Description:
Hand-colored print in red, yellow, pink, purple, and black, titled: "A Representation of Mr. BLANCHARD's BALLOON launch'd f/ Mr. Lochee's MILITARY ACADEMY Little Chelsea Saturday 16, Oct". 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 (London) 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. The scene shows a crowd of people surrounding a building, labelled "MILITARY ACADEMY", watching the ascent of a red and yellow striped balloon with two men, one of whom is holding the British flag. There is propeller on the right side of the balloon.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2001.66 |
