his image as the man who made the dream of flying a reality, leaving a legacy that echoes through generations as a true Father of Air Exploration.

The Princess's Blessing

On July 13, 1901, after going around the Eiffel Tower with the N.5 Santos=Dumont, he received an invitation to go to the palace of Princess Isabel, now Countess d'Eu.

São Bento and São Benedito are distinct figures in history; São Bento (480 ~547 AD) was the founder of the Benedictine order, not to be confused with São Benedito, the Moor (1526 ~1589) - Both have great devotion in Brazil. Also note her Chanel cufflink. Dumont had great friendship and respect for Coco Chanel, who revolutionized the fashion world with less structured dresses.

She was worried, like a Brazilian mother who sees her son doing acrobatics in foreign skies and decided to give him a protective amulet, a medal of São Bento that has blessed him ever since.

The Accident That Turned Right

On August 8, Santos=Dumont took off from the Saint-Cloud airfield, to the applause of more than 200 people who got up early to watch his feat and the Detusch Prize technical committee.

In this old photo of the Ile de Cygnes taken by Nadar, we can easily locate the building of the old Trocadero hotel, which became famous for its numerous photos with the boat on the N.5. Demolished at some point, it gave way to the twin building of the one previously built in 1901 (know more)

He needed to reach the Eiffel Tower, go around it and return to the starting point in 30 minutes, as described in the rules of the prize of 100 thousand francs offered by the Aeroclube de France.

Inexplicably, the balloon began to deflate from the loss of hydrogen. Without the rigidity of the envelope, a support cable came loose, being destroyed by the airship's propeller.

Santos=Dumont had only one option: at 200 meters high, he turned off the engine and controlled the airship as if it were a captive balloon until it fell over the Hotel Trocadero - see the full sequence of the fall here.

Santos=Dumont reports illustrated by Luiz Pagano

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“I come now to the terrible day: August 8, 1901. In the presence of the Scientific Committee of the Aero Club, I set off for the Eiffel Tower. I went around it after 9 minutes and headed towards Saint Cloud. Unfortunately, an accident had weakened the spring of one of the automatic valves and the balloon was losing hydrogen. I ventured on. The balloon constricted visibly; to such an extent that when reaching the fortifications of Paris, near La Muette, the suspension ropes arched so much that the ones closest to the propeller became hooked on the propeller in motion.
I saw the propellers cut and rip them off. I stopped the engine.

The wind, which was blowing hard, instantly took the device to the side of the Eiffel Tower. At the same time, I fell. The gas loss was considerable.

I could have thrown off a lot of ballast and sensibly cushion the fall, but that way the wind would have had time to throw me against the ironwork of the great monument. I preferred to let the aircraft go in its own way (…)

I fell. And the wind carried me to the Eiffel Tower (…)the end of my elongated balloon, which still had all its gas, hit a roof just as I was about to cross it.

The balloon burst, with a great noise (...)

Thank God there was no hydrogen explosion, the shell burst like a birthday balloon, making a lot of noise.

A paper bag full of air, knocked against a wall, bursts, producing a great noise; well, my balloon, which wasn't small, made a noise like that, but... in a big way. 

It was completely destroyed.

La destruction et le sauvage du Santos=Dumont N.5 - La Vie Illustrée 16 de agosto de 1901

There was no piece bigger than a napkin!

I was saved by a true miracle,

because I was hanging by some ropes, which were part of the balloon, in an uncomfortable and dangerous position, from which the firefighters of Paris came to rescue me”

He got up, dusted himself off and made Airship Number 6

“I started building a new balloon and a new engine, this one a little stronger, the other a little bigger. Three weeks, counted day by day, after the last disaster, my device, number 6, was ready.

The weather, however, was still bad. On October 19, 1901, in the afternoon, as the morning was rainy, the official departure took place at 2:42 am. your direct line. I advanced by gradually raising the aircraft to an altitude of 10 meters above its peak. This maneuver wasted my time, but protected me, as far as possible, against any danger of contact with the monument.

I went up again, went around the Tower, at a height of 250 meters, over a huge crowd that was parked there waiting for me.

The return was delayed. The wind was contrary. The engine, which until then had behaved well, as soon as it left the Tower about 500 meters behind, threatened to stop. I had a moment of serious indecision. A quick measure had to be taken. At the risk of veering off course, I left the helm for a moment in order to concentrate my attention on the carburetor knob and the electric spark control lever.

The engine, which had almost stopped, resumed its pace.

I had just reached the Bois de Bologna. There, due to a phenomenon that all aeronauts are well aware of, the freshness of the trees began to make the balloon progressively heavier. And by unpleasant coincidence, the engine slowed down again. In such a way that the aircraft descended at the same time that the driving force became smaller. To oppose the descent I had to push back the guide-rope and the movable weights. The aircraft took a diagonal position and what was left of energy to the propeller made it remount in a continuous way.

