A magnificently produced menu card to commemorate Alcock and Brown’s successful non-stop flight across the Atlantic, here from a blog from the RAF Museum highlighting a fascinating range of artefacts from their archives relating to the flight.

As the cover of the menu says, it’s a VIP event, with Capt J Alcock DSC, and Lt A Whitten Brown ‘Luncheon to the winner of the Daily Mail £10,000 prize at the Savoy Hotel, June 20, 1919’. (It’s interesting it refers to ‘winner’ rather than ‘winners’.)

The artwork, including lots of rich gold and a tricolour ribbon, features a painting showing Newfoundland and Ireland, departure point St John’s and arrival Clifden being marked. The artist is clearly not familiar with the detail of the Vickers Vimy aircraft, and though the general configuration is roughly correct, it’s completely wrong around the tail and in detail. The two crew’s photographs are presented in medallion rings.

All in all it would’ve been a wonderful souvenir from a remarkable occasion. Alcock and Brown may not have found it particularly special, but everyone else there would’ve known they were at a unique occasion.

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.

Image via the RAF Museum blog post here and Tweet here. (Another poster-less day. Tomorrow we’ll have a poster bonanza to make up for it).