Historical Balloon Aeronautics

Engravings and illustrations of early ballooning attempts and technology, showcasing significant historical figures and innovative designs in aeronautics.

Nacelle of a captive aerostat built for the Russian army by Gabriel Yon. Old 19th century engraved illustration from La Nature 1885

Comet, anonymous, 1700 - 1800 print A comet in a nocturnal sky. Northern Netherlands paper etching / engraving comet

Birds eye view of Mesopotamia showing William Willcock proposed scheme of irrigation Copyright: xKenxGraham/DinodiaxPhotox

The comet of Donati, October 10, 1858. In the foreground a man with dog by a river. In the background left a church tower, Donati's Comet, in 10 October 1858 (title on object), print maker: Cornelis van der Griendt, (mentioned on object), Netherlands, 1858 - 1860

Inflating balloon with hydrogen, produced by covering barrels of iron filings with sulphuric acid and feeding gas into balloon. Engraving 1845.

Engraving depicting André-Jacques Garnerin making his first parachute descent. André-Jacques Garnerin (1769-1823) a French balloonist and inventor of the frameless parachute. Dated 18th Century

Spiders and their webs in a dusty barn. Engraving, Paris, 1892.

Jean Baptiste Biot and Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French scientists, 1804 (1870). Artist: Unknown

Donati's comet, 1858. Donati comet, October 10, 1858. In the foreground a man with dog at a river. A church tower on the left.

The first sucessfull balloon flight of Jean-Pierre Francois Flanchard (1753-1809). Hydrogen gas lauched from the Champ de Mars, Paris, France, 2 march 1784.

Petin's design for a huge airship with viewing platforms raised by many balloons, 1850. Woodblock engraving by Mes from Louis Figuier's "Les Merveilles de la Science: Aerostats" (Marvels of Science: Air Balloons), Furne, Jouvet et Cie, Paris, 1868.

natural disaster catastrophe storms waterspouts on western coast of Africa 1884 colour wood engraving by A.Weber for ""Le Tour du Monde"" after sketch by eyewitness lieutenant Coffinires de Nordek Paris 1886 private collection,

Astronomy: various apocalyptic scenes, including an astrologer/alchemist in his study, a mob addressed by rival orators, a sea battle, and a battle in Africa. Coloured lithograph, c.1872?.

The fourth Eddystone lighthouse in heavy seas. Built on the Stone 13 miles South-east of Polperro, Cornwall, England, which claimed up to 50 ships a year. Built by the English civil engineer John Smeaton (1724-1792) beginning in 1756 it was in operation for 127 years. Engraving from The Gallery of Nature and Art by the Rev. Edward Polehampton (London, 1814).

Astronomy: various apocalyptic scenes, including earthquake, war, and shipwreck. Coloured lithograph, c.1833?.

European slavers burning villages and kidnapping Africans 34, floor plan of a slave ship 35, and auction of enslaved people on a block in America 36. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Rev. Isaac Taylors Scenes in Africa for the Amusement and Instruction of Little Tarry-at-Home Travelers, Harris and Son, London, 1820.

Engraving depicting Giffard's Captive hydrogen balloon 'Captive' at the Paris Exhibition. Dated 19th Century

Illustration depicting the Aurora Borealis observed from Berville-sur-Mer. Dated 19th Century

Crowds gathered, in the Champs de Mars, to watch the release of the first successful hydrogen filled balloon. Dated 18th Century

The Vesuvius with Somma on October 19, 1767, vintage engraved illustration. From the Universe and Humanity, 1910.

Photograph showing the use of an hydrogen balloon during the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-4, Antarctic, 4th February 1902. This was the very first balloon flight, to a height of 750 feet, undertaken in the Antarctic. Date: 1903

Engraving showing 9 scenes from Professor Baldwin's demonstration of ballooning and parachuting, held in the grounds of the Alexandra Palace, London, 1888. Date: 29 September 1888

Engraving depicting Professor Charles' balloon on its way to the Champ de Mars. Dated 18th Century

Device for throwing oil into the sea. Old 19th century engraving from La Nature 1887

Astronomy: comets in a night sky. Engraving.

Deaths of Pilatre de Rozier and Pierre Romain in a balloon crash near Boulogne, June 1785. Woodblock engraving by H. Rousseau after Lara from Louis Figuier's "Les Merveilles de la Science: Aerostats" (Marvels of Science: Air Balloons), Furne, Jouvet et Cie, Paris, 1868.

