Created circa 1925, this original French entertainment poster was printed in colour lithography to advertise the daring performances of aviator and parachutist Paul Peuillot, celebrated as “Le Roi du Parachute”—“The King of the Parachute.”
During the 1920s, aviation and parachuting captured the public imagination. Air meetings, circus performances and spectacular demonstrations introduced audiences to technologies that were still new, unpredictable and inherently dangerous. Peuillot belonged to this generation of aviators who transformed parachute descents into widely attended public spectacles.
The poster presents several stages of the performance within a circular arena. Peuillot descends beneath an enormous yellow parachute while spectators crowd the surrounding galleries. Smaller figures above and below appear suspended in mid-air, emphasising the height and danger of the act. An oval portrait of the smiling performer occupies the foreground, establishing him as the celebrated star of the show.
Monumental red lettering dominates the composition, while yellow, blue and pale green create the vivid contrast associated with early circus advertising. The dramatic shifts in scale—from Peuillot’s portrait to the parachute and airborne figures—allow the viewer to experience the spectacle as both a public performance and an individual feat of courage.
Paul Peuillot was a French aviator and parachute performer active during the 1920s. In 1924, he performed repeated descents at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, and contemporary accounts continued to describe him as the “King of the Parachute” in 1927. This striking poster will appeal to collectors of early aviation, parachuting history, French circus imagery and Belle Époque-style entertainment advertising.
Original Poster
Show - Aviation - Circus
The King of Parachute
Good condition, traces of folds
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