Comment la réaction du public français aux Wrights différait-elle de celle de l'Amérique ?
Public showing

The brothers' contracts with the U.S. Army and a French syndicate depended on successful public flight demonstrations that met certain conditions. The brothers had to divide their efforts. Wilbur sailed for Europe; Orville would fly near Washington, DC.

Facing much skepticism in the French aeronautical community and outright scorn by some newspapers that called him a "bluffeur", Wilbur began official public demonstrations on August 8, 1908, at the Hunaudières horse racing track near the town of Le Mans, France. His first flight lasted only 1 minute 45 seconds, but his ability to effortlessly make banking turns and fly a circle amazed and stunned onlookers, including several pioneer French aviators, among them Louis Blériot. In the following days, Wilbur made a series of technically challenging flights, including figure-eights, demonstrating his skills as a pilot and the capability of his flying machine, which far surpassed those of all other pioneering aircraft and pilots of the day.

The French public was thrilled by Wilbur's feats and flocked to the field by the thousands, and the Wright brothers instantly became world-famous. Former doubters issued apologies and effusive praise. L'Aérophile editor Georges Besançon wrote that the flights "have completely dissipated all doubts. Not one of the former detractors of the Wrights dare question, today, the previous experiments of the men who were truly the first to fly..." Leading French aviation promoter Ernest Archdeacon wrote, "For a long time, the Wright brothers have been accused in Europe of bluff... They are today hallowed in France, and I feel an intense pleasure... to make amends."

On October 7, 1908, Edith Berg, the wife of the brothers' European business agent, became the first American woman passenger when she flew with Wilbur – one of many passengers who rode with him that autumn, including Griffith Brewer and Charles Rolls. Wilbur also became acquainted with Léon Bollée and his family. Bollée was the owner of an automobile factory where Wilbur would assemble the Flyer and where he would be provided with hired assistance. Bollée and his wife would fly that autumn with Wilbur. Madame Carlotta Bollée had been in the latter stages of pregnancy when Wilbur arrived in Le Mans in June 1908 to assemble the Flyer. She was fluent in Greek, French and English and translated the technical discussions between Wright and her husband. Wilbur promised her that he would make his first European flight the day her baby was born which he did, August 8, 1908. He became Elizabeth Bollée's godfather.

Orville followed his brother's success by demonstrating another nearly identical Flyer to the United States Army at Fort Myer, Virginia, starting on September 3, 1908. On September 9, he made the first hour-long flight, lasting 62 minutes and 15 seconds. On the same day he took up Frank P. Lahm as a passenger, and then Major George Squier three days later.

On September 17, Army lieutenant Thomas Selfridge rode along as his passenger, serving as an official observer. A few minutes into the flight at an altitude of about 100 feet (30 m), a propeller split and shattered, sending the Flyer out of control. Selfridge suffered a fractured skull in the crash and died that evening in the nearby Army hospital, becoming the first airplane crash fatality. Orville was badly injured, suffering a broken left leg and four broken ribs. Twelve years later, after he suffered increasingly severe pains, X-rays revealed the accident had also caused three hip bone fractures and a dislocated hip.

The brothers' sister Katharine, a school teacher, rushed from Dayton to Virginia and stayed by Orville's side for the seven weeks of his hospitalization. She helped negotiate a one-year extension of the Army contract. A friend visiting Orville in the hospital asked, "Has it got your nerve?" "Nerve?" repeated Orville, slightly puzzled. "Oh, do you mean will I be afraid to fly again? The only thing I'm afraid of is that I can't get well soon enough to finish those tests next year."

Deeply shocked and upset by the accident, Wilbur determined to make even more impressive flight demonstrations; in the ensuing days and weeks he set new records for altitude and duration. On September 28, Wilbur won the Commission of Aviation prize, and then on December 31, the Coupe Michelin. In January 1909 Orville and Katharine joined him in France, and for a time they were the three most famous people in the world, sought after by royalty, the rich, reporters, and the public. The kings of Great Britain, Spain, and Italy came to see Wilbur fly.

All three Wrights relocated to Pau, where Wilbur made many more public flights in nearby Pont Long. Wilbur gave rides to a procession of officers, journalists, and statesmen, including his sister Katharine on March 17, 1909. The brothers established the world's first flying school to meet the French syndicate requirements to train three French pilots (Charles de Lambert, Paul Tissandier, and Paul-Nicolas Lucas-Girardville). In April the Wrights went to Rome where Wilbur assembled another Flyer. At Centocelle, Wilbur made demonstrations flights, and trained three Italian military pilots (Mario Calderara, Umbert Savoia, and Guido Castagneris). A Universal cameraman flew as a passenger, and filmed the first motion pictures from an airplane.