I had arrived at the track at the d'Auteuil racecourse. The aircraft passed over the audience, with the bow raised very high, and I could hear the applause of the huge crowd, when, suddenly, my capricious engine regained its full speed. Suddenly accelerated, the propeller, which was almost under the aircraft, so steep it was, exaggerated the inclination even more. The ovations were followed by cries of alarm.

From my exit to the moment I passed the zenith of the starting point, 29 minutes and 30 seconds elapsed. With the speed I carried, I crossed the finish line - as yachts, oil boats, racehorses, etc. do.

- , I reduced the power of the engine and tacked; then, returning, and with less speed, I maneuvered to touch the land, which I did in 31 minutes after my departure.

I still didn't know the exact time. I shouted: - I won? It was the crowd that answered me: - Yes! Well, some gentlemen wanted that to be the official time! Big controversies. I had with me all the press and people of Paris and also Son Altesse Imperiale le Prince Roland Bonaparte, president of the Scientific Commission that was going to judge the matter. The vote was in my favor.”

Le Fatum Innovative Experiment in the Search for Air Balance

Le Fatum, created by Santos=Dumont and Emmanuel Aimé

In July 1901, a crucial meeting for aeronautical exploration was held, bringing to the scene several enthusiasts and pioneers of flight. Among those present were notable names such as Emmanuel Aimé, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Georges Besançon, and many others. The meeting was marked by an outstanding test that was conducted with the "Fatum" balloon.

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The "Fatum" was an auxiliary spherical balloon, built with an innovative balancing thermostat system, developed by Emmanuel Aimé and Alberto Santos-Dumont. The intent behind this pioneering test was to explore ways to control the balloon's rise and descent with greater precision, without relying entirely on traditional sand and/or water ballast.

Test of the Fatum L'Aérophile, July 1901

The "Fatum" balloon had a unique configuration. With a volume of about 50 cubic meters and a diameter of 2.50 meters, the thermostatic cylinder was shaped like an auxiliary balloon made of a light material known as "frou-frou".

Half of the cylinder's surface was white, while the other half was black.

This cylinder was open at the bottom and closed at the top, and its structure was composed of two cylinders suspended from the sides of the main balloon, balanced by a bamboo that rested on the circumference of the balloon.

Test of the Fatum L'Aérophile, July 1901

The operation of the balancing thermostat was based on the interaction of solar radiation with the thermostat's black cylinder. When the sun acted on this part, the internal air expanded, causing the system to rise to a higher altitude, which makes the thermostat efficient only on clear and sunny days.

During the test, the "Fatum" was launched from the Parc d'Acrostation de l'Aero-Club, initially heading towards Sèvres. As it rose, the thermostatic cylinder was activated, raising the system to an altitude of one thousand meters. However, as the clouds passed the sun, the thermostat was temporarily disrupted.

The results of the tests with the "Fatum" were impressive, but also revealing, it was clear that the balancer thermostat had a remarkable potential to control the ascent and descent of balloons, providing greater autonomy and precision, but the dependence on solar radiation limited its effectiveness. to sunny days, which presented a significant challenge.

While the results of the balancer thermostat were promising, its dependence on solar conditions highlighted the need to continue the search for more effective methods of controlling balloons and aircraft. The story of "Fatum" serves as an inspiring reminder of how the courage to push boundaries and the creativity to develop unique solutions can drive progress and innovation in the quest for human flight.

Operation

The functioning of the balancing thermostat in the form of a "frou-frou" (accordion-shaped) tube was directly linked to the regulation of the internal temperature of the "Fatum" balloon and, consequently, to the control of its ascent and descent. This balancing system was designed to exploit the properties of air heated by the sun, creating a way to control the balloon's buoyancy.

The operation of the balancing thermostat was based on the interaction of solar radiation with the auxiliary tube with black and white faces of the thermostat - when the sun heats the black side of the auxiliary balloon, the frou-frou expands and the balloon rises. And when, in turn, the tube with its white side is away from solar radiation, the air cools down and the balloon descends.

When the black part of the thermostat, which consisted of a cylinder of light and expandable material, was exposed to direct solar radiation, it absorbed heat, causing the air inside to expand. This increase in the volume of the internal air resulted in a decrease in the density of the air inside the thermostatic cylinder, making it lighter in relation to the ambient air.

With the thermostatic cylinder expanded and lighter, the tendency was for it to stretch, increasing the length of the accordion part.

This stretching created an upward force, aiding in the process of lifting the "Fatum" balloon. The main balloon, in turn, was balanced by the weight of the thermostatic cylinder and other parts of the structure, as mentioned in the previous description.

