Gustave Eiffel

LS in French, signed “G. Eiffel,” one page, 8.25 x 9.75, personal letterhead, September 3, 1912. Letter to Mr. Courtoit-Suffit, a former student of the School of Aeronautics, Paris, in part (translated): "At the moment you are leaving my laboratory to complete your military service, I wish to testify that since the moment you entered…I have only had to praise the zeal and accuracy put by you into the works that have been entrusted to you." In fine condition.

Though best known for his eponymous tower, Eiffel made significant contributions to the scientific study of aerodynamics, and held a strong interest in early aviation. Early on, he conducted 'drop tests' of various objects from the Eiffel tower's 377-foot high second platform, and in 1909 expanded his research by building a wind tunnel at its base, where he used fans driven by electric motors to study air resistance in connection with aviation. Known as the 'Eiffel-type' wind tunnel, the designs he developed are still in use today.