Engraving depicting a view of the Aurora Borealis, a light show caused by collisions between electrically charged particles released from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. Dated 18th century

Cyrus McCormick's reaping machine of 1831 (patented 1834). Exhibited at Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851. First widely adopted reaping machine. Hand-coloured engraving.

First mechanical and aerostatic experience of Mr. Blanchard on February 27, 1784 in the Jardin de Mr. L'Abbé Vincent

William Herschel's 20ft telescope erected at Feldhausen during his son John Herschel's expedition to catalogue the southern stars. From John Herschel 'Results of Astronomical Observationsat the Cape of Good Hope' London 1847

This 1902 illustration shows a geyser. A geyser is a hot spring in which water intermittently boils, sending a tall column of water and steam into the air.

Engraving depicting the fatal parachute descent of Robert Cocking (1776-1837) a British watercolour artist and the first victim of a parachute accident. Dated 19th Century

The middle Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak was a major tornado outbreak occurring in the middle United States on March 27, 1890. Old XIX century engraved illustration from La Ilustracion Española y Americana 1890

Shooting an Oil Well From the book The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine May to October 1883

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Bay of Naples, Italy, 18 July 1892. From 'Le Petit Journal', Paris, 30 July 1892. Volcano, Science, Vulcanology

Effects of a big earthquake, Lisbon 1755, vintage engraved illustration. From the Universe and Humanity, 1910.

First experiments with a Montgolfiere Balloon at Annonay, 5 June 1783, woodcut, 1888, historic engraving

Lighting of the Place du Carrousel in Paris by electric light, vintage engraved illustration. Industrial encyclopedia E.-O. Lami - 1875.

Crater of the Cup Aizac mountain with lava flow creating a prismatic basalt pavement. In the Vivarais or Ardeche range. After an engraving by Veyrenc in Barthelemy Faujas de Saint-Fond's Recherches sur les volcans, 1778. Cratere de la montagne de la Coupe avec un courant de lave qui donne naissance a un pave de basalte prismatique: dans le Vivarais. Copperplate engraving by Giuseppe Dall'Acqua from Scipion Breislaks Traite sur la Structure Exterieure du Globe, Treatise on the Exterior Structure of the Globe, Jean-Pierre Giegler, Milan, 1822.

Lick Observatory Telescope Engraving circa 1890 San Jose California

Geography: a volcano in eruption. Coloured wood engraving by C. Whymper.

THis illustration of a comet dates to 1902. Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock, and dust that orbit the Sun. When frozen, they are the size of a small town.

Monsieur Babinet prévenu par sa portière... , Physicists, Mathematicians, Astronomers, Babinet, M. Jacques, 1794-1872. Honoré Daumier (1808-1879). Lithographs

Nine demonstrations of speed, inertia and gravity. Colour zincograph by F. Gillot after C. Bethmont.

Restoration of a landscape in Jurassic era Europe: Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Teleosaurus, Pterodactylus, Rhamphorynchus, Archaeopterix, Lepidotus, Cidarites coronatus, Diceras arietina, Pentacrinus, Gryphaea arcuata, Ammonites, Belemnoid, Pandanus, Zamites, Pterophyllum and Araucaria.

Burial grounds on Hawaii (Sandwich Islands). Handcolored copperplate engraving from G. T. Wilhelm's "Encyclopedia of Natural History: Mankind," Augsburg, 1804. Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm (1758-1811) was a Bavarian clergyman and naturalist known as the German Buffon.

Comet, Caspar Luyken, Christoph Weigel, 1695 - 1705

Sprat, Sprattus sprattus, and section through a smokehouse showing workers smoking herring in a kipper factory, 18th century. Handcolored copperplate engraving after Jacob Nilson from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Encyclopedia of Natural History: Fish, Augsburg, 1804. Wilhelm (1758-1811) was a Bavarian clergyman and naturalist known as the German Buffon.

Hancock's Acquatic Dress - a basin-type device for 'walking' across deep rivers. The rather 'opn' design rathers opens the possibility for flooding, but Mr Hancock's business flourished in the early 1820s and he was a perfectly repectable merchant selling pneumatic beds and waterproof clothes! Date: late 19th century

Landscape of the Mesozoic (Triassic, Jurassic or Cretaceous) era, showing dinosaurs and erupting volcanoes in the distance Date: 245-65 million BC

An encounter with a tall man from the planet Mars -- 'A huge Martian, who seemed to stand nearly nine feet high' -- illustrating George Griffith's 'Stories of Other Worlds'. Date: 1899

Balloon Game Board, Aviation

Eruption of ash at 25 december 1813.

The slave trade and a slave ship, print. Slavery, 18th century.

The Shoal of a SpermWhale. After: Thomas Birch, American, born England, 1779-1851

The Nice Observatory, Observatoire de Nice, is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros, illustration from 1879 / Das Observatoire de Nice ist ein astronomisches Observatorium in Nizza, Frankreich, Illustration von 1879, Historisch, historical, digital improved reproduction of an original from the 19th century / digitale Reproduktion einer Originalvorlage aus dem 19. Jahrhundert,.

An eruption of Mount Vesuvius at night; people watching the eruption in the foreground. Aquatint by F. Weber after A. d'Anna.

Print made by William Bernard Cooke, 1778-1855, British, Brightling Observatory, 1816. Etching and line engraving on medium, slightly textured, cream wove paper.

HMS Beagle' laid ashore: River Santa Cruz. It was during his voyage as naturalist on Beagle Charles Darwin (1809-1882) made observations that helped form his theory of evolution. From Fitzroy 'Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle' London 1839. Engraving.

Doctorer Spiritus a MANN, OWSWALD Adapt Sicultrt, 1843 - C. 1920 print Leaf with 13 performances from the story of Dr. Spiritus and the Moon. About the doctor's fear that the moon will fall on the earth. A caption under each image. Numbered in the middle: NRO. 52. Numbered at the top right: 52. Print Maker: Germanypublisher: Munich Printer: Munich paper letterpress printing full moon represented as face

Sepulchral cave with mummies of the Guanche (aboriginal Berber) people on the Canary Islands. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Andrea Bernieri from Giulio Ferrario's Ancient and Modern Costumes of all the Peoples of the World, Florence, Italy, 1843.

Hans Bartsch von Sigsfeld's altitude research balloon, 1932. Creator: Unknown.

'The recent eruption of Mount Etna, Sicily - A view of the new crater', 1886. From "The Graphic. An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper Volume 33. January to June, 1886".

The Worcester Buckeye Mower. The "Man in the Moon" reveals queer sights. If you look at him sharply on bright starry nights, through telescopes strong, hay making is seen, and the mower they use, is the Worcester machine.. The Worcester Buckeye Mower. The "Man in the Moon" reveals queer sights. If you look at him sharply on bright starry nights, through telescopes strong, hay making is seen, and the mower they use, is the Worcester machine.

Engraving depicting Lyon Playfair (1819-1898), a Scottish chemist, lecturing on glass at the Museum of Practical Geology, London.

Franklin's experiment, June 1752: Demonstrating the identity of lightning and electricty, from which he invented the lightning rod

'Calmar de Bouyer', giant squid caught by the French vessel 'Alecto' off Tenerife, Canary Islands Date: 30 November 1861

Active volcanoes in the area of Turbaco, Colombia. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Migliavacca from Giulio Ferrrario's Costumes Antique and Modern of All Peoples (Il Costume Antico e Moderno di Tutti i Popoli), Florence, 1842.

Detail of the illustration in the vignette of a historical stock certificate of an oil and gas company, design showing a young woman holding a globe in front of oil rigs and an oil refinery, Belco Petroleum Corporation, now called Belco Oil & Gas Corporation, Delaware, USA, 1976, North America

Series Genre Pictures Xi., Paris, 1878, Diver on the Bottom of the Sea, Liebig picture, historical, digitally restored reproduction of a collectors picture from c. 1900

The Gigante balloon by the engineer Dartois, Genoa, Italy, photograph by Sciutto, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXX, No 21, May 24, 1903.

Color illustration of Camille Flammarion library with popular physical science books, by an anonymous artist and published by Emile Desbeaux around 1890.

Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 - August 9, 1919), also written von Haeckel, was an eminent German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, and coined many terms in biology, including anthropogeny, ecology, phylum, phylogeny, and the kingdom Protista. Haeckel promoted and popularized Charles Darwin's work in Germany.

'Southwards in Search of the Sun', 1905.Artist: Bemrose

Heliograph, c1900. Artist: Anon

Sir William Herschel, German-born British astronomer, (c1900). Artist: Unknown

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