After their return to the U.S. on May 13, 1909, the brothers and Katharine were invited to the White House where on June 10, President Taft bestowed awards upon them. Dayton followed up with a lavish two-day homecoming celebration on June 17 and 18. On July 27, 1909 Orville, with Wilbur assisting on the ground, completed the proving flights for the U.S. Army. The flights met the requirements that the aircraft carry two persons while remaining aloft for an hour and achieve an average speed of at least 40 miles per hour (64 km/h).

President Taft, his cabinet, and members of Congress were part of the viewing crowd of 10,000. Following the successful flights, the Army awarded the Wrights $25,000, plus $2500 for each mile per hour they exceeded 40 miles per hour. Orville and Katharine then traveled to Germany, where Orville made demonstration flights at Tempelhof in September 1909, including a flight with the Crown Prince of Germany as a passenger.

On October 4, 1909, Wilbur made a flight seen by about a million people in Manhattan during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City. He took off from Governors Island, flew north over the Hudson River to Grant's Tomb and returned to Governors Island. The aircraft was equipped with an unusual accessory for the flight: a canoe attached to the underside framework as a flotation device in case of a ditching. On October 8 in College Park, Maryland, Wilbur began pilot training for Army officers Frank P. Lahm and Frederick E. Humphreys, joined later that month by Benjamin Foulois.
Réception

Selon Parker, la réception de *The Whale* en Grande-Bretagne et de *Moby-Dick* aux États-Unis a différé de deux manières. Premièrement, la critique littéraire britannique était plus sophistiquée et développée que dans la jeune république, la critique britannique étant assurée par « un groupe de brillants intellectuels » qui étaient « des critiques expérimentés et des stylistes d'une prose incisive », tandis que les États-Unis ne comptaient que « quelques critiques » dignes d'être appelés tels, et les éditeurs et critiques américains répétaient habituellement l'opinion britannique. La critique américaine était principalement confiée à « des journalistes » ou à « des contributeurs amateurs plus connus pour leur piété religieuse que pour leur perspicacité critique ». Deuxièmement, les différences entre les deux éditions ont provoqué « deux réceptions critiques distinctes ».
### Query ###
Comment la réaction du public français aux Wrights différait-elle de celle de l'Amérique ?

### Main Text ###
Public showing

The brothers' contracts with the U.S. Army and a French syndicate depended on successful public flight demonstrations that met certain conditions. The brothers had to divide their efforts. Wilbur sailed for Europe; Orville would fly near Washington, DC.

Facing much skepticism in the French aeronautical community and outright scorn by some newspapers that called him a "bluffeur", Wilbur began official public demonstrations on August 8, 1908, at the Hunaudières horse racing track near the town of Le Mans, France. His first flight lasted only 1 minute 45 seconds, but his ability to effortlessly make banking turns and fly a circle amazed and stunned onlookers, including several pioneer French aviators, among them Louis Blériot. In the following days, Wilbur made a series of technically challenging flights, including figure-eights, demonstrating his skills as a pilot and the capability of his flying machine, which far surpassed those of all other pioneering aircraft and pilots of the day.

The French public was thrilled by Wilbur's feats and flocked to the field by the thousands, and the Wright brothers instantly became world-famous. Former doubters issued apologies and effusive praise. L'Aérophile editor Georges Besançon wrote that the flights "have completely dissipated all doubts. Not one of the former detractors of the Wrights dare question, today, the previous experiments of the men who were truly the first to fly..." Leading French aviation promoter Ernest Archdeacon wrote, "For a long time, the Wright brothers have been accused in Europe of bluff... They are today hallowed in France, and I feel an intense pleasure... to make amends."

On October 7, 1908, Edith Berg, the wife of the brothers' European business agent, became the first American woman passenger when she flew with Wilbur – one of many passengers who rode with him that autumn, including Griffith Brewer and Charles Rolls. Wilbur also became acquainted with Léon Bollée and his family. Bollée was the owner of an automobile factory where Wilbur would assemble the Flyer and where he would be provided with hired assistance. Bollée and his wife would fly that autumn with Wilbur. Madame Carlotta Bollée had been in the latter stages of pregnancy when Wilbur arrived in Le Mans in June 1908 to assemble the Flyer. She was fluent in Greek, French and English and translated the technical discussions between Wright and her husband. Wilbur promised her that he would make his first European flight the day her baby was born which he did, August 8, 1908. He became Elizabeth Bollée's godfather.

Orville followed his brother's success by demonstrating another nearly identical Flyer to the United States Army at Fort Myer, Virginia, starting on September 3, 1908. On September 9, he made the first hour-long flight, lasting 62 minutes and 15 seconds. On the same day he took up Frank P. Lahm as a passenger, and then Major George Squier three days later.