As the "Fatum" balloon rose and gained altitude, the thermostatic cylinder continued to absorb solar heat, remaining expanded and elongated, this resulted in a constant upward force that helped to counterbalance the weight of the main balloon and the passengers, allowing for the balloon to rise to desired altitudes.

On the other hand, when the balloon needed to descend, the "frou-frou" was collected with the white part facing the sun, the cooled air became denser and heavier, reducing the thermostat's buoyancy force and allowing the balloon to begin to descend gradually.

Although the balancer thermostat showed promising potential for regulating the altitude of the "Fatum" balloon, its effectiveness was limited to solar conditions. On cloudy days or at night, when solar radiation was not present, the thermostat did not work, and the balloon depended more on traditional sand and/or water ballasts for altitude control.

Moments of Tension

In one of the most tense moments during the test of the "Fatum" balloon, an incident occurred when the balancer thermostat was loose next to the main balloon. This episode demonstrated the complexity and challenges associated with pioneering aeronautical experimentation.

While the "Fatum" balloon was ascending with the thermostatic cylinder suspended beside it, a risky situation occurred when the auxiliary balloon became agitated and out of control, threatening to tear the main balloon. Setting up the balancing thermostat involved suspending the thermostat cylinder from either side of the flask, balanced by a bamboo that rested on the circumference of the flask. However, at a certain point, atmospheric instability or other unforeseen circumstances may have led the airship to dangerously approach the main balloon.

The proximity of the airship to the main balloon represented a potential threat, as it could result in collision or interference with the structure of the balloon, compromising the safety of the experiment. The situation required quick and decisive action on the part of those involved to avoid any damage or accident.

While "Le Fatum" was ascending with the thermostatic cylinder suspended beside it, a risky situation occurred when the auxiliary balloon became agitated and out of control, threatening to tear the main balloon.

While the detailed description of this incident was not provided in the shared excerpt, it highlights the challenging and unpredictable nature of aerial exploration at that time. Aeronautical experimentation was fraught with uncertainty and risk, with pioneers facing a number of obstacles as they sought to understand and control flight.

Ultimately, the test of the "Fatum" balloon represented an important milestone in the history of experimental aeronautics, showing the capacity for innovation and the constant search for creative solutions in the search for controlled flight. The meeting of brilliant minds like the great friends Dumont and Aimé, and the results obtained contributed to the continuous evolution of aerial technologies and laid the foundations for future explorations in the field of aerostation.

Santos Dumont stamps with illustration by Luiz Pagano ask for peace for Ukraine

 

Stamps by Santos Dumont with illustration by Luiz Pagano ask for peace for Ukraine

I must say that it was a great surprise to see my strokes and colors giving life to Santos=Dumont on the stamps issued by the National Stamp Agency of Ukraine - Укрпошта, in the midst of the armed conflicts that devastate Ukraine, in a gesture of hope and appeal for the peace that emerges unexpectedly: the figure of Santos Dumont.

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Having my images of Santos=Dumont destined to promote peace in the world. is undoubtedly the most important work of my career as an artist.

It is also good to say that, just as Dumont did by not patenting his aerial inventions, since it was for the benefit of mankind, I also left my images free of rights, so that they can be used to promote peace and to advocate for the well-being of humanity.

As tensions mount and the pain of war persists, Ukraine has found an inspiring way to remind the world of the importance of seeking peaceful solutions. Santos=Dumont was very well chosen as a symbol of peace and union.

Santos=Dumont dedicated his life to making the skies accessible to man, allowing us to fly beyond physical borders and bring people together, his inventions and his pioneering spirit in aviation symbolize the desire to overcome barriers and seek global integration. And it is exactly this message of peace and unity that Ukraine rescues when choosing its figure to represent its appeal in times of war.

At the age of 59, on July 23, 1932, Santos=Dumont left this world, leaving a gap in the history of aviation. In his legacy, the memory of someone who dared to dream of a peaceful world and who, in 1926, made an appeal to the League of Nations to ban the use of airplanes for war purposes.

Santos=Dumont reminds us that, behind technological achievements, there are hearts and minds that yearn for peace and harmony among nations.

Stamps by Santos Dumont with illustration by Luiz Pagano ask for peace for Ukraine

In times of uncertainty and conflict, Ukraine teaches us that even amidst the darkness of war, the light of peace can find a way to shine.

Recognizing Santos=Dumont as the father of aviation is essential to Brazilian history and culture, but it also has universal significance. His pioneering spirit influenced the development of aviation globally, paving the way for longer and safer flights.

I hope that the images on the stamps continue to fly across the skies, carrying with them the message of a world united in peace and progress. Thanks to Ukraine for this recognition and for allowing me to share my creations with the world. May this tribute inspire future generations to fly in pursuit of their dreams, just as Santos-Dumont did when he gave wings to humanity.