![Alfred LeBlanc congratulated](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Alfred_LeBlanc_congratulated.jpg)
Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe (; 25 September 1846 – 24 November 1919), born Salomon Henry Deutsch, was a successful
French petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
businessman (known as the "Oil King of Europe"
[Howard, Fred, ''Wilbur & Orville: A Biography'', Dover Publications. Viewabl]
online
/ref>), and a supporter of early aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
. He sponsored a number of prizes to encourage the development of aviation technologies, including the ''Grand Prix d'Aviation'' and the ''Deutsch de la Meurthe'' prize.
Early life, family and name
The Deutsch de la Meurthe was a French family known for its wealth and patronage in technology and philanthropy, having helped develop the industrial oils industry in France. In 1845, Alexander Deutsch founded a company for the processing and marketing of vegetable oil
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fat ...
s in La Villette, then an independent commune of Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. With the discovery of petroleum oil in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
in 1859, Deutsch began to study and develop the use of petroleum oils in France. In 1877, Deutsch brought his two sons, Henri and Emile, into the family business, which bought a refinery in Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
in 1881 and another in St. Loubès in Gironde
Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,62 ...
in 1883. In 1889, in association with the Rothschild
Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by sign ...
brothers, oil refining began in Spain. At this time, Alexander added the "de la Meurthe" to the family name. His daughter Suzanne was a noted philanthropist.
Career
Henri recognized that the future of petroleum sales depended on the development of small internal-combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combust ...
s, so he promoted automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
development (he presented French President Marie François Sadi Carnot
Marie François Sadi Carnot (; 11 August 1837 – 25 June 1894) was a French statesman, who served as the President of France from 1887 until his assassination in 1894.
Early life
Marie François Sadi Carnot was the son of the statesman Hippol ...
with an automobile) and also became interested in aviation.[Crouch, Tom D. ''The Bishop's Boys'', W. W. Norton and Company. Viewabl]
/ref> Together with Ernest Archdeacon
Ernest Archdeacon (23 March 1863 – 3 January 1950) was a French lawyer and aviation pioneer before the First World War. He made his first balloon flight at the age of 20. He commissioned a copy of the 1902 Wright No. 3 glider but ha ...
, he founded the ''Aéro-Club de France
The Aéro-Club de France () was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la Valette, Jules Verne and his wife, André Michelin, Albert de Dion, ...
'' to promote the new technologies. To do this, he used some of his wealth to create a number of monetary prizes as incentives for aviators to achieve certain aviation milestones.
In 1906, Deutsch entered into a partnership with Wilbur Wright and Hart O. Berg to establish a company in France to supply a Wright aircraft to the French government. Deutsch financed the venture by buying the only block of shares to be sold in France, and used his influence with the French government. The effort fell through, however.[
He supported ]Lazare Weiller
Lazare Weiller (20 July 1858 – 12 August 1928) was a French engineer, industrialist and politician. He was born in Alsace and received a technical education in England and in his cousin's copper factory in Angoulême. He was very interested in th ...
, who bought the patents of the Wright brothers, and organized demonstration flights piloted by Wilbur Wright in Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, which began on 8 August 1908. Deutsch de la Meurthe also invested in aircraft builders Société Astra
''Société Astra des Constructions Aéronautiques'' was a major French manufacturer of balloons, airships, and aeroplanes in the early 20th century. It was founded in 1908 in aviation, 1908 when Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe purchased Édouard Surco ...
(1909) and Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
(1911), and commissioned the construction of aircraft, including the Blériot XXIV'' Limousine'' and the Voisin ''Aero-Yacht''.
At the end of May 1909, Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe offered the University of Paris
, image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of Arms
, latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis
, motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin)
, mottoeng = Here and a ...
a sum of 500,000 francs and an annual pension of 15,000 francs for the creation and maintenance of the ''Institut Aérotechnique'' at Saint-Cyr-l'École
Saint-Cyr-l'École () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.
It used to host the training school for officers of the French army, the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM), which wa ...
, which would continue the theoretical research and development of air transport aircraft. It was later integrated into the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
.['']Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
''
September 1912, page 405
/ref>
Although an enthusiastic promoter of heavier-than-air flight, De la Meurthe did not make his first flight in an airplane until May 1911, when he was taken for a flight in a Blériot monoplane piloted by Alfred Leblanc
Alfred Leblanc (13 April 1869 – 22 November 1921) was a pioneer French aviator.
Biography
He was born on 13 April 1869 in Paris. In 1888, he became the technical director of the Victor Bidault metal foundry. A keen sportsman, he was an ener ...
.
On 21 May 1911, Deutsch was injured, and French Minister of War Maurice Berteaux
Henri Maurice Berteaux (3 June 1852 – 21 May 1911) was the Minister of War in France from 14 November 1904 to 12 November 1905, and from 2 March 1911 until his accidental death on 21 May 1911.
