The Caproni Collection
04/04/2024
The Caproni Collection
Oxford Library Sale - 22 May 2024
Giovanni Battista Caproni, (1886 to 1957), 1st Count of Taliedo, was an Italian aviation pioneer and aeronautical engineer.
Most famous for creating the world’s first airworthy bomber aircraft, the Ca.3, his name is familiar to aviation fans across the globe.
Caproni designed and built his first aircraft in 1910, followed in the spring of 1913 by the Ca.3 which was the first strategic bomber in aviation history to carry out long range missions during World War I. This design was so successful, it was adopted not only by the Italians, but the French, British and the USA and played a major role in allied strategic bombing.
After World War I, he focused his attention on developing the civil aviation sector converting bomber aircraft to passenger and cargo aircraft.
With the exception of a few later souvenir prints produced by the Museo Caproni, the drawings are all originals, some in pencil some in ink. All of the original sheets are over 70 years old and the later ones (1930s and 1940s) are all drawn on the various sized blank tracing sheets printed - with border lines and corner panel for the company name and other details - for the Caproni company by S-P.I Milano
Each drawing is identified with the aircraft type/designation and dated and usually signed by the draughtsman/woman, engineer, inspector etc. The earlier drawings, mostly on tracing paper but some on glazed cotton, have hand drawn titles in various creative designs.
Mallams are delighted to be selling this collection in our forthcoming Library Sale on Wednesday 22nd May at Oxford. Full details of the lots will be available via our website, www.mallams.co.uk together with viewing times at the Oxford saleroom prior to the sale.
