Montgolfier Balloon, 1783

Fanciful depiction of the landing of Etienne Montgolfier's balloon near a cottage at Vaucresson after an eight mile flight from Paris, September 19, 1783, carrying three animals in a basket. The cock, the sheep, and the duck are seen on the ground; the balloon and the animals are being observed by astonished and frightened country people. Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (August 26, 1740 - June 26, 1810) and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier (January 6, 1745 - August 2, 1799) were the inventors of the Montgolfiere-style hot air balloon, globe aerostatique. The brothers decided to make a public demonstration of a balloon in order to establish their claim to its invention. On June 4, 1783, they flew their craft in front of a group of dignitaries. Its flight covered 1.2mi, lasted 10 minutes, and had an estimated altitude of 5, 200-6, 600 ft. They succeeded in launching the first manned ascent, when Etienne made a tethered flight on October 15, 1783. They were honored by the French Academie des Sciences. Etienne died in 1799 at the age of 54. Joseph died in 1810 at the age of 69

Picture No

13344525

Media ID

47798102

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3000px x 4770px (3.0MB)

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