Ernest Archdeacon Didn't Say That

Revised February 18, 2026

"For a long time, too long, the Wright brothers were accused of bluffing in Europe, and perhaps even in their native country. Today they are honored by France, and I feel an intense pleasure to be among the first to repair this flagrant injustice."

 

"Wilbur Wright piloting a Wright 1907 Model Flyer at Les Hunaudieres race course near Le Mans in August, 1908". Image ms1_17_2_4  courtesy of Wright State University Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University Libraries.

 

This apology to the Wright Brothers was made shortly after the first short flights performed by Wilbur Wright on August 8, 1908 at the Hunaudiéres horse racing track just south of Le Mans, France.

This quote has been attributed to Ernest Archdeacon by many authors of Wright history. But he didn't say it. It doesn't fit his personality in the slightest.  

The quote originated from an article in the August 9, 1908 issue of L'Auto, written by François Peyrey, in which the author states, 

Apology to the Wright Brothers as written by François Peyrey, L'Auto, August 9, 1908.

 

Aéronautique, Le premier vol, en France, du premier homme oiseau, as printed in L'Auto, August 9, 1908 issue. Second paragraph.

 

Rough translation from French to English as provided by Google Translate. Archdeacon is only mentioned in passing along with many others present for the August 8 flights.

The following is a partial list of authors who misquoted Archdeacon: (1)(2)

"The Bishop's Boys", by Tom Crouch, 1989, pg 368, incorrectly attributes François Peyrey's statement to Ernest Archdeacon. The listed source is given as L'Auto August 9, 1908. The source is correct, but the interpretation of the source is off. Difficult to understand how Archdeacon was attributed to François Peyrey's statement, but it happened, and it just snowballed from there.

"The Wright Brothers", by Ian Mackersey, 2003, pg 361,  incorrectly attributes François Peyrey's statement to Ernest Archdeacon. The listed source is given as L'Auto August 9, 1908. 

"To Conquer The Air", by James Tobin, 2003, pg 309,  incorrectly attributes François Peyrey's statement to Ernest Archdeacon. The listed source is given as The Bishop's Boys, Tom Crouch. 

"First Flight", by T. A. Heppenheimer, 2003, pg 281,  incorrectly attributes François Peyrey's statement to Ernest Archdeacon. The listed source is given as L'Auto August 9, 1908. 

"The Wright Brothers", by David McCullough, 2015, pg 172, wrote, "Leaders of French aviation joined in the chorus of acclaim. 'Not one of the former detractors of the Wrights dare question today the previous experiments of the men who were truly the first to fly', announced the greatly respected publication L'Aérophile. Even the stridently skeptical Earnest Archdeacon, who had run on with so many negative comments while waiting in the grandstand, stepped forth at once  to say he had been wrong. 'For a long time, for too long a time, the Wright brothers have been accused in Europe of bluff....They are today hallowed in France, and I feel an intense pleasure in counting myself among the first to make amends for the flagrant injustice.' " The listed source is given as The Bishop's Boys.

The above books are all excellent historical records of the Wright Brother's accomplishments, but each contain hundreds of individual researched events, and statistically there are bound to be the occasional error. In this particular case, however, it appears obvious that one fine author's unfortunate error was simply duplicated by other fine authors, without the actual primary source being reevaluated. 

Harry Combs, author of "Kill Devil Hill, Discovering the Secret of the Wright Brothers", published in 1979, correctly wrote the history concerning François Peyrey's statement. In chapter 27, "Undreamed of, Even by Yourselves", page 293, Combs wrote, 

"It is worth our while to recount here some of the actual statements made, because they belong to the heritage we all share. After piling scorn, even condemnation, on the Wrights, France and all of Europe admitted their error and turned their voices to praise of Wilbur Wright. To their great credit is the reaction of the people abroad; they recognized the Wrights handsomely: 

Leon Delagrange:  "Well, we are beaten! We just don't exist!"

