Le Soir du Manuscrit, the IBC Aviation Night in Paris

A venue that owes its existence to aviators

Choosing the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée was not only a matter of setting. This private club, founded in 1917, occupies the Hôtel Perrinet de Jars at 33 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Among its founders, in the closing months of the First World War, were aviators of the Lafayette Escadrille, the American pilots who flew under French colours.

Hosting a business aviation house in a place born partly out of early aviation therefore made sense. A century separates those pilots from today's aircraft, but the thread is the same: people travelling to be where they need to be.

Manuscripts you can hold in your hand

The heart of the evening was the exhibition presented by Autographes des Siècles, a gallery specialising in autograph letters and original manuscripts. Its selection spans several centuries and crosses the arts, literature, history and science.

What strikes you about a manuscript is the gap between the object and its reputation. An autograph letter is not a relic under glass: it is a sheet where you see the crossings out, the ink bleeding, the hand speeding up at the end of a sentence. A text you know by heart suddenly becomes the gesture of one person, on one particular afternoon, hesitations included.

A dedicated talk covered the history of these documents and what gives them value: provenance, condition, the rarity of the signature, but also the content of the letter itself. A trivial note from a famous author is usually worth less than a page where he actually says something.

Caviar as farming work

The tasting was run by Caviar de Neuvic, a house based in the Dordogne on the banks of the Isle river. It farms its own sturgeon and produces its caviar on site, with a stated commitment to responsible and sustainable breeding.

The parallel with the manuscripts is not accidental. Both are about long timescales. A sturgeon takes years before producing its first roe, much as a letter takes decades to become a document. None of it can be rushed.

ST Dupont, the object you keep

The evening closed with gifts from ST Dupont, the French house of writing instruments and lighters. The choice followed the same logic as everything else: a pen is handed down, repaired, worn where the hand holds it. It belongs to the same family of objects as the manuscripts on display a few metres away.

The dinner cocktail filled the rest of the evening, in the club's salons.

Why an aviation house hosts an evening about writing

The question is fair, and the answer lies in what we actually do. A business aviation broker does not sell flying hours, it arranges travel for people who have little time and a great deal to do. Our work consists of removing friction.

Le Soir du Manuscrit is the exact opposite of that, deliberately. An evening where nobody goes anywhere, where you look at objects that took a century to arrive. Our clients spend the year saving hours. Once a year, it seems only right to make them lose a few, usefully.

It is also a way of meeting our clients other than on the phone at six in the morning for an eight o'clock departure. Our teams are there, and those conversations are often worth more than a formal meeting.

Private jet charter with IBC Aviation:

Our teams advise you on the private jet best suited to your itinerary and requirements, and organise your trip to or from your destination. Available 24/7:

• France: +33 1 41 69 88 88
• Switzerland: +41 22 880 28 88
• Dubai: +971 55 303 5161
• Bangkok: +66 81 808 2866
• Email: contact@ibc-aviation.com

Frequently asked questions

What is Le Soir du Manuscrit?

An annual evening hosted by IBC Aviation and its partners, built around an exhibition of original manuscripts and autograph letters. The latest edition was held on 30 September 2025 at the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée in Paris.

Where does the evening take place?

The 30 September 2025 edition was held at the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée, a private club founded in 1917 at the Hôtel Perrinet de Jars, 33 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Aviators of the Lafayette Escadrille were among its founders.

Who are the partners behind the event?

Autographes des Siècles for the manuscript exhibition, Caviar de Neuvic for the tasting, and ST Dupont for the closing gifts. Each contributes in its own field, without commercial staging.

How can I be invited?

The evening is by invitation, reserved for IBC Aviation clients and partners. If you would like to hear about the next edition, our teams remain reachable by phone or email.