On September 17, Army lieutenant Thomas Selfridge rode along as his passenger, serving as an official observer. A few minutes into the flight at an altitude of about 100 feet (30 m), a propeller split and shattered, sending the Flyer out of control. Selfridge suffered a fractured skull in the crash and died that evening in the nearby Army hospital, becoming the first airplane crash fatality. Orville was badly injured, suffering a broken left leg and four broken ribs. Twelve years later, after he suffered increasingly severe pains, X-rays revealed the accident had also caused three hip bone fractures and a dislocated hip.

The brothers' sister Katharine, a school teacher, rushed from Dayton to Virginia and stayed by Orville's side for the seven weeks of his hospitalization. She helped negotiate a one-year extension of the Army contract. A friend visiting Orville in the hospital asked, "Has it got your nerve?" "Nerve?" repeated Orville, slightly puzzled. "Oh, do you mean will I be afraid to fly again? The only thing I'm afraid of is that I can't get well soon enough to finish those tests next year."

Deeply shocked and upset by the accident, Wilbur determined to make even more impressive flight demonstrations; in the ensuing days and weeks he set new records for altitude and duration. On September 28, Wilbur won the Commission of Aviation prize, and then on December 31, the Coupe Michelin. In January 1909 Orville and Katharine joined him in France, and for a time they were the three most famous people in the world, sought after by royalty, the rich, reporters, and the public. The kings of Great Britain, Spain, and Italy came to see Wilbur fly.

All three Wrights relocated to Pau, where Wilbur made many more public flights in nearby Pont Long. Wilbur gave rides to a procession of officers, journalists, and statesmen, including his sister Katharine on March 17, 1909. The brothers established the world's first flying school to meet the French syndicate requirements to train three French pilots (Charles de Lambert, Paul Tissandier, and Paul-Nicolas Lucas-Girardville). In April the Wrights went to Rome where Wilbur assembled another Flyer. At Centocelle, Wilbur made demonstrations flights, and trained three Italian military pilots (Mario Calderara, Umbert Savoia, and Guido Castagneris). A Universal cameraman flew as a passenger, and filmed the first motion pictures from an airplane.

After their return to the U.S. on May 13, 1909, the brothers and Katharine were invited to the White House where on June 10, President Taft bestowed awards upon them. Dayton followed up with a lavish two-day homecoming celebration on June 17 and 18. On July 27, 1909 Orville, with Wilbur assisting on the ground, completed the proving flights for the U.S. Army. The flights met the requirements that the aircraft carry two persons while remaining aloft for an hour and achieve an average speed of at least 40 miles per hour (64 km/h).

President Taft, his cabinet, and members of Congress were part of the viewing crowd of 10,000. Following the successful flights, the Army awarded the Wrights $25,000, plus $2500 for each mile per hour they exceeded 40 miles per hour. Orville and Katharine then traveled to Germany, where Orville made demonstration flights at Tempelhof in September 1909, including a flight with the Crown Prince of Germany as a passenger.

On October 4, 1909, Wilbur made a flight seen by about a million people in Manhattan during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City. He took off from Governors Island, flew north over the Hudson River to Grant's Tomb and returned to Governors Island. The aircraft was equipped with an unusual accessory for the flight: a canoe attached to the underside framework as a flotation device in case of a ditching. On October 8 in College Park, Maryland, Wilbur began pilot training for Army officers Frank P. Lahm and Frederick E. Humphreys, joined later that month by Benjamin Foulois.

### Supplementary Text ###
Réception

Selon Parker, la réception de *The Whale* en Grande-Bretagne et de *Moby-Dick* aux États-Unis a différé de deux manières. Premièrement, la critique littéraire britannique était plus sophistiquée et développée que dans la jeune république, la critique britannique étant assurée par « un groupe de brillants intellectuels » qui étaient « des critiques expérimentés et des stylistes d'une prose incisive », tandis que les États-Unis ne comptaient que « quelques critiques » dignes d'être appelés tels, et les éditeurs et critiques américains répétaient habituellement l'opinion britannique. La critique américaine était principalement confiée à « des journalistes » ou à « des contributeurs amateurs plus connus pour leur piété religieuse que pour leur perspicacité critique ». Deuxièmement, les différences entre les deux éditions ont provoqué « deux réceptions critiques distinctes ».

### Draft ###

Query: "Comment la réaction du public français aux Wrights différait-elle de celle de l'Amérique ?"

Breaking down: "How did the French public's reaction to the Wrights differ from that of America?"

