Pilote au Casque Bleu
ca 1928
Géo Ham (Georges Hamel) was a French painter and illustrator. In 1918 he attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and in 1931 Ham was appointed as Peintre Officiel de l'Air. Ham is known for his illustrations of automobiles, motorcycles, aeroplanes and boats, which appeared in “L'Illustration” (the first international illustrated magazine in France). Ham’s work is defined by his clean-cut lines and eye for detail. The signed lithography “Driver with the Blue Helmet” depicts the champion Robert Marcel Charles Benoist (1895 - 1944) driving a Bugatti wearing a vibrant blue helmet. Benoist was a French Grand Prix winner in 1925 and from 1928 on he started racing for Bugatti becoming a 24 Hours of Le Mans winner in 1937. Ham was known to be a Bugatti driver himself.