Biography
Berteaux was born at Saint-Maur-des-F ...
was killed, when a Train monoplane crashed at the beginning of the 1911 Paris to Madrid air race.[Century of Flight timeline for 1911]
/ref>
Legacy looted under Nazis
When the Nazis invaded France in World War II, the Deutsch de la Meurthe family fled, the mansion was transformed into a residence for the head of the occupation forces, and the art collection was looted, ending up in the possession of the son of Hildebrand Gurlitt
Hildebrand Gurlitt (15 September 1895 – 9 November 1956) was a German art historian, art gallery director who dealt in Nazi-looted art as one of Hitler's and Goering's four authorized dealers for "degenerate art".
A Nazi-associated art dealer ...
, one of Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
's art dealers. Four drawings were restituted to the heirs in 2020.
Honours
Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe was made Commander of the Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
on November 20, 1912.
Prizes
''Deutsch de la Meurthe'' prize
In April 1900, Henri offered the'' Deutsch de la Meurthe'' prize, also simply known as the Deutsch prize, of 100,000 francs to the first machine capable of flying a round trip from the Parc Saint Cloud
The Parc de Saint-Cloud, officially the ''Domaine National de Saint-Cloud'', is a ''domaine national'' (national estate), located mostly within Saint-Cloud, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, near Paris, France.
The park, which covers , was a nat ...
to the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and back in less than 30 minutes. The winner of the prize needed to maintain an average ground speed of at least to cover the round trip distance of in the allotted time. The prize was to be available from May 1, 1900, to October 1, 1903.[''Airship Deutsch Prize - 1901'', The Airship Z-Prize official website]
To win the prize, Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont (Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais, Palmira, 20 July 1873 — Guarujá, 23 July 1932) was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both l ...
decided to build the Santos-Dumont No. 5, a larger airship than his earlier craft. On August 8, 1901, during one of his attempts, the dirigible began to lose hydrogen gas. It started to descend and was unable to clear the roof of the Trocadero Hotel. Santos-Dumont was left hanging in a basket from the side of the hotel. With the help of the Paris fire brigade, he climbed to the roof without injury.
On October 19, 1901, after several attempts and trials, Santos-Dumont launched his ''Number 6'' airship at 2:30 pm. After only nine minutes of flight, Santos-Dumont had rounded the Eiffel Tower, but then suffered an engine failure. To restart the engine, he had to climb back over the gondola rail without a safety harness. The attempt was successful, and he crossed the finish line in 29 minutes 30 seconds. However, a short delay arose before his mooring line was secured, and at first the adjudicating committee refused him the prize, despite de la Meurthe, who was present, declaring himself satisfied. This caused a public outcry from the crowds watching the flight, as well as comment in the press. However a face-saving compromise was reached, and Santos-Dumont was awarded the prize. In a charitable gesture, he gave half the prize to his crew and then donated the other half to the poor of Paris.
''Grand Prix d'Aviation''
In 1904, Deutsch de la Meurthe in collaboration with Ernest Archdeacon created the ''Grand Prix d'Aviation'' (also known as the "Deutsch-Archdeacon Prize"), a prize of 50,000 francs for the first person to fly a circular 1-kilometer course in a heavier-than-air craft. It was won on January 13, 1908, by Henry Farman
Henri Farman (26 May 1874– 17 July 1958) was a British-French aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. Before dedicating himself to aviation he gained fame as a sportsman, specifically in cycling and moto ...
flying a Voisin Voisin (French for "neighbour") may refer to:
Companies
*Avions Voisin, the French automobile company
:*Voisin Laboratoire, a car manufactured by Avions Voisin
*Voisin (aircraft), the French aircraft manufacturer
* Voisin, a Lyon-based chocolat ...
biplane at Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called ''Isséens'' in French. It is one of Paris' entrances and is located from Notre-Dame Cath ...
in a time of 1 minute 28 seconds, then a distance and speed record since the flights of the Wright Brothers had not been officially witnessed.[''HENRI FARMAN 1874-1958'' at Early Aviators.com]
/ref>
''Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe''
This speed race was held intermittently from 1912 to 1936, with 20,000 francs offered first by Deutsch, later by the Aéro-Club de France
The Aéro-Club de France () was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la Valette, Jules Verne and his wife, André Michelin, Albert de Dion, ...
. It was rebooted a third time by his daughter Suzanne Deutsch de La Meurthe with the first of three final races in 1933.
See also
Place des États-Unis
The Place des États-Unis (; "United States Square") is a public space in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, about 500 m south of the Place de l'Étoile and the Arc de Triomphe.
It consists of a plaza, approximately long and wide, tre ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deutsch De La Meurthe, Henri
1846 births
1919 deaths
Businesspeople from Paris
French industrialists
People in the petroleum industry
French patrons of the arts
Alberto Santos-Dumont
Commanders of the Order of Franz Joseph
Commanders of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur