Vincent Lunardi Esqr.
Lithograph, English, 1784

A less attractive portrait of Lunardi.

Birds of a Feather
John Kay
Etching, English, 1784

The seven men standing together were all involved in early English and Scottish ballooning. Vincent Lunardi, right of center, is extending his hand to shake that of James Tytler, left of center. On August 25 and 27, 1784, Tytler made two short flights in a hot air balloon from Edinburgh, becoming the first Britain to fly from British soil. The following month, Lunardi made the first gas balloon flight in England. The small hot air balloon is up-ended and descending over head, trailing smoke. The hot air balloon on the left represents Tytler's Edinburgh "fire balloon" of August 1784. The balloon to the right is Lunardi's craft.

The Catalogue of British Portraits Preserved in the Department of Portraits and Drawings in the British Museum identifies the men as: 1. John Mitchell 2. John Neilson, 3. James Tytler, 4. Vincent Lunardi, 5. Jos. Lulson [?] 6. John Spottiswood 7. Myles McPhail.  

Vincent Lunardi Esqr., His Dog & His Cat
Engraving, English, 1784

Vincent Lunardi with his dog and cat. When he ascended from the grounds of the Honorable Artillery Company, London, on September 15, 1784, he was accompanied by a cat, dog, and carrier pigeon.

"London, Pub'd. Novr. 1st, 1784 by Edwd. Hedges, No. 92, Cornhill."

Vincent Lunardi Esq.

Etching
English, 1784

Vincent Lunardi in his basket

Vincent Lunardi
John Kay
Etching
English, 1784?

Lunardi’s balloon on display in the Pantheon, a London exhibition hall, 1784.

Aquatint engraving
English, 1784

Lunardi’s Celebrated Air-Balloon

Etching
English,1783

Lunardi makes the first ascent in a hydrogen balloon from English soil, the Artillery Ground, London, September 15, 1784.

Somers
Watercolor, English, 19th century

Another view of Lunardi’s ascent, September 15, 1784.

Etching ,English, 18th century

Lunardi lands safely near Warn, Hertfordshire, September 15, 1784. A small girl helps him to disentangle his balloon from a tree.

Somers
Watercolor, English, 19th century

An Exact Representation of M. Lunardi's New Balloon. As it ascended with himself 13 May 1785

Mezzotint
English, 1785

A Representation of Mr. Lunardi's Balloon from ye Artillery Ground, London May 13, 1785.

Etching, English, 1785

Mr. Lunardi afcending from the Artillery Ground; A Reprefentation of the manner of filling the Balloon.

Woodcut, English, 1785

Lunardi invites actress Letitia Anne Sage and Colonel George Biggin to fly with him on June 29, 1785. When the party proved to be too heavy, Lunardi, the only trained balloonist in the group, stepped out of the basket and allowed his two guests to ascend. They landed safely two hours later.

Etching, from an original painting by John Francis Rigaud
English, 1784

Portrait of Mrs. Sage, The First English Female Aerial Traveller
Lithograph, English, 1785

Letitia Anne Sage, an actress, was the first English female aerial traveler, who ascended with Mr. Biggin in Lunardi's balloon from St. George's Fields on June 29, 1785.

7th Dec. 1785. Mr. Lunardi ascending at Edinburgh in presence of a great concourse of mirthful Scotch people as seen from the Grass Market [missing] afterwards blown into the [missing] picked up by a sailing boat [missing].

Somers
Watercolor
English, Late 16th century

29 Aug. 1786 - Lunardi ascended at Kittlewell's Orchard behind York, Minster and descended in a cornfield, the people flocking to the spot he reascended fearing the damage done to the corn, and went out of sight. This drawing represents the ascension.

Somers
Watercolor
English, Late 18th century

This flight was made with Lunardi's Royal Balloon from an orchard behind the York Minster cathedral. He rose to a "prodigious height," encountered rain, snow and hail, finally landing at Greencock, 20 miles away.

Aerostation out at Elbows or the Itinerant Aeronaut.

Etching
English, Late 18th century

This portrait of a down-on-his-luck aeronaut is assumed to be a caricature of Lunardi who travelled extensively with his balloon, though not usually carrying it on his back.

Aerostation. Mr. Sadler's Ascent from Merton Fields, Oxford.

Etching, English, early 19th century

Pewter medallion Portrait of James Sadler
English, 19th century

English, D. Obverse shows the profile of James Sadler, the 'First English Aeronaut.' Reverse shows a balloon gondola. 'The 21 Ascent / October 7, 1811. / Ascended from Birmingham. Traversed upwards of 112 miles in 1hour & 20 minutes.'

To The Worshipful the Mayor & Corporation of the City of Bristol. This Print, (of the Perilous Situation of Messrs. Sadler & Clayfield, who Afcended from Bristol on the 24th of Septr. 1810, at 20 Minutes past 1 O'Clock, and Descended in the Bristol Channel, near Watermouth, about 10 Minutes past 4 O'Clock, after pafsing over upwards of 80 Miles by Water, & 20 by Land in lefs than 3 Hours,) Is moft respectfully dedicated by their devoted and very humble Servant E.M. Jones.

E.M. Jones
Aquatint, English, 1810

1810 Oct. Mr. Sadler ascended at the Green Park & passed very near Allington Castle, Kent, & descended in a field a few miles East of Maidstone & was seen from the Castle Ruins as represented by this view taken from the spot.

Somers
Watercolor, English. 19th century

Untitled
Oil painting, English, 19th century

The painting apparently represents one of James Sadler's flights from the Mermaid Tavern, Hackney, Middlesex, London, in August 1811. On August 12, he ascended with a Lt. Paget. On August 29 he made a second flight with a Mr. Beaufoy, traveling to East Thorpe, Essex, conducting scientific experiments along the way.  

A View of the Balloon of Mr. Sadler's Ascending With him and Captain Paget of the Royal Navy from the Gardens of the Mermaid Tavern at Hackney on Monday Aug 12 1811

Etching, English, 19th century

1811 Aug. 12th. Mr. Sadler ascended at 3 o’clock Monday afternoon with Captain Paget from the Mermaid Gardens, Hackney, and descended in a field near Tilbury Fort, Essex, at 20 minutes past 4. This represents the descent.

Somers
Watercolor, English, 19th century

An exact representation of Mr. Sadlers Balloon by which he ascended from the Mermaid at Hackney in Middlesex

Etching, English, 1811

A view of the Balloon & Car with Mr. Sadler on his way from Dublin across the Irish Channel to England 1812

Offset lithograph, English, 20th century

James Sadler is rescued by a fisherman after being forced down in the water during an attempt to cross the Irish Sea on October 1, 1812.

Somers
Watercolor, English, 19th century

Ascent of Mr. Sadler and Miss Thompson from Burlington House, July 29, 1814

Engraving, English, 1814

Copper coin, English, 1823
Coin commemorating Isaac Earlysman Sparrow's June 23, 1823 balloon flight with Charles Green. Sparrow was an Ironmonger from Bishopsgate, London who had an interest in balloons. He paid Green 50 shillings sterling to accompany him on a flight. Sparrow issued these coins to commemorate his experience. Sparrow's profile is on the front, with 'Isaac Earlysman / Sparrow' around the edge. Plain balloon on the reverse with 'Ironmonger Bishopsgate / London' around the edge.

Mr. Green's Balloon as it appeared before he ascended, April, 1827-- at White Conduit Gardens

Pencil drawing, English, 1827

Green's balloon before ascension at White Conduit Gardens in April 1827. Image shows the balloon floating slightly above the ground, but held down by tethers and weights. Two figures are in the gondola, and a small crowd is around the balloon.

A Consultation previous to an Aerial Voyage from London to Weilburg in Nassau, on the 7th day of November, 1836.

Uncolored etching, English, 1843

Uncolored etching of six men (I. Hollands, Wm. Millbourne, T.M. Mason, Wm. Prideaux, Robert Holland, Charles Green), engaged in discussion around a table with a map. They are discussing an aerial voyage from London to Weilburg.  After a painting by J. Hollins, A.R.A., and engraved by J.H. Robinson.

'Painted by J. Hollins, A.R.A. Engraved by J.H. Robinson. Hon. Member of the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburgh. London, Published for the Proprietor, by Henry Graves & Co. Print sellers to the Queen & H.R.H. Prince Albert, 6, Pall Mall, Nov. 7, 1843.'

On November 7, 1836, Green took off from London’s Vauxhall Gardens in his Royal Vauxhall balloon, accompanied by Robert Holland, MP for Hastings, and Monck Mason. The trio landed the next day at Weilburg, Nassau, Germany, having travelled some 805 kilometers (500 miles) in 18 hours.

A Consultation previous to an Aerial Voyage from London to Weilburg, Novr. 1836.

Etching, English, 1837

A hand colored version of the print.

Rob Holland, Monck Major, Charles Green.

Lithograph, Englsih, 1837

Green and his companions.

In the wake of the flight to Weilburg, Green’s Royal Vauxhall balloon was renamed, the Royal Nassau.

Chromolithograph, American, 1949

The Great Balloon, From a Sketch by Robert Holland Esq.

Etching, English, 18378 (?)

Etching, German, 1837 (?)

What appears to be the Royal Nassau balloon with special markings.

On July 24, 1837, against his better judgement, Green carried Robert Cocking, a water colorist and would-be inventor, aloft, dangling beneath the balloon in order to test his parachute design. 

Chromolithograph, English, 1837

The Great Nassau Balloon
Colored lithograph, English, 1837

Mr. Edward Spencer
Lithograph, English, 1838

Edward Spencer was a friend of Charles Green and accompanied him on as many as 27 flights, including the fatal Cocking ascent. Spencer was the progenitor of a famous aeronautical family who would remain active in ballooning into the early 20th century. 

Robert Cocking, Aged 61, who lost his Life at Lee in Kent, by a descent in his Parachute from the Nassau Balloon, 24th July, 1837.

Lithograph, English, 1837

Pen and ink drawing, English, 1837

A comparison of a traditional parachute (above) and Cocking’s design

Poster, English, 1837

The proprietors of the Vauxhall Pleasure Garden intended to draw a large crowd of paying spectators to witness the Cocking parachute demonstration

Watercolor, English, 1837

Robert Cocking in the basket of his parachute, preparing for the ascension in the Royal Vauxhall Gardens.

Robert Cocking’s parachute failed. His death was one of the most widely reported aeronautical tragedies of the era. 

Chromolithograph, English, 1837

Lithograph, English, 1837

The three stages to disaster

Transfer lithograph, English, 1837

Poorly executed transfer lithograph with loss of details.

Right: Ascent of the Royal Nassau Balloon with Robert Cocking in his parachute attached below on July 24, 1837.

Center: Full-body portrait of Robert Cocking standing in profile.

Left: Image shows the descent of the parachute in three stages. Top of the image shows the parachute right after detaching from the balloon, and it is open and working properly. The balloon is aloft in the top right of the image. The middle of the image shows the parachute right after its collapse. The bottom shows the parachute fully collapsed and descending rapidly.

Mr. Green's, Voyage Balloon, In which this intrepid Aeronaut intends to cross the Atlantic in the ensuing summer, from the American to the European Continent

Lithograph, English, 1840

This print celebrates Charles Green’s planned balloon journey, "in the ensuing summer, from the American to the European Continent." The land in the background of the image suggests that this scene represents the beginning of the voyage. Caption below the image. Unable to finance the projected flight, Green eventually abandoned his plan. News of the plan, however, inspired Edgar Allen Poe to publish his “Balloon Hoax” article in the New York Sun in 1844, in which he reported that the flight had succeeded.

'London: Published April 2nd, 1840, by W. Morgan, 68, Upper Harrison St, Grays Inn Road, and of Wm. Rodborough, 3. Coventry St. Haymarket...'

Somers
Watercolor, English, 1842(?)

John Hampton and Charles Green ascending from Baron de Ballinger’s Gardens, Cremorne Gardens, Chelsea in the Albion balloon. They descended on Sunbury Common. Hayes and Green bought the "Albion" balloon from Hampton, August 22, 1842.

Vauxhall gardens, Friday August 16th, Grand Night Ascent

Poster, English, 1850

The poster may be advertising an 1850 ascent.

Print, Japan, 1868 (?)

This is almost certainly a print produced by Utagawa Yoshitori in the 1860s depicting the scene when T.S.C. Lowe and William Paulin flew for the Japanese Embassy visiting Philadelphia. The large structure setting on the wheeled vehicle to the right may be the artist's interpretation of the enclosed basket of Lowe's Great Western balloon, which was being exhibited in Philadelphia at that time.

The Japanese text reads: Translation by Thomas Momiyama (Museum Volunteer) 

“(AMERICA) Originally European people came over, and traveling wide road surpassing hitherto narrow road, ultimately built a republic. It’s a big nation gathering various kinds of people. Throughout the year, elected people gather in the capital and discuss trade with various countries. Further, prosperity of Washington is comparable to our capital. From ports in California (they) sail ships to all over the world. (They) make building of the foundation of trade the fundamental of merchandizing.”

Prof. Lowe's Balloon Wagon
Artist unknown
Oil on canvas, American, 1862 (?)

With the coming of the Civil War, T. S. C. Lowe created and led an observation Balloon Corps for the Union Army. In the spring of 1862, the Union Army attempted to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond by attacking up the Virginia peninsula separating the James and York rivers. This painting of the Union position at White House Landing on the Pamunkey River, shows one of Lowe’s inflation wagons on shore. Tanks inside the wagon were filled with dilute sulfuric acid and iron filings to generate the hydrogen gas to fill the balloons.

The painting is based on a drawing of this scene by the Irish-born newspaper artist Arthur Lumley, published in the New York Illustrated News, June 14, 1862. The original drawing is held by the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. The sketch and printed image of the scene at the White House landing differ some in details, but are clearly the basis for the painting, which was exhibited several times during the Civil War Centennial of the 1960s.

The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31, 1862
Currier and Lives Lithograph, American, 19th century

Lowe watches the carnage from his aerial perch.