Fr. Antoine Poidebard and the Middle-East.

Courtney Webb

Antoine Poidebard; Lyon, France 1878 to Beirut 1955, (77 years) was a Jesuit priest and member of the Society of Jesus.

He developed the art of aerial photography by flying over Iraq, Syria and Jordan in a biplane in the 20’s and 30’s. His numerous photographs have been used to this day and he was able to discern differences in vegetation to show abandoned Roman forts and roads.

How and why was he there? The Mandate for Syria and Lebanon was established in 1920. Under this mandate, France assumed administrative control of the territories of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. However, the actual implementation of the mandate was met with resistance from local nationalist movements and populations who sought independence.

The mandate had been granted by the League of Nations to France after World War I. The purpose was to establish governments in area previously ruled by the Ottoman Empire.

Later, Syria and Lebanon were both granted independence from France in 1943. Poidebard was financially supported by various institutions to do research, especially in Syria. One of the significant sources of funding for his work was the French government. His archaeological and aerial survey missions were often sponsored by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry of National Education. (Retrieved Internet 2023.) He received additional funding from the French Institute of Archaeology in Beirut and the French School of Athens.

 map of the Middle East area

 map of Beirut, Lebanon

The Aircraft

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=927r7wHOef4  (video about Caudron G.3’s)

The Caudron G.3 was a French reconnaissance aircraft widely used during World War I. Poidebard flew the Caudron G.3 biplane for his aerial archaeological surveys in the 1920s and 1930s. The Caudron G.3 was a French reconnaissance aircraft widely used during World War I. He learned to fly during the war and then created a way to utilize the aircraft for aerial surveys of archaeological sites in Syria and parts of the Middle East, capturing valuable photographs of historical sites and landscapes from the air. His pioneering work in this area significantly contributed to the understanding of ancient civilizations in the region.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr4e23CarYY (more videos about this aircraft.)