Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: biplane

The French Nieuport 17 Fighter biplane on this mold-pressed glass plaque was introduced in I 9 I 6 and deployed during World War One. After the war, the Nieuport I 7 was used for training Fighter pilots. Designed in 1933, this plaque may have been intended to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the French pilot Henri Farman’s successful one-kilometer flight in 1908.

Across the facade is a series of stylized Art Deco bas-reliefs in brass, stone, terracotta and marble depicting old planes and various other forms of transport, complemented by a frieze of waves and other maritime motifs and settings. Such themes were radical at a time when architects were still largely preoccupied with neoclassical and neo-Gothic conceits. A host of sea creatures – snails, turtles, carp, scallops, seahorses, skate – adorn every surface. Mingled with these are boats and trains (to represent the city’s status as a major port and rail terminus), stained glass which highlights the exploits of Captain George Vancouver, and a collection of aircraft, Zeppelins, cars and famous ships.