76 - MERMOZ, Jean

MERMOZ, Jean Signed autograph manuscript, *La Fatale Lumière*, Thionville, February 8, 1924; 7 folio-sized pages (creases, edges slightly frayed, slight tears at the folds). Complete manuscript of an unpublished short story about an aviator. The manuscript, written in black ink on lined paper, contains cross-outs and corrections, as well as marginal additions. The original title, *La Clarté dans la Nuit*, was carefully crossed out and replaced with *La Fatale Lumière*. It is the story of Jacques, who is losing his sight: “So, it was over: soon, his eyes would no longer see the beautiful light of day. It would be complete, unending night… blind!… He was going to be blind… he, the aviator whose brilliant wartime exploits people never tired of recounting, the “ace” whose marvelous precision and unmatched virtuosity were praised by his fellow pilots? The Man of the Moment… at last… Wasn’t he about to attempt the world altitude record—his own record, in fact—for which everyone had every confidence in his success?”… As his driver takes him to the Issy-les-Moulineaux airfield, he catches sight of the woman he loves in the arms of one of his friends… He climbs into his plane, to die and break his record: “Five thousand… six thousand… seven thousand meters… […] All around him, above him, profound calm… He would have liked to melt into the limpid, transparent air, draped and iridescent with a thousand hues, and he felt an unfamiliar sense of well-being as he sank into it with delight… […] 11,000 meters! At that moment, he felt an indescribable numbness overtake him. Then, with all the strength he had left, he ripped off his mask… His head snapped back in one swift motion… With his hands, clenched by death, on the controls, his face turned toward the vastness, Jacques continued his ascent toward the Light”… The account ends with this newspaper announcement: “Death of aviator Jacques Lassalle. Aviator Jacques Lassalle was killed yesterday morning after reaching an altitude of 12,500 meters, as evidenced by the recording from his barograph, found at the site of his crash. The body of the unfortunate aviator could not be recovered, as the aircraft was completely charred. It was nothing short of a miracle that the barograph was not reduced to ashes. Thus, the record could be officially recognized. Yet another record that will not be taken away from France anytime soon! ” Source: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936); - Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955); - Then passed down through the family