This canard pusher was designed by Horatio Barber and built by his Aeronautical Syndicate Ltd from 1910. Intended to be used as a trainer at the ASL flying school originally: the first company to occupy the historic Hendon Aerodrome. The original Valkyrie had a 35hp Green C4 engine, mounted just in front of the wing leading edge, driving a pusher propeller. Other examples could carry two people or even three people and had a 50hp Gnome rotary engine. They’re considered a handful in flight. A dozen were produced, the last one in early 1912.
Its main claim of fame was that on 4 July 1911 a Valkyrie piloted by Barber carried a box of “Osram” light bulbs from Shoreham to Hove (circa 15 miles); Britain’s first commercial air cargo flight.
Pretty awesome machine & photo. A three-seater here.
(Flight)
Aviation Rapture 
Something about those early planes! Both the US Navy and Army pilots figured out that those early canards were dangerous, so they removed them. Which is what both Curtiss and the Wright brothers did later on.