1938 Richard du Pont with Minimoa Sailplane – Rare Press Photo by International News

This rare original press photograph features Richard C. du Pont, American glider pioneer, standing beside his iconic DFS Minimoa sailplane — a sleek, high-performance German-designed glider that helped define pre-war soaring excellence.

Taken during the golden age of American gliding, this professionally composed image shows du Pont in a white jacket, standing confidently with his aircraft, likely at a soaring competition such as the 1938 National Soaring Meet in Elmira, NY. The sleek fuselage and large gull-wing design of the Minimoa are partially visible, with its tail number "42" just discernible in the background.

The verso of the photo includes the stamp of International News Photos, one of the major 20th-century photo agencies. Marked "3 col PM Stat" and "Richard du Pont", this was likely printed for newspaper publication. A pencil note at the top suggests it was used in July 1938, coinciding with known gliding events.

Richard du Pont would go on to become a national soaring champion and later serve as a leader in the U.S. military glider program during WWII. He tragically died in 1943 during a military glider crash, making prewar images like this highly collectible.

📏 Details:

• Date: Circa 1938

• Subject: Richard C. du Pont with his Minimoa sailplane

• Photographer/Agency: International News Photos (New York)

• Size: Approx. 8" x 10"

• Condition: Excellent tonal range with light crop marks; reverse shows editorial notations and stamp

• Provenance: From a private historical aviation photo archive