Description:
English delft plate decorated in blue with a ballooning scene. Taking advantage of the enormous interest in aeronautics in England, Jean-Pierre Blanchard (1753-1809) made a series of flights in 1784 and 1785. His first English ascent from Lochee's Military Academy in Chelsea teamed him with Dr. John Sheldon on October 16, 1784. They loaded their basket gondola with provisions, pigeons, and scientific instruments, ascending before a crowd of 250,000 spectators and 2000 carriages, and landing in Romney Marshes in Kent, near St. Mary's Bay. An American, Dr. John Jeffries (1744-1819), accompanied Blanchard on his next flight, paying 100 guineas for the privilege. Ami Argand, the famous Swiss chemist, supervised the balloon's inflation with hydrogen. To maneuver the balloon, Blanchard relied on a pair of wings, a moulinet or rudder, and a rotating fan. Jeffries and Blanchard departed from "Mackenizie's Rhedarium" between Park Lane and Park Street in Mayfair, and landed in Stone Marsh, Kent. Jeffries' duties included collecting air samples at different altitudes. Along with the British flag, Jeffries clutched a banner with the arms of the Duchess of Devonshire, an admirer and supporter of the flight. Following their successful flight, the pair went on to cross the English Channel in a balloon. Blanchard is also remembered for his pioneering parachuting demonstrations, including the release of a dog and later as a life-saving means of escape for himself. This rare plate depicts the boat-shaped gondola preferred by the French ballonists, and may commemorate the initial flight of Jeffries and Blanchard. The well has two men in bonnet hats rowing a boat-shaped gondola with a flag at each end; three flocks of flying birds; two buildings, two hills, sponged-blue trees, and fences. The rim is edged with three blue lines and a trellis pattern. Some of Blanchard's flights took place from Stockwell Road, South Lambeth, not far from the Vauxhall Pottery. Possibly origins of manufacture for this plate were Lambeth, Vauxhall, Mortlake, and Isleworth.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+67.141 |