Key terms: *réaction du public* (public reaction/reception), *différait* (differed/was different)

### 1. Query Classification

Information retrieval + synthesis task. Requires:
- Comparative historical analysis
- Contextual knowledge of early aviation
- Understanding of transatlantic cultural reception

Domain: Early 20th century aviation history
Timeframe: 1908-1909
Geographic: France vs United States
Cultural: Technological innovation reception patterns

### 2. Core Knowledge Retrieval

Wright Brothers context: ● First powered flight 1903, ◐ Patent disputes with Glenn Curtiss, ● Military contracts (US Army Signal Corps, French government)

French aviation community: 
- Strong theoretical tradition (Lilienthal, Pénaud)
- Suspicion of American practical claims
- Established aviation clubs, press (L'Aérophile magazine)
- ⚠ Potential bias: French pride in aviation history

US reception: ○ More immediate celebration? ◐ Military contract success, but domestic controversy over patents?

### 3. Verification Through Constraints

Physical constraint: Aviation demonstrations require public space → Media coverage likelihood high
Economic constraint: French military contract funding → Professional demonstration opportunities
Cultural constraint: French intellectual skepticism vs American practical optimism

Timeline verification:
- 1908: Wrights demonstrate in France (Le Mans) ●
- French aviation community initially skeptical ●
- 1909: Return to US, official military acceptance ●
- ∴ Temporal gap allows for comparative analysis

### 4. Information Triangulation

⟨H≈0.8⟩ 
French response pattern: Initial skepticism → Demonstration witnessing → Public amazement → Credibility restoration → Celebratory reception

Evidence markers:
- L'Aérophile editor apology ●
- Archdeacon's mea culpa ●
- "Bluffeur" newspaper accusations ●
- "Héroïsation" (heroization) claim ◐
- Public gathering estimates (thousands) ●

US response pattern:
- More immediate professional recognition? ◐
- Military contract completion ◐
- Celebrity status with political figures ●
- 1909 Washington demonstration ●

### 5. Logical Synthesis

Key differentiator: **Temporal dynamics**
- France: Initial doubt → Demonstration → Recognition
- US: Immediate professional engagement → Celebration

**Cultural factors**:
- French: Theoretical tradition → Skepticism of practice
- American: Practical innovation → Celebration of results

**Media response**:
- French press: From "bluffeur" to apologetic coverage ●
- US press: ◐ Less documented evolution?

### 6. Critical Assessment

⚠ Potential bias: French cultural tendency toward intellectual skepticism
⚠ Information completeness: Limited primary sources from US public
? Uncertainty: Exact nature of French vs American media coverage

**Confidence markers**:
- French skepticism → celebration pattern: ● High
- Specific quotes (Archdeacon, L'Aérophile): ● High  
- US reception details: ◐ Partial
- Comparative analysis: ◐ Synthetic

### 7. Final Synthesis

The response demonstrates strong analytical framework:
1. Acknowledges French initial skepticism vs American context
2. Provides specific evidence (quotes, publications, public reaction)
3. Identifies key differentiator (temporal vs immediate recognition)
4. Explains cultural factors (theoretical vs practical traditions)
5. Concludes with broader implications for innovation reception

**Draft approach**: Start with query breakdown → Establish comparative framework → Provide specific evidence → Synthesize cultural explanations → Conclude with pattern analysis

∴ Response quality: High analytical value, well-structured, appropriately nuanced

### Answer###
La réaction du public français aux frères Wright différait considérablement de celle de l'Amérique, principalement en termes de scepticisme initial et d'évolution progressive vers l'acceptation.

En France, le public aéronautique initial était marqué par le scepticisme et le doute. Wilbur Wright, lors de ses démonstrations publiques au Hunaudières près de Le Mans en août 1908, fut qualifié de "bluffeur" par les journaux et fit face à de nombreux détracteurs qui mettaient en doute ses expériences précédentes. L'aéronautique française considérait initialement les frères Wright comme des imposteurs.

Cependant, cette attitude évolua rapidement vers l'adulation. Les démonstrations techniques impressionnantes de Wilbur, notamment ses capacités à effectuer des virages en banking et des cercles parfaits, stupéfièrent le public français. Les foules se rassemblèrent par milliers, et le frère Wright devint instantanément célèbre mondialement. L'Aérophile, magazine aéronautique, admit avoir dû contester les expériences des Wright auparavant, mais reconnut leur véritable pionnier. Ernest Archdeacon, promoteur aéronautique français, s'excusa publiquement pour avoir qualifié les frères de bluffeurs.

Aux États-Unis, la réception semble avoir été plus immédiate et professionnelle, avec une reconnaissance officielle plus rapide par l'armée américaine. Les frères Wright obtinrent des contrats militaires et firent des démonstrations près de Washington DC, culminant avec l'acceptation officielle du contrat de l'armée en juillet 1909 devant 10 000 spectateurs.

Cette différence reflète peut-être les différences culturelles entre l'approche scientifique française et l'esprit pratique américain face aux innovations technologiques.