1935 Press Photograph – Henri Mignet “Flying Flea” (Pou du Ciel) on Display in Paris

Original press photograph dated November 21, 1935, showing a public exhibition in Paris featuring the Henri Mignet Pou du Ciel (“Flying Flea”), an ultralight homebuilt aircraft. The image captures a large crowd gathered around the display, where the aircraft was presented alongside promotional signage for Envol. A mannequin dressed as a pilot stands beside the plane, illustrating its amateur-friendly appeal.

The reverse bears a French-language press caption and a stamp from Service Général de la Presse, Paris. The caption notes the demonstration of light aircraft construction in a department store on the Right Bank, where visitors observed the assembly of one of these small planes.

The Flying Flea was emblematic of the 1930s movement to democratize aviation, making flight accessible to individuals through simple design and construction. This photograph documents both the technical curiosity and the popular enthusiasm that surrounded Mignet’s innovative design in France.