François Peyrey: "I shall try to give an idea of the incompatible mastery of the American aviators in the marvelous art of imitating the birds. For a long time- for too long a time- the Wright brothers have been accused in Europe of bluffing; perhaps even in their own land. Today they are hallowed by France, and I feel an intense pleasure in counting myself among the first to make amends for such flagrant injustice.....It would also be just as puerile to challenge the first flight of December 17th, 1903 in North Carolina as it would be to deny 'les expériences' in La Sarthe [Le Mans]....From the stands...an immense acclamation goes up from the witnesses of this prowess...."   (3)

Who correctly quotes Ernest Archdeacon's reaction to Wilbur Wright's incredible flights of August 8, 1908? Authors Fred Howard, and Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith, to name two. 

Wilbur & Orville, by Fred Howard, 1987, pg 261, wrote, "There were a few holdouts against the chorus of praise. Patriotic, unbending Ernest Archdeacon insisted the French machines were superior to the Wright Flyer because they had wheels & could start without the help of falling weights & rails...." Howard's listed source is "The Rebirth of Aviation 1902-1908", by Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith, published in 1974.  

In "The Rebirth of Aviation", chapter 92, "First and second Thoughts of the French Pioneers", pg 286, Gibbs-Smith wrote, 

"There was an excellent turn-out of French pioneers to see Wilbur's first flight on August 8th 1908, and among those present were: Archdeacon (president of the Aviation Committee), Hart O. Berg (representing the interests of the Wrights), Leon Bollée, Louis Blériot, François Peyrey, René Gasnier, Ernest Zens, Paul Zens, Pierre Gasnier, Robert Guérin, Dickins, Captain Zazerac de Forge, de Moy, and two Russian officers.

As may well be imagined, the anti-Wright faction, led by Archdeacon and the Voisin brothers, were glum about Wilbur's flights, and maintained that the French aircraft were just as good as the Wrights'. The New York Herald interviewed a number of well-know French pioneers, and this is what Archdeacon is reported as saying, in the issue of August 9th:

"But I think that we can do as well with our machines in France. It must take a long time to learn to fly with the Wright machine. Also I consider our machines superior in the fact that they have wheels and that they can start wherever they may descend without the help of rails." "

François Peyrey wrote "Les Premiers Hommes-Oiseaux, Wilbur et Orville Wright", published in 1908. In Chapter 3, "La Preuve", pg 37,  François Peyrey repeats his apology to the Wright Brothers. 

 

François Peyrey, Chapter 3, La Preuve, from Les Premiers Hommes-Oiseaux, 1908.

Others were more appreciative of what the Wrights had accomplished that August and September of 1908. Quotes below are from Chapter 92, "First and second Thoughts of the French Pioneers", from Charles Harvard Gibbs-Smith's book "The Rebirth of Aviation 1902-1908".

Louis Blériot- "I consider that for us in France, and everywhere, a new era in mechanical flight has commenced, I am not sufficiently calm after the event to thoroughly express my opinion. My view can be best conveyed in the words, 'It is marvellous!' "

René Gasnier- "It is a revelation in aeroplane work. Who now can doubt that the Wrights have done all they claim? My enthusiasm is unbounded. The whole conception of the machine, its execution and its practical worth is wonderful. We are as children as compared with the Wrights."

Paul Zens- "I would have waited ten times as long to see what I have seen today. Mr. Wright has us all in his hands. What he does not know is not worth knowing. This machine proves that travel by aerial means is at hand. It would give me immense pleasure to go out with Mr. Wright at any time."  

 

 

Copyright 2026 Getting the Story Wright 

 

Related Post:

Getting The Story Wight- "Trust but Verify"

 

Notes:

1. My intent in writing this post is two fold. First to point out that errors do exist in many of the historical books we read, and that given, we need to be watchful, and careful not to repeat any error. Second intent, is to simply correct the history.

2. For the errors I mention, I don't know if corrections have been made in later editions. I am simply using the edition within my own library collection.

3. A number of years ago I had made a note to myself (after reading Combs book) that Harry Combs attributed this quote to  François Peyrey, but Combs didn't list a primary source as no footnotes were included in the book. It was only recently that I was able to obtain an on-line copy of L'Auto August 9, 1908 and verify that these were not the words of Ernest Archdeacon.