A Monsieur de Faujace de St. Fond
Dates
- Creation: c. 1783
Conditions Governing Use
Access to the Theodore Newton Vail Collection of Aeronautical Images, Broadsides and Clippings is not authorization to publish. Separate written application for permission to publish must be made to the Institute Archives. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection.
Biographical / Historical
On September 19 1783, brothers Joseph Michel (1740-1810) and Jacques-Etienne (1745-1799) Montgolfier launched a balloon carrying a rooster, a sheep and a duck from Versailles and showed for the first time that air travel was safe for living creatures. The balloon rose to height of 1500 ft., and descended after eight minutes, at a distance of about 2 m. in the woods of Vaucresson.
Language of Materials
French
Existence and Location of Originals
Box 10
Physical Description
Art on Paper
Dimensions
25.9 x 35.4 cm
General Note
Engraving depicting a crowd gathered at Versailles on September 19 1783 to watch the ascent of the Montgolfier balloon that carried the sheep, rooster and duck who were to become the first live aeronauts. A caption below gives information about the ascent, including the date and fact that it was made in the presence of the royal family.
Repository Details
Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US
distinctive-collections@mit.edu