1931 Peggy Salaman in Rome – Record-Breaking England-to-Cape Town Flight Stopover

This original November 4, 1931 press photograph captures Peggy Salaman, the young British aviatrix, standing beside her aircraft “Good Hope” during a stopover at Rome’s airfield. Salaman, seen holding an apple after an all-night flight, was en route from England to Cape Town, South Africa, in an attempt to set a new record.

Flying with co-pilot Gordon Store, Salaman sought to break the existing England-to-Cape Town record, covering over 6,000 miles in a race against time. This image shows a candid moment of her journey — the first photograph taken of her since leaving London — and highlights both her determination and the personal side of an extraordinary endurance flight.

The verso of the photo contains the original typewritten press caption and clippings describing her lunch break in Rome and her ambitious goal. The aircraft, with “Good Hope” painted on its cowling, serves as a symbolic reminder of the optimism and daring of the Golden Age of Aviation.

📏 Details:

• Date: November 4, 1931

• Location: Rome, Italy – en route to Cape Town

• Subject: Peggy Salaman with “Good Hope” aircraft

• Achievement: England-to-Cape Town record attempt

• Photographer/Agency: Acme News Pictures, Inc.

• Size: Approx. 8" x 10"

• Condition: Very good; editorial crop marks on recto; original caption and clippings attached to verso

• Historical Note: Peggy Salaman’s flight was part of the 1930s wave of record attempts that captured worldwide public imagination