Where do those bonnet 'Mascots' come from..

[David FaulknerParticipant]

In order to draw attention to his Autochenilles launched in 1922, André Citroën decided to cross the Sahara back and back: Toggourt-Timbuktu-Toggourt from 17 December 1922 to 7 March 1923 in a convoy of Kégresse.

With this success, then followed the ‘Cruise Noir’ which, from 28 October 1924 to 26 June 1925, travels all the African continent from North to South.

PSA Video of the ‘Black Cruise’ : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl0oPA8nlig 

Please Note: the video does contain some nudity.

I also found a poster for the film which does seems to be the inspiration for those bonnet mascots you seen on Traction Avants (including mine)

To demonstrate I did a quick ‘Photoshop’ of the poster and the mascots (from images of those available on Renel’s online shop)

Now there is also a sculpture by François Victor Bazin (sold at auction in 2017 for 4,550 euro)

Anyone able to confirm the sculpture as the inspiration behind them (poster and mascots), or add any more information as one can’t always rely on the internet?

[Author]

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