Louis Blériot (1872-1936) was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. He was the first person to design a working monoplane, and in 1909, he became world-famous for making the first aeroplane flight across the English Channel in his Blériot XI aircraft. The Blériot XI was used by many countries’ militaries as well, including during World War I.
The present photograph appears to be an exhibition of the Blériot XI at an airshow, as there are grandstands visible in the lower part of